•

The Superior Library

"In Camp on White Bear Island"

Conflict with Indians

Singular Adventures of the Captains Lewis

and Clarke and

Command of the U. S. Soldiers in the vast unexplored West

By

PAUL ALLEN

THE SUPERIOR PRINTING COMPANY AKRON, OHIO

BY THE WERNER COMPANY

BY

THE SUPERIOR PRINTING COMPANY AKRON, OHIO

/ ^t "~ CAMPION ACCESS^*

•XKCflOFT UBRAHY

PREFACE

THE History of the Expedition of Captains Lewis and Clarke, during the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, by order of the Government of the United States, is the first narrative which diffused widely at that time a knowledge of the so-called Oregon Territory, and the intermediate country from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. It presents a description of a new and magnificent region, unvisited before by white men, with its barbarous tribes, their character and habits, and abounding in herds of buffalo, deer, and ante- lope, outnumbering the human tenants of the land. The Exposition held at Portland, Oregon, during the year of 1905, in commemoration of the great achieve- ments attained by the Lewis and Clarke Expedition did surely lend a renewed interest to their Journal. The work being now nearly out of print, it seemed to the publishers a suitable time to put forth a new edition of the Journal of Lewis and Clarke, pruned of unimpor tant details, with a sketch of the progress of maritime discovery en the Pacific coast, and a summary account of earlier attempts to penetrate this vast western wilderness.

This Journal must ever retain a high degree of interest, as the account of the first voyage made by Indian or white man, in boats or canoes, stemming the current and rapids of the Missouri by the aid of sails, oars, pole and towline, from the point where its

A

PREFACE

waters discharge themselves into the Mississippi t<? its sources in the Rocky Mountains. They and their party were also the first white men who, after crossing the mountains, discovered the head-waters of the Columbia River, and where borne by its rapid current to the bay where its tumultuous waters meet the stormy tides of the Pacific.

B

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

Description of Wappatoo Island, and of the Mode in which the Natives gather the Wappatoo Root — Character of the Soil and its Productions — Numerous Tribes residing in its Vicinity — Probability that they were all of the Multnomah Tribe originally, inferred from Similarity of Dress, Manners, Language, etc. — Description of their Dress, Weapons of War, and Mode of Burying the Dead — Description of another Vil- lage, called the Wahclellah Village — Their Mode of Architecture — Ex- traordinary Height of Beacon Rock — Unfriendly Character of the In- dians at that Place — The Party, alarmed for their Safety, resolve to inflict summary Vengeance, in case the Wahclellah Tribe persist in their Outrages and Insults — 'Interview with the Chief of that Tribe — and Confidence restored — Difficulty of drawing the Canoes over the Rapid's— Visited by a Party of the Yehugh Tribe — Brief Notice of the Weocksockwillackum Tribe — Curious Phenomenon observed in the Columbia, from the Rapids to the Chilluckittequaws 1

CHAPTER II.

Captain Clarke procures four Horses for the Transportation of the Baggage — Some further Account of the Skilloot Tribe — Their Joy at the first Appearance of Salmon in the Columbia — Their Thievish Propensities — The Party arrive at the Village of the Eneeshurs, where the Natives are found alike unfriendly — The Party now provided with Horses. — Prevented from the Exercise of Hostility against this Nation by a friendly Adjustment — The Scarcity of Timber so great that they are compelled to buy Wood to cook their Provision's — Arrive at the Wah- howpum Village — Dance of the Natives — Having obtained their Com- plement of Horses, the Party proceed by Land- — Arrive at the Pish- quitpah Village, and some Account of that People — Frank and Hos- pitable Conduct of the Wollawollahs — Their Mode of Dancing de- scribed— Their Mode of making Fish-wares — Their Amiable Character 21

CHAPTER III.

The party pursue their Route towards the Kooskooskee — They reach the Kinnooenim Creek — Meet with an old Acquaintance, called the Big- horn Indian — Arrive at the Mouth of the Kooskooskee — Difficulty of purchasing Provisions from the Natives, and new Device of the Party to obtain them — Chopunnish Style of Architecture — Captain Clarke turns Physician, and performs several Experiments upon the Natives with Success — Instance of their Honesty — Distress of the Indians for want of Provisions during the Winter — The Party finally meet Twisted Hair, to whom their Horses had been intrusted on their Journey down — Quarrel between that Chief and another of his Nation, in regard to his Horses — Causes of the Controversy stated at large— The two Chiefs reconciled by the Interference of the Party, and the

i

u CONTENTS

Horsefe restored — Extraordinary Instance of Indian Hospitality to- wards Strangers — Council held with the Chopunnish, and the Object of the Expedition explained — The Party perform other medical Cures — Answer of one Chopunnish to the Speech delivered at the Council, rat- ified by a singular Ceremony — They promise faithfully to follow the advice of their Visitors 40

CHAPTER IV.

The Party encamp among the Chopunni'sh, and receive farther Evidence of their Hospitality — Indian Mode of boiling Bear's Flesh — Of decoying the Deer within the Reach of their Arrows — Character of the Sou and Climate among the Rocky Mountains — Varieties of Climate — Character of the Natives — Their Dress and Ornaments — Mode of bury- ing the Dead — The Party administer medical Relief to the Native's — One of the Natives restored to the Use of his Limbs by Sweating, and the curious Process by which Perspiration was excited — An- other Proof of Chopunnish Hospitality — Success of their Sweating Prescription of an Indian Chief — Description of the Horned Lizard and a Variety of Insects — Attachment of the Friends of a dying Indian to a Tomahawk which he has stolen from the Party, and which they desired to bury with the Body — Description of the River Tommanamah — The Indians return an Answer to a Proposition made by the Party 02

CHAPTER V.

They join in the Diversions of the Willetpos Indians, a Tribe hitherto unnoticed — Joy of the Party at the Prospect of Returning — Vegetation of the Rocky Mountains — Preparations to resume their Journey — They set out, and arrive at Hungry Creek — Difficulties that obstructed their Progress — Compelled to return and wait for a Guide across the Mountains — Their Distress for want of Provisions — They re'solve to return to the Quamash Flats — Are at last so fortunate as to procure Indian Guide's, with whom .they resume their Journey — Dangers of the Route — Scarcity of Provisions, and the Perils to which they were exposed, their Course lying along the Ridge of the Mountains — De- scription of the warm Spring, where the Party encamp — Fondness of the Indians for bathing in them, 79

CHAPTER VI.

T*ie Party, proceeding on their Journey with their Indian Guides, agree to divide, take 'separate Routes, and meet again at the Mouth of the Yellowstone River — Captain Lewis, with nine Men, proceeds up the eastern Branch of Clarke's River, and takes leave of the Indian Guides — Description of that Branch, and Character of the surrounding Country — The Cokalahishkit River — They arrive at the Ridge dividing the Missouri from the Columbia River — Meet with the Buffalo and Brown JBear — Immense Herds of Buffalo seen on the Borders of Medi- cine River — The Party encamp on White Bear Island — Singular Ad- venture that befell M'Neil — Captain Lewis, with three of his Party, proceeds to explore the Source of Maria's River — Tansy River — lie reaches the Dividing Line of these two Streams — General Character of the surrounding Country 98

CHAPTER VII.

Captain Lewi's and his Party arrive at the Forks of Maria's River — Alarmed by the Evidence of being in the Neighborhood of unfriendly

CONTENTS iii

Indians, and distressed for Want of Provisions — The unfavorable Weather compels them to return — Interview with the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie — Mutual Consternation — Resolution of Captain Lewis — They encamp together for the Night — Conversation which ensues — Conflict occasioned by the Indians attempting to seize the Rifles and Horses of the Party, in which one of the Former is mortally wounded — Captain Lewis kills another Indian, and his narrow Escape — Having taken four Horses belonging to the Indians, they hasten to join the Party with Captain Clarke — Arriving near the Missouri, they are alarmed by the Sound of Rifles, which fortunately proves to be from the Party under Sergeant Ordway — The two Detachments thus united, leave their Horses, and descend the Missouri in Canoes — Continue their Route down the River to join Captain Clarke- — Vast Quantities of Game seen on their Passage — Captain Lewis accidentally wounded by one of his own Party — They at length join Captain Clarke 113

CHAPTER VIII.

The Party commanded by Captain Clarke proceed along Clarke's River — Their Sorry Commemoration of the 4th of July — Instance of Saca- jawea's Strength of Memory — Description of the River and of the surrounding Country, as the Party proceed — Horses missing and supposed to be stolen by the Indians — They reach Wisdom River — Ex- traordinary Heat of a Spring — Fondness of the Party for Tobacco- Sergeant Ordway recovers the Horses — Captain Clarke divides his Party, one Detachment to descend the River — They reach Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers — Arrive at Yellowstone River — Otter and Beaver Rivers — Indian Fortification — One of the Party accidentally wounded — Engaged in building Canoes — Twenty-four Horses stolen, probably by the Indians 128

CHAPTER IX.

Captain Clarke proceeds down the River — Description of an Indian Lodge — 'Sergeant Pryor arrives with the Horses — Remarkable Rock seen by Captain Clarke, and the Beauty of the Prospect from its Summit — Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers compared — Immense Herds of Buf- falo— Fierceness of the White Bear — Encamp at the Junction of the Yellowstone and the Missouri — Generaf Outline given of the Yellow- stone River — Sufferings of the P'arty from the Moschetoes — Sergeant Prypr arrives, and reports that all the Horses were stolen by the Indians — In this Emergency they make Canoes of Skins, in which they descend the River over the most difficult Shoals and Rapids — Un- expectedly meet with two White Men, from whom they procure Intel- ligence in relation to the Indians formerly visited by the Party.... 141

CHAPTER X.

Captain Clarke and his Party are overtaken by the Detachment under Captain Lewis, and they all descend the Missouri together — They re- visit the Minnetaree Indians, and hold a Council with that Nation, as well as the Mahahas — Captain Clarke endeavors to persuade their Chiefs to accompany him to the United States, which they decline on Account of their Fears of the Sioux in their Passage down the River — Colter, one of the Party, requests and obtains Liberty to remain among the Indians, for the Purpose of hunting Beaver — Friendly De- portment of the Mandans — Council held by Captain Clarke with the Chiefs of the different Villages — The Chief named Big White, with his Wife and Son, agrees to accompany the Party to the United States — He takes an affecting Farewell of his Nation — Chaboneau, with his

iv CONTENTS

Wife, declines going to the United State's,, and they are left among the Indians — The Party at length proceed on their Route — They ar- rive among the Ricaras — Character of the Chayennes, their Dress, Habits, etc. — Captain Clarke offers a Medal to the Chief of this Nation, which he at first refuse's, believing it to be Medicine, but which he is afterward prevailed on to accept — The Ricaras decline permitting one of their Number to accompany Captain Clarke to the United States, preferring to await the Return of their Chief who had already gone — The Party proceed rapidly down the River — Prepare to defend them- selves against the Tetons — Incredible Number of Buffalo seen near White River — They meet with the Tetons, and decline their Invita- tions to land — Intrepidity of Captain Clarke 159

CHAPTER XL The Party return in Safety to St. Louis 182

CHAPTER L

Description of Wappatoo Island, and of the Mode in which the Natives gather the Wappatoo Root. — Character of the Soil and its Productions. — Numerous Tribes residing in its Vicinity. — Probability that they were all of the Multnomah Tribe originally, inferred from Similarity of Dress, Manners, Language, &c. — Description of their Dress, Weap- ons of War, and Mode of burying the Dead. — Description of another Village, called the Wahclellah Village.— Their Mode of Architecture.— Extraordinary Height of Beacon Rock. — Unfriendly Character of the Indians at that Place. — The Party, alarmed for their Safety, resolve to inflict summary Vengeance, in case the Wahclellah Tribe persist in their Outrages and Insults. — Interview with the Chief of that Tribe, and Confidence restored. — Difficulty of drawing the Canoes over the Rapids.— Visited by a Party of the Yehugh Tribe.— Brief Notice of the Weocksockwillackum Tribe. — Curious Phenomenon observed in the Columbia, from the Rapids to the Chilluckittequaws.

" A PRIL 4. The hunters were still out in every /\ direction. Those from the opposite side, of L V the river returned with a bear and some veni- son ; but the flesh of six deer and an elk which they had killed was so meager and unfit for use that they had left it in the woods. Two other deer were brought in ; but, as the game was all so poor, we despatched a large party to some low grounds on the south, six miles above us, to hunt there until our arrival. As usual, many Indians came to our camp, some of them descending the river with their families, and others from below, with no object except to gratify then- curiosity.

1

2 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

" The visit of Captain Clarke to the Multnomahs, and information obtained from other sources, now enabled us to give some account of the neighbouring countries and nations. The most important spot is Wappatoo Island, a large tract lying betweeen the Multnomah and an arm of the Columbia, which we called Wappatoo Inlet, and separated from the main land by a sluice eighty yards wide, which at the dis- tance of seven miles up the Multnomah connects that river with the inlet. The island thus formed is about twenty miles long, and varies in breadth from five to ten miles. The land is high, and extremely fertile ; and on most parts is covered with a heavy growth of cottonwood, ash, the large-leafed ash, and sweet wil- low, the black alder common on the coast having now disappeared. But the chief wealth of this island is found in numerous ponds in the interior, which abound with the common arrowhead (sagittaria sagitti- folia), to the root of which is attached a bulb growing beneath it in the mud. This bulb, to which the In- dians give the name of wappatoo, is their great article of food, and almost the staple article of commerce on the Columbia. It is never out of season; so that at all times of the year the valley is frequented by the neighbouring Indians, who come to gather it. It is collected chiefly by the women, who employ for the purpose canoes from ten to fourteen feet in length, about two feet wide, nine inches deep, and tapering from the middle. They are sufficient to contain a single person and several bushels of roots, yet so very light that a woman can carry them with ease. She takes one of these canoes into the pond where the water is as high as the breast, and by means of her toes sep-

MODE OF GATHERING WAPPATOO 3

arates this bulb from the root, which, on being freed from the mud, rises immediately to the surface of the water, and is thrown into the canoe. In this manner these patient females will remain in the water for several hours, even in the depth of winter. This plant is found throughout the whole extent of the val- ley in which we then were, but does not grow on the Columbia farther east.

" This valley is bounded on the west by the moun- tainous country bordering the coast, from which it extends eastward thirty miles in a direct line, to the range of mountains crossing the Columbia above the Great Falls; its length from north to south we were unable to determine, but we believe it to extend in this direction a great distance. It is, in fact, the only desirable situation for a settlement on the western side of the Rocky Mountains ; and, being naturally fertile, would, if properly cultivated, afford subsistence for forty or fifty thousand souls. The high lands are generally of a dark rich loam, not much encumbered with stones, and, though waving, by no means too steep for cultivation: a few miles from the river they widen, at least on the north side, into rich, extensive prairies. The timber on them is abundant, and con- sists almost exclusively of the several species of fir already described, some of the trees growing to a great height. We measured a fallen tree of that spe- cies, and found that including the stump of about six •feet, it was three hundred and eighteen feet in length, though its diameter was only three feet. The dog- wood is also abundant on the uplands : it differs from that of the United States in having a much smoother bark, and in being much larger, the trunk attaining a

4 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

diameter of nearly two feet. There is some white cedar of a large size, but no pine of any kind. In the bottom lands are the cottonwood, ash, large-leafed ash, and sweet willow; interspersed with which are the pashequaw, shanataque, and compound fern, of which the natives use the roots. The red flowering currant abounds on the uplands, while along the river bottoms grow luxuriantly the water-cress, strawberry, cinquefoil, narrow dock, sandrush, and the flowering pea. There is also a species of the bear's-claw, but the large-leafed thorn had disappeared, nor did we see any longer the whortleberry, the shallun, nor any of the other evergreen shrubs bearing berries, except a species the leaf of which has a prickly margin.

" Among the animals we observed the martin, small geese, the small speckled woodpecker with a white back, the blue crested cprvus, ravens, crows, eagles, vultures, and hawks. The mellow bug and long-legged spider, as well as the butterfly, blowing- fly, and tick, had already made their appearance ; but none of these are different from insects of the same sort in the United States. The moschetoes, too, had resumed their visits, but were not yet troublesome.

'' The nations who inhabit this fertile neighbour- hood are very numerous. The Wappatoo Inlet, three hundred yards wide, extends for ten or twelve miles to the south, as far as the hills, near which it receives the waters of a 'small creek, whose sources are not far from those of the Killamuck River. On that creek reside the Clackstar nation, a numerous people of twelve hundred souls, who subsist on fish and wappatoo, and trade, by means of the Killamuck River, with the nation of that name on the seacoast. Lower down the

DIFFERENT TRIBES OF INDIANS 5

inlet, towards the Columbia, is the tribe called Cathla- cumup. On the sluice which connects the inlet with the Multnomah are the Cathlanahquiah and Cathla- comatup tribes; and on Wappatoo Island the Clannah- minamuns and Clahnaquahs. Immediately opposite, near the Towahnahiooks, are the Quathlapotles, and higher up, on the side of the Columbia, the Shotos. All these tribes, as well as the Cathlahaws, who live somewhat lower on the river, and have an old village on Deer Island, may be considered as parts of the great Multnomah nation, which has its principal residence on Wappatoo Island, near the mouth of the large river to which they give their name. Forty miles above its junction with the Columbia, this river receives the waters of the Clackamos, a river which may be traced through a woody and fertile country to its sources in Mount Jefferson, almost to the foot of which it is navigable for canoes. A nation of the same name re- sides in eleven villages along its borders: they live chiefly on fish and roots, which abound in the Clacka- mos and along its banks, though they sometimes de- scend to the Columbia to gather wappatoo, where they cannot be distinguished in dress, manners, or language from the tribes of the Multnomahs. Two days' jour- ney from the Columbia, or about twenty miles beyond the entrance of the Clackamos, are the Falls of the Multnomah. At this place reside the Cushooks and Chahcowahs, two tribes that are attracted there by the fish, and by the convenience of trading across the mountains, and down the Killamuck River, with the Killamucks, from whom they procure train oil. These falls are occasioned by a high range of mountains, be- yond which the country stretches into a vast level

6 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

plain wholly destitute of timber. As far as the Indians with whom we conversed had ever penetrated that country, it seems to be inhabited by a nation called Calahpoewah, a very numerous people, whose villages, nearly forty in number, are scattered along* each side of the Multnomah, which furnishes them with their chief subsistence, viz., fish, and the roots along its banks.

" All the tribes in the neighbourhood of Wappatoo Island we considered as Multnomahs ; not because they are in any degree subordinate to that nation, but they all seem to regard it as being the most powerful. There was no distinguished chief except the one at the head of the Multnomahs ; and they are, moreover, al- lied by similarity of dress and manners, and of houses and language, which, much more than the feeble re- straints of Indian government, contribute to make one people. These circumstances separate them also from the nations lower down the river. The Clatsops, Chin- nooks, Wahkiacums, and Cathlamahs understand each other perfectly : their language varies, however, in some respects from that of the Skilloots ; but, on reach- ing the Multnomah Indians, we found that, although many words were the same, while a great number dif- fered only in the mode of accenting them from those employed by the Indians near the mouth of the Colum- bia, yet there was, in fact, a very sensible distinction. The natives of the valley are of larger stature, and rather better shaped than those on the seacoast: their appearance, too, is generally healthy, though they are afflicted with the common disease of the Columbia, soreness of the eyes." * * *

" The dress of the men does not differ from that

INDIANS OF THE COLUMBIA VALLEY 7

used below ; they are chiefly distinguished by a passion for large brass buttons, which they will fix on a sail- or's jacket, whenever they are so fortunate as to obtain one, without the slightest regard to arrangement. The women, also, wear the short robe already described; but their hair is most commonly braided into two tresses, falling over each ear in front of the body ; and instead of the tissue of bark, they employ a piece of leather in the shape of a pocket handkerchief, tied round the loins." * * *

" The houses are generally on a level with the ground, though some are sunk to the depth of two or three feet, and, like those near the coast, are adorned, or rather disfigured, with carvings or paintings on the posts, doors, and beds. They have no peculiar weapon except a kind of broadsword made of iron, from three to four feet long, the blade about four inches wide, and very thin and sharp at both its edges, as well as at the point. They have also bludgeons of wood of the same form ; and both kinds generally hang at the head of their beds : these are formidable weapons. Like the natives of the seacoast, they are also very fond of cold, hot, and vapour baths, which are used at all seasons, for the purpose of health as well as pleasure.

' The mode of burying the dead in canoes is not practised by the natives here. The place of deposite is a vault formed of boards, slanting like the roof of a house, from a pole supported by two forks. Under this the dead are placed horizontally on boards, on the sur- face of the earth, and carefully covered with mats. The bodies are here laid to the height of three or four upon each other, and the different articles which were most esteemed by the deceased are placed by their

M. of H.— XXIX— 13

8 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

side ; their canoes themselves being sometimes taken to pieces to strengthen the vault.

" All these people trade in anchovies and sturgeon, but chiefly in wappatoo \ to obtain which, the inhabit- ants both above and below come at all seasons, the latter bringing, in turn, beads, cloth, and various other articles procured from the Europeans.

" April 5. We dried our meat as well as the cloudy weather would permit. In the course of the chase yes- terday, one of our men who had killed the bear found the den of another with three cubs in it. He returned to it to-day in hope of finding the dam, but, being dis- appointed in this, he brought the cubs ; and on this occasion Drewyer, our most experienced huntsman, assured us that he had never known a single instance where a female bear had been once disturbed by the hunter and obliged to leave her young, that she re- turned to them again. The young bears we sold for wappatoo to some of the numerous Indians who visited us in parties during the day, and who behaved very well. Having prepared our stock of dried meat, we set out the next morning." * * *

They proceeded, however, but a few miles the next day, as they were obliged to wait and collect their hunters ; nor did they start again the two following days, being employed in drying some additional meat that was brought in on the 7th, and on the 8th the weather would not permit their leaving.

" April 9. The wind having moderated, we re- loaded the canoes, and set out by seven o'clock. We stopped to take up two of our hunters who had left us yesterday, but had been unsuccessful in the chase, and then proceeded to the Wahclellah village, situated

BEACON ROCK 9

on the north side of the river, about a mile below Bea- con Rock. During the whole of the route from ot*r camp we passed along under high, steep, and rocky sides of mountains, which here close in on each side of the river, forming- stupendous precipices covered with fir and white cedar. Down these heights descend the most beautiful cascades, one of which, formed by a large creek, falls over a perpendicular rock three hun- dred feet above the water, while other smaller streams precipitate themselves from a still greater elevation, and, partially evaporating in a mist, collect again, and make a second descent before they reach the bottom of the rocks. We stopped to breakfast at this village; and here we found the tomahawk which had been sto- len from us on the 4th of last November. They as- sured us that they had bought it of the Indians below; but, as the latter had already informed us that the Wahclellahs had such an article which they had stolen, we made no difficulty about retaking our property." * * * " After purchasing, with much difficulty, a few dogs and some wappatoo from the Wahclellahs, we left them at two o'clock, and, passing along the Beacon Rock, reached in two hours the Clahclellah village.

" This rock, which we now observed more accu- rately than we had done in our descent, stands on the north side of the river, insulated from the hills. The northern side has a partial growth of fir or pine. To the south it rises in an unbroken precipice to the height of seven hundred feet, where it terminates in a sharp point, and may be seen at a distance of twenty miles below. This rock may be considered as the point where the tide-water commences ; though the influence of the tide is perceptible here in autumn only, at which time the river is low. What the precise difference is

10 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

at those seasons, we could not determine; but, on ex- amining a rock which we had lately passed, and com- paring its appearance with what we had observed last November, we judged the flood of this spring to be twelve feet above the height of the river at that time. From Beacon Rock as low down as the marshy islands, the general width of the river is from one to two miles, though in many places it is greater. On landing at the village of the Clahclellahs, we found them busy in erecting their huts, which seemed to be of a temporary kind only, so that most probably they do not remain longer than the salmon season. Like their countrymen whom we had just left, these people were sulky and ill humoured, and so much on the alert to pilfer that we were obliged to keep them at a distance from our baggage. As our large canoes could not ascend the rapids on the north, side, we passed on the opposite shore, and entered the narrow channel which separates

it from Brant Island. The weather was very cold and

j *

rainy, and the wind so high that we were afraid to attempt the rapids the same evening, and there- fore, rinding a safe harbour, we encamped for the night." * * *

" April 10. Early in the morning we dropped down the channel to the lower end of Brant Island, and then drew our boats up the rapid. At the distance of a quarter of a mile we crossed over to a village of Clahclellahs, consisting of six houses, on the opposite side. The river is here about four hundred yards wide, and the current so rapid that, although we employed five oars for each canoe, we were borne down a con- siderable distance. While we were at breakfast, one of the Indians offered us two sheepskins for sale, one of which was the skin of a full-grown a.n!mal, and was

MOUNTAIN SHEEP 11

as large as that of a common deer ;- the second was smaller, and the skin of the head, with the horns on it, had been made into a cap, and was highly prized by the owner. He, however, sold the cap to us for a knife, and the rest of the skin for those -of two elk; but, observing our anxiety to purchase the other skin, they would not accept the same price for it, and, as we hoped to procure more in the neighbourhood, we would not offer a greater. The horns of the animal were black, smooth, and erect, and rise from the middle of the forehead, a little above the eyes, in a cylindrical form, to the height of four inches, where they are pointed. The Clahclellahs informed us that these sheep were very abundant on the heights and among the cliffs of the adjacent mountains, and that these two had been lately killed out of a herd of thirty-six, at no great distance from the village. We were soon joined by our hunters, with three black-tailed fallow deer, and, having purchased a few white salmon, pro- ceeded on our route. The south side of the river is impassable, and the rapidity of the current, as well as the large rocks along the shore, render the naviga- tion of even the north side extremely difficult. Dur- ing the greater part of the day it was necessary to draw them along the shore; and, as we had only a single towrope that was strong enough, we^ were obliged to bring them one after the other. In this tedious and laborious manner we at length reached the portage on the north side, and carried our baggage to the top of a hill about two hundred paces distant, where we encamped for the night. The canoes were drawn on shore and secured, but one of them having got loose, drifted down to the last village, the inhabit-

12 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ants of which brought her back to us, an instance of honesty Avhich we rewarded with a present of two knives. It rained all night, and the next morning,

" April 11, so that the tents and the skins which covered the baggage were wet. We therefore deter- mined to take the canoes over the portage first, in hopes that by the afternoon the rain would cease, and we might carry our baggage across ( without injury. The work was immediately begun by almost the whole party, who in the course of the day dragged four of the canoes to the head of the rapids with great diffi- culty and labour. A guard, consisting of one sick man and three who had been lamed by accidents, remained with Captain Lewis to protect the baggage. This precaution was absolutely necessary to save it from the depredations of the Wahclellahs, who, we discov- ered, were great thieves, notwithstanding their appar- ent honesty in restoring our boat : indeed, so arrogant and intrusive did they become, that nothing but our rmmbers, we were convinced, preserved us from at- tack. They crowded about us while we were taking up the boats, and one of them had the insolence to throw stones down the bank at two of our men. We now found it necessary to depart from our uniformly mild and pacific course of conduct. On returning to the head of the portage, a large number of them met our men, and seemed very ill disposed. Shields had stopped to purchase a dog, and, being separated from the rest of the party, two Indians pushed him out of the road, and attempted to take the dog from him. He had no weapon but a long knife, with which he imme- diately attacked them both, hoping to despatch them before they had time to draw their arrows ; but, as soon

VISITED BY CLAHCLELLAH CHIEF is

as they saw his design, they fled into the woods. Soon afterward we were told by an Indian who spoke Clat- sop, which language we had learned during the winter, that the Wahclellahs had carried off Captain Lewises dog to their village below. Three men, well armed, were instantly sent in pursuit of them, with orders to fire if there was the slightest resistance or hesitation. At the distance of two miles they came within sight of the thieves, who, rinding themselves pursued, left the dog and made off. We now ordered all the Indians out of our camp, and signified to them, if any one of them stole our baggage or insulted our men, he would be instantly shot; a resolution which we were deter- mined to enforce, as it was now our only means of safety. We were visited during the day by a chief of the Clahclellahs, who seemed mortified at the treat- ment we had received, and told us that the persons at the head of these outrages were two very bad men who belonged to the Wahclellahs, but that the nation itself did not by any means wish to displease us. This chief seemed very well disposed, and we had every reason to believe was much respected by the neigh- bouring Indians. We therefore gave him a small medal, and showed him all the attention in our power, with which he appeared to be very much gratified; and we trusted that his interposition would prevent the necessity of our resorting to force against his countrymen.

" Man}'' Indians from the villages above passed us in the course of the day, on their return from trading with the natives of the valley, and among others we recognized an Eloot, who, with ten or twelve of his nation, were on their way home to the Long Narrows

14 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

of the Columbia. These people do not, as we are com- pelled to do, drag their canoes up the rapids, but leave them at the head as they descend, and, carrying their goods across the portage, hire or borrow others from the people below. When the traffic is over, they re- turn to the foot of the rapids, where they leave these boats, and resume their own at the head of the por- tage. The labour of carrying the goods across is equally shared by the men and women ; and we were struck by the contrast between the decent conduct of all the natives from above, and the profligacy and ill manners of the Wahclellahs. About three quarters of a mile below our camp was a burial-ground, which seemed common to the Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs, and Yehhuhs. It consisted of eight sepulchres on the north bank of the river."

In dragging their remaining pirogue up the rapids the next day, they unfortunately lost her, but suc- ceeded in transporting all their baggage to the head of the portage by five o'clock in the afternoon; and the weather being cold and rainy, they concluded to remain there during the night. " The portage," says the Journal, " was two thousand eight hundred yards, along a narrow road, at all times rough, and then ren- dered slippery by the rain. About half way was an old village, which the Clahclellah chief informed us was the occasional residence of his tribe. These houses were uncommonly large; one of them measur- ing one hundred and sixty by forty feet, the frames be- ing constructed in the usual manner, except that they were double, so as to appear like one house within an- other. The floors were on a level with the ground, and the roofs had been taken down, and sunk in a

THE YEHHUHS ^

pond behind the village. We now found that our firm- ness the day before had made the Indians much more respectful: they did not crowd about us in such num- bers, and behaved with much more propriety.

" Among those who visited us here were about twenty of the Yehhuhs, a tribe of Shahalas, whom we had found on the north side of the river, immediately above the rapids, but who had now emigrated to the opposite shore, where they generally take salmon. Like their relations, the Wahclellahs, they had taken their houses with them, so that only one was now standing where the old village was." * * *

" There is but little difference in appearance be- tween the Yehhuhs, Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs, and Neerchokioos, who compose the Shahala nation. On comparing the vocabulary of the Wahclellahs with that of the Chinnooks, we found that the names for numbers were precisely the same, though the other parts of the language were essentially different. The women of all these tribes braid their hair, pierce the nose, and some of them have lines of dots reaching from the ankle as high as the middle of the leg. These Yehhuhs behaved with great propriety, and condemned the treatment we had received from the Wahclellahs. We purchased from one of them the akin of a sheep killed near this place, for which we gave in exchange the skins of a deer and an elk. These animals, he told us, usually frequent the rocky parts of the mountains, where they are found in great numbers. The bighorn is also an inhabitant of these mountains, and the na- tives have several robes made of their skins." * * *

In ascending the river the next day, they found that their boats were too heavily laden, in consequence

16 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

of the loss of their pirogue ; but they succeeded in pur- chasing two additional canoes at a Yehhuh village, the inhabitants of which were very friendly. They ad- vanced about six miles beyond Cruzatte's River, where they encamped, and, being joined by all their hunters the next morning, resumed their journey. " At one o'clock," continues the Journal, " we halted for dinner at a large village, situated in a narrow bottom just above the entrance of Canoe Creek. The houses were detached from each other so as to occupy an extent of several miles, though only twenty in number. Those which were inhabited were on the surface of the ground, and built in the same shape as those near the Rapids; but there were others not occupied, which were completely under ground. They were sunk about eight feet deep, and covered with strong timbers, and several feet of earth in a conical form. On descend- ing by means of a ladder through a hole at the top, which answered the double purpose of a door and a chimney, we found that the house consisted of a sin- gle room, nearly circular, and about sixteen feet in diameter.

" The inhabitants, who called themselves Woeck- sockwillacums, differed but little from those near the Rapids, the chief distinction in dress being a few leg- gins and moccasins resembling those worn by the Cho- punnish. These people had ten or twelve good horses, which were the first we had seen since leaving this neighbourhood in the preceding autumn. The country below, is indeed, of such a nature as to prevent the use of this animal, except in the Columbia Valley, and there they would be of no great service, as the inhab- itants reside chiefly on the river side, and the country

COUNTRY ALONG THE COLUMBIA 17

is too thickly wooded to suffer them to hunt on horse- back. Most of these horses, they informed us, had been taken in a warlike excursion lately made against the Towahnahiooks, a part of the Snake nation living on the upper part of the Multnomah, to the southeast of this place. Their language is the same as that of the Chilluckittequaws. They seemed inclined to be very civil, and gave us in traffic some roots, chappelell, filberts, dried berries, and five dogs.

" After dinner we proceeded, and, passing at the distance of six miles high cliffs on the left, encamped at the mouth of a small run on the same side. A little above us was a village, consisting of about one hun- dred fighting men, of a tribe called Smackshops, many of whom passed the evening with us. They did not differ in any respect from the inhabitants of the village below." * * *

Soon after starting the next morning they came to Sepulchre Rock. '* This rock," says the Journal, " stands near the middle of the river, and contains about two acres of ground above high water. Over this surface are scattered thirteen vaults, constructed like those below the Rapids, and some of them more than half filled with dead bodies. After satisfying our curiosity Avith these venerable remains, we returned to the northern shore, and proceeded to a village at the distance of four miles. On landing, we found that the inhabitants belonged to the same nation as those we had just left, and as they had horses, we made an at- tempt to purchase some of them ; but, with all our dex- terity in exhibiting our wares, we could not succeed, as we had none of the only article which they seemed desirous of procuring, a sort of war-hatchet called by

is LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

the Northwest traders an eye-dog. We therefore pur- chased two dogs, and, taking leave of these Woeck- sockwillacums, proceeded to another of their villages, just below the entrance of Cataract River. Here, too, we tried in vain to purchase horses ; nor did we meet with better success at the two villages of Chilluckitte- quaws, a few miles farther up the river. At three in the afternoon we came to the mouth of Quinette Creek, which we ascended a short distance, and encamped for the night at a spot we had called Rock Fort. Here we were soon visited by some of the people from the Great Narrows and Falls; and on our expressing a wish to purchase horses, they agreed to meet us the next day on the north side of the river, where they would open a trade. They then returned to their villages to col- lect the horses, and in the morning,

" April 16, Captain Clarke crossed with nine men, and a large part of the merchandise, to purchase, if it were possible, twelve horses to transport our baggage, and some pounded fish, as a reserve on the passage across the Rocky Mountains. The rest of the men were employed in hunting and preparing saddles.

" From the Rapids to this place, and, indeed, as far as the commencement of the Narrows, the Colum- bia is from half a mile to three quarters in width, and possesses scarcely any current : its bed consists princi- pally of rock, except at the entrance of Labiche River, which takes its rise in Mount Hood, from which, like Quicksand River, it brings down vast quantities of sand. Along the whole course of the Columbia, from the Rapids to the Chilluckittequaws, the trunks of many large pine-trees are seen standing erect in water, which was now thirty feet deep, and is never less than

VEGETATION ALONG THE COLUMBIA i&

ten. These trees could never have grown in their pres- ent state, for they are all very much rotted, and none of them vegetate ; so that the only reasonable account which can be given of this phenomenon is, that at some period, which the appearance of the trees induced us to fix within twenty years, the rocks from the hill sides have obstructed the narrow pass at the Rapids, and caused the river to spread through the woods. The mountains which border it as far as Sepulchre Rock are high and broken, and its romantic views are occa- sionally enlivened by beautiful cascades rushing from the heights, and forming a striking contrast with the firs, cedars, and pines which darken their sides. From Sepulchre Rock, where the low country begins, the long-leafed pine is the almost exclusive growth of tim- ber; but our camp was the last spot where a single tree is to be seen on the wide plain, spreading beyond it to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. This plain is, however, covered with a rich verdure of grass and herbs, some inches in height, which form a delightful and exhilarating prospect, after being confined to the mountains and thick forests on the seacoast. The cli- mate, too, though we were only on the border of th<? plain, was very different here from what we had lately experienced : the air was drier and more pure, and the ground as free from moisture as if there had been no rain for the last ten days. Around this place were many esculent plants used by the Indians, among which was a currant now in bloom, with a yellow blos- som, like that of the yellow currant of the Missouri, from which, however, it differs specifically. There was also a species of hyacinth growing in the plains, which presented at this time a pretty flower of a pale

20 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

blue colour, the bulb of which is boiled, or baked, or dried in the sun, and eaten by the Indians. The bulb of the present year was white, flat in shape, and not quite solid : it overlaid and pressed closely that of the last year, which, though much thinner and withered, was equally wide, and sent forth from its sides a num- ber of small radicles." * * *

" Captain Clarke, meanwhile, had been unsuccess- fully endeavouring to purchase horses ; but the Indians promised to trade with him if he would go up to the Skilloot village, above the Long Narrows. He there- fore sent over to us for more merchandise, and then accompanied them in the evening to that place, where he passed the night.

" April 17. Captain Clarke sent to inform us that he was still unable to purchase any horses, but in- tended going as far as the Eneeshur village, whence he would return to meet us the next day at the Skil- loot village. In the evening, the principal chief of the Chilluckittequaws came to see us, accompanied by twelve of his nation, and, hearing that we wanted horses, promised to meet us at the Narrows with some for sale."

CHAPTER II.

Captain Clarke procures four Horses for the Transportation of the Bag- gage.— Some farther Account of the Skilloot Tribe. — Their Joy at the first Appearance of Salmon in the Columbia. — Their thievish Propen- sities.— The Party arrive at the Village of the Eneeshurs, where the Natives are found alike unfriendly. — The Party now provided with Horses. — -Prevented from the Exercise of Hostility against this nation by a friendly Adjustment. — The Scarcity of Timber so great that they are compelled to buy Wood to cook their Provisions. — Arrive at the Wahhowpum Village. — Dance of the Natives. — Having obtained their Complement of Horses, the Party proceed by Land. — Arrive at the Pishquitpah Village, and some Account of that People. — Frank and hospitable Conduct of the Wollawollahs. — Their Mode of Dancing described. — Their Mode of making Fish-wears. — Their amiable Char- acter.

SETTING out early on the morning of the 18th, at the distance of nine miles they reached the Skilloot village, at the foot of the Long Nar- rows. Here they found Captain Clarke, who had suc- ceeded in purchasing four horses, though at double the price that had been paid the Shoshonees. Owing to the great quantity of water in the river, the passage of the Long Narrows was wholly impracticable for boats, so that they cut up their two pirogues to be used for fuel.

" April 19. All the party," proceeds the Journal, " were employed in carrying the merchandise over the portage. This we accomplished with the aid of

21

22 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

our four horses by three o'clock in the afternoon, when we formed our camp a little above the Skilloot settle- ment. Since we left them in the autumn they had removed their village a few hundred yards lower down the river, and exchanged the cellars in which we then found them for more pleasant dwellings on the surface of the ground. These were formed by sticks covered with mats and straw, and so large that each was the residence of several families." * * *

:' The whole village was filled with rejoicing at having caught a salmon, which was considered as the harbinger of vast quantities that would arrive in a few days. In the belief that it would hasten their com- ing, the Indians, according to their custom, dressed the fish and cut it into small pieces, one of which was given to each child in the village; and in tke good humour excited by this occurrence, they parted, though reluctantly, with four other horses, for which we gave them two kettles, reserving only a single small one for a mess of eight men. Unluckily, however, we lost one of the horses by the negligence of the person to whose charge he was committed/ * * *

" April 20. As it was so much for our interest to preserve the good-will of these people, we passed over several small, thefts which they had committed; but this morning we learned that six tomahawks and a knife had been stolen during the night. We addressed ourselves to the chief, who seemed angry with his peo-; pie, and made a harangue to them, but we did not recover the articles, and soon afterward two of our spoons were missing. We therefore ordered them all from our camp, threatening to beat severely any one detected in purloining. This harshness irritated them

KNAVERY OF THE INDIANS 23

so much that they left us in ill humour," and we there- fore kept on our guard against any insult. Besides this knavery, their faithlessness was intolerable : fre- quently, after receiving goods in exchange for a horse, they would return in a few hours and insist on revok- ing the bargain, or that they should receive some addi- tional value. We discovered, too, that the horse missed yesterday had been gambled away by the fel- low from whom we had purchased him to a man of a different nation, who had carried him off. We suc- ceeded in buying two more horses, two dogs, and some chappelell, and also exchanged a couple of elk- skins for a gun belonging to the chief." * * * " One of the canoes, for which the Indians would give us very little, was cut up for fuel ; two others, together with some elkskins and pieces of old iron, we bartered for beads, and the remaining two small ones were des- patched early next morning,

" April 21, with all the baggage which could not be carried on horseback. We had intended setting out at the same time, but one of our horses broke loose during the night, and we were under the necessity of sending several men in search of him. In the mean- time, the Indians, who were always on the alert, stole a tomahawk, which we could not recover, though sev- eral of them were searched; and another fellow was detected in carrying off a piece of iron, and kicked out of camp ; upon which Captain Lewis, addressing them, told them he was not afraid to fight them, for, if he choose, he could easily put them all to death, and burn their village, but that he did not wish to treat them ill if they kept from stealing; and that, although, if he could discover who had the tomahawks, he would

M. of H.— XXIX— 14

24 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

take away their horses, yet he would rather lose the property altogether than take the horse of an inno- cent man. The chiefs were present at this harangue, hung their heads, and made no reply.

" At ten o'clock the men returned with the horse, and soon after an Indian, who had promised to go with us as far as the Chopunnish, came with two horses, one of which he politely offered to assist in carrying our baggage. We therefore loaded nine horses, and, giving the tenth to Bratton, who was still too sick to walk, at about ten o'clock left the village of these dis- agreeable people. At one o'clock we arrived at the village of the Eneeshurs, where we found Captain Clarke, who had been altogether unsuccessful in his attempts to purchase horses, the Eneershurs being quite as unfriendly as the Skilloots. Fortunately, how- ever, the fellow who had sold us a horse, and after- ward lost him in gambling, belonged to this village, and we insisted on having the kettle and the knife which had been given to him for his horse, or that he should furnish us with one of equal value. He pre- ferred the latter, and brought us a very good horse. Being joined here by the canoes and baggage, we halted half a mile above the town, and dined on the flesh of dogs, after which we proceeded about four miles farther, and encamped at a village of Eneeshurs, consisting of nine mat huts, a little below the mouth of the Towahnahiooks. We obtained from these peo- ple a couple of dogs and a small quantity of fuel, for which we were obliged to give a higher price than usual. We also bought a horse, with his back so much injured that he could scarcely be of much service to us; but the price was only some trifling articles, which

CHARACTER OF THE ENEESHURS 25

in the United States would not cost above a dollar and a quarter. The dress, manners, and language, of the Eneeshurs differ in no respect from those of the Skil- loots. Like them, too, they are inhospitable and par- simonious, faithless to their engagements, and in the midst of poverty and filth retained a degree of pride and arrogance which rendered our numbers our only protection against insult, pillage, and even murder. We were, however, assured by our Chopunnish guide, who appeared to be a very sincere, honest Indian, that the nations above would treat us with much greater hospitality.

tf April 22. Two of our horses broke loose in the night, and strayed to some distance, so that we were not able to retake them and begin our march before seven o'clock. We had just reached the top of a hill near the village, when the load of one of the horses turned, and the animal, taking fright at a robe which still adhered to him, ran furiously towards the village : just as he came there the robe fell, and an Indian hid it in his hut. Two men went back after the horse, which they soon caught, but the robe was still miss- ing, and the Indians denied having seen it. These repeated acts of knavery had quite exhausted our pa- tience, and Captain Lewis therefore set out for the vil- lage, determined to make them deliver up the robe, or to burn their houses to the ground. This disagreeable retaliation was, however, rendered unnecessary, for on his way he met one of our men, who had found the robe in one of the huts, hid behind some baggage. We resumed our route, and soon after halted on a hill, from the top of which we had a commanding view of the range of mountains in which Mount Hood stands,

26 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

and which continued south as far as the eye could reach, their summits being covered with snow. Mount Hood itself bore south 30° west, and the snowy sum- mit of Mount Jefferson south 10° west. Towards the south, and at no great distance, we discerned some woody country, and opposite to this point of view is the mouth of the Towahnahiooks." * * * " From this place we proceeded with our baggage in the cen- tre, escorted both before and behind by such of the men as had not the care of the horses, and, having crossed a plain eight miles in extent, reached a village of the Eneeshurs, consisting of six houses. Here we bought some dogs, on which we dined near the village, and, having purchased another horse, went up the river four miles farther, to another Eneeshur village of seven mat houses." * * * Being informed by their guide that they would not be able to reach the next village the same evening, they concluded to halt where they were. Here they purchased a horse and some dogs ; but such was the scarcity of fuel, that they were obliged to buy what was required to cook their supper. The party were detained for. a considerable time the next morning in consequence of two of their horses having strayed during the night. One they recovered, but the other they could not find, and were obliged to start without him. " After marching twelve miles," says the Journal, " we came to a village near the Rock Rapid, at the mouth of a large creek which we had not observed in descending. It consisted of twelve temporary huts of mats, and was inhabited by a tribe called Wahhowpum, who speak a language very sim- ilar to that of the Chopunnish, whom they resemble also in dress, both sexes being clad in robes and shirts,

INTERVIEW WITH WAHHOWPUMS 27

as well as leggins and moccasins. These people seemed much pleased to see us, and readily gave us four dogs, and some chappelell and wood, in exchange for a few small articles, such as pewter buttons, strips of tin, iron, and brass, and some twisted wire, which we had previously prepared for our journey across the plains. They, as well as others of the same tribe, liv- ing on five huts a little below, were waiting the return of the salmon. We also found a Chopunnish returning home with his family and a dozen young horses, some of which he wanted us to hire ; but this we declined, as by doing so we should be obliged to maintain him and his family on the route. After arranging our camp, we assembled all the warriors, and, having smoked with them, the violins were produced, and some of the men danced. This civility was returned by the In- dians with a kind of dance that we had not before seen. The spectators formed a circle about the dan- cers, who, with their robes drawn tightly round the shoulders, and divided into parties of five or six men, kept crossing in a line from one side of the circle to the other. Both the performers and spectators sang, and, after proceeding in this way for some time, the latter joined in, and the whole concluded with a pro- miscuous dance and song. This being finished, the natives retired at our request, after promising to bar- ter horses with us in the morning. The river was by no means so difficult of passage, nor obstructed by so many rapids, as it had been in the autumn, the water being sufficiently high to cover the rocks in its bed.

" April 24. We began early to look for our horses, but they were not collected before one o'clock. In the mean time we prepared saddles for three new horses

28 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

which we had purchased from the Wahhowpums, and agreed to hire three more from the Chopunnish Indian, who was to accompany us with his family. The na- tives had also promised to take our canoes in exchange for horses ; but, when they found that we were re- solved on travelling by land, they refused giving us anything, in hopes that we would be forced to leave them. Disgusted at this conduct, we determined rather to cut them m pieces than suffer these people to possess them, and actually began to split them up, when they consented to give us several strands of beads for each canoe. We had now a sufficient num- ber of horses to carry our baggage, and therefore pro- ceeded wholly by land. At two o'clock we set out, and, passing between the hills and the northern shore of the river, had a difficult and fatiguing march over a road alternately sandy and rocky. At the distance of four miles we came to four huts of the Meteowwee tribe; two miles farther, to the same number of huts ; and after making twelve miles from our last night's camp, we halted at a larger village of five huts of Meteowwees." * * *

As they had passed along they met several parties of the natives, who were distant and reserved, and, though respectful, would hold no conversation with them. They found the nights cold, though it was warm in the day, and what rendered them exceedingly uncomfortable was the scarcity of wood.

" April 25. We collected our horses," continues the Journal, " and proceeded eleven miles to a large village of fifty-one mat houses, where we purchased some wood and a few dogs, on which we made our dinner. This village contained about seven hundred

ACCOUNT OF PISHQUITPAHS 29

persons, of a tribe called Pishquitpah, whose residence on the river is only during the . spring and summer, the autumn and winter being passed in hunting through the plains and along the borders of the moun- tains. The greater part of them had been at a distance from the river when we descended, and never having seen white men before, they flocked roand us in great numbers ; but, although they were exceedingly curious, they treated us with much respect, uncf were very urgent that we should spend the night with them. Two principal chiefs were pointed out by our Chopun- nish companion, and being acknowledged as such by the tribe, we invested each of them with a small medal. We were also very desirous of purchasing more horses : but as our stock of merchandise consisted of little more than a dirk, a sword, and a few old clothes, the Indians could not be induced to traffic with us. The Pishquitpahs are generally of good stature and proportions, and as the heads neither of the males nor females are so much flattened as those of the natives lower down, their features are rather pleasant. Their hair is braided in the manner practised by their west- ern neighbours; but the generality of the men are dressed in a large robe, under which is a shirt reach- ing to their knees, where it is met by long leggins, and the feet are covered with moccasins : some, how- ever, wear only the truss and robe. As they unite the occupations of hunting and fishing, both sexes ride very dexterously ; their caparison being a saddle or pad of dressed skin, stuffed with goat's hair, from which wooden stirrups are suspended, and a hair rope is tied at both ends to the under jaw of the animal.

so -LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

The horses, however, though good, suffer much, as jlo, in fact, all the Indian horses, from sore backs.

" Finding them not disposed to barter with us, we left the Pishquitpahs at four o'clock, accompanied by eighteen or twenty of their young men on horse- back. At the distance of four miles we passed, with- out halting, five houses belonging to the Wollawol- lahs ; and five miles farther, observing as many wil- lows as would enable us to make fires, we availed our- selves of the circumstance, and encamped near them.

" The country through which we passed resembled that of yesterday. The hills on both sides of the river are about two hundred and fifty feet high, generally abrupt and craggy, and in many places presenting a perpendicular face of black, solid rock. From the top of these hills the country extends itself in level plains to a very great distance, and though not so fertile as the land near the Falls, produces an abundant supply of low grass, which is an excellent food for horses. This grass must, indeed, be unusually nutritious, for even at this season of the year, after wintering on the dry grass of the plains, and being used with greater severity than is usual among the whites, many of the horses were perfectly fat, nor had we seen a single one that was really poor. In the course of the day we killed several rattlesnakes, like those of the United States, and saw many of the common as well as the horned lizard." * * *

As they advanced the next day the hills became low, and left an extensive plain on each side of the river. Having proceeded thirty-one miles, they halted for the night not far from some houses of the Wolla- wollahs. On the 27th they found the abrupt, rocky |

RECEPTION BY WOLLAWOLLAHS 31

hills again approaching the river; and, after a march of twenty-four miles, they halted for dinner. " Soon after stopping," says the Journal, " we were joined by seven Wollawollahs, among whom we recognized a chief by the name of Yellept, who had visited us on the 19th of October, when we gave him a medal, with the promise of a larger one on our return. He ap- peared very much pleased at seeing us again, and in- vited us to remain at his village three or four days, during which he would supply us with the only food they had, and furnish us with horses for our journey. After the cold, inhospitable treatment we had lately received, this kind offer was peculiarly acceptable : and, having made a hasty meal, we accompanied him to his village, six miles above, situated on the edge of the low country, and about twelve miles below the mouth of Lewis's River. Immediately on our arrival, Yellept, who proved to be a man of much influence, not only in his own, but among the neighbouring na- tions, collected the inhabitants, and, after having made an harangue to them, the purport of which was to induce them to treat us hospitably, set them an exam- ple by bringing himself an armful of wood, and a plat- ter containing three roasted mullets. They immedi- ately complied with one part, at least, of the recom- mendation, by furnishing us with an abundance of the only sort of fuel they use, the stems of shrubs grow- ing in the plains. We then purchased four dogs, on which we supped heartily, having been on short allow- ance for two days previously. When we were dis- posed to sleep, the Indians retired immediately on our requesting them to do so, and, indeed, uniform^ conducted themselves with great propriety. These

32 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

people live mostly on roots, which are very abundant in the plains, and catch a few salmon-trout ; but they then seemed to be subsisting chiefly on a species of mullet, weighing from one to three pounds. They in- formed us that opposite to their village there was a route which led to the mouth of the Kooskooskee, on the south side of Lewis's River ; that the road itself was good, and passed over a level country well sup- plied with water and grass ; and that we should meet with plenty of deer and antelope. We knew that a road in that direction would shorten the distance at least eighty miles ; and as the report of our guide was confirmed by Yellept and other Indians, we did not hesitate to adopt this route : they added, however, that there were no houses, nor permanent Indian resi- dences on the road, and that it would therefore be pru- dent not to trust wholly to our guns, but to lay in a stock of provisions.

" April 28. Taking their advice, therefore, we this morning purchased ten dogs. While the trade for these was being conducted by our men, Yellept brought a fine white horse, and presented him to Cap- tain Clarke, expressing at the same time a wish to have a kettle; but, on being informed that we had already disposed of the last kettle we could spare, he said he would be content with any present we chose to make him in return. Captain Clarke thereupon gave him his sword, for which the chief had before ex- pressed a desire, adding one hundred balls, some pow- der, and other small articles, with which he appeared perfectly satisfied. We were now anxious to depart, and requested Yellept to lend us canoes for the pur- pose of crossing the river; but he would not listen to

GIVING MEDICINE TO THE INDIANS 33

any proposal of the kind. He wished us to remain for two or three days ; but, at all events, would not con- sent to our going to-day, for he had already sent to invite his neighbours, the Chimnapoos, to come down in the evening and join his people in a dance for our amusement. We urged in vain that by setting out sooner we should the earlier return with the articles they desired: a day, he observed, would make but lit- tle difference. We at length suggested that, as there was then no wind, it was the best time to cross the river, and that we would merely take the horses over, and return to sleep at their village. To this he as- sented ; and we then crossed with the horses, and, hav- ing hoppled them, came back to their camp. Fortu- nately there was among these Wallawollahs a pris- oner belonging to a tribe of the Shoshonee or Snake Indians, residing to the south of the Multnomah, and visiting occasionally the heads of Wollawollah Creek. Our Shoshonee woman, Sacajaweah, though she be- longed to a tribe near the Missouri, spoke the same language as this prisoner; and by their means we were able to explain ourselves to the Indians, and answer all their inquiries with respect to ourselves and object of our journey. Our conversation inspired them with much confidence, and they soon brought several sick persons, for whom they requested our as- sistance. We splintered the broken arm of one, gave some relief to another whose knee was contracted by rheumatism, and administered what we thought would be beneficial for ulcers, and eruptions of the skin on various parts of the body, which are very common dis- orders among them. 'But our most valuable medicine was eye-water, which we distributed, and which, in-

34 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

deed, they very much required; for the complaints of the eyes, occasioned by living so much on the water, and aggravated by the fine sand of the plains, were universal among them.

" A little before sunset the Chimnapoos, amount- ing to one hundred men and a few women, came to the village, and, joining the Wollawollahs, who were about the same number of men, formed themselves in a circle round our camp, and waited very patiently till our men were disposed to dance, which they did for about an hour, to the music of the violin. They then requested the Indians to dance. With this they readily complied ; and the whole assemblage, amount- ing, with the women and children of the village, to several hundred, stood up, and sang and danced at the same time. The exercise was not, indeed, very violent nor very graceful; for the greater part of them were formed into a solid column, round a kind of hollow square, stood on the same place, and merely jumped up at intervals, to keep time to the music. Some, how- ever, of the more active warriors entered the square and danced round it sideways, and some of our men joined in witti them, to the great satisfaction of the Indians. The dance continued till ten o'clock. The next morning,

" April 29, Yellept supplied us with two canoes, in which we crossed with all our baggage by eleven o'clock ; but the horses having strayed to some dis- tance, we could not collect them in time to reach any suitable place for encamping if we should then begin our journey, as night would overtake us before we came to any water. We therefore thought it advis- able to encamp about a mile from the Columbia, at the

THE WOLLAWOLLAH RIVER 35

mouth of the Wollawollah River. This is a handsome stream, about fifty yards wide, and four and a half feet in depth. Its waters, which are clear, roll over a bed composed principally of gravel, intermixed with some sand and mud; and, though the banks are low, they do not seem to be overflowed. It empties into the Columbia about twelve or fifteen miles from the entrance of Lewis's River, and just above a range of high hills crossing the former. Its sources, like those of the Towahnahiooks, Lapage, Youmalolam, and Wollawollah, are, as the Indians informed us, on the north side of a range of mountains which we saw to the east and southeast, and which, commencing to the south of Mount Hood, stretch in a northeasterly direc- tion to the neighbourhood of a southern branch of Lewis's River, at some distance from the Rocky Moun- tains. Two principal branches, however, of the Tow- ahnahiooks, take their rise in Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood, which in fact appear to separate the waters of the Mujtnomah and Columbia. They were about sixty-five or seventy miles from this place, and, although covered with snow, did not seem high. To the south of these mountains, the Indian prisoner said there was a river running towards the northwest, as wide as the Columbia at this place, which was nearly a mile. This account might be exaggerated, but it served to show that the Multnomah was a very large river, and that, with the assistance of a southeastern branch of Lewis's River, passing round the eastern extremity of the chain of mountains in which Mounts Hood and Jefferson are so conspicuous, it might water the vast tract of country to the south, till its remote

36 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

sources approached those of the Missouri and the Rio del Norte.

" Near our camp was a fish-wear, formed of two curtains of small willow switches, matted together with withes of the same plant, and extending across the river in two parallel lines, six feet asunder. These were supported by several parcels of poles, in the manner already described as in use among the Sho- shonees, and were rolled up or let down at pleasure for a few feet, so as either to let the fish pass or to detain them. A seine of from fifteen to eighteen feet in length is dragged down the river by two persons, and the bottom drawn up against the curtain of willows. They also employ a smaller seine, like a scoop-net, one side of which is confined to a semicircular bow five feet long, and half the size of a man's arm, and the other side held by a strong rope, which, being tied at both ends to the bow, forms the chord to the semi- circle : this is used by one person. But the only fish they could take at this time were mullet of from four to five pounds in weight, and which formed the chief subsistence of a village of twelve houses of Wolla- wollahs, a little below us on the Columbia, as well as of others on the opposite side of the river. In the course of the day we gave small medals to two in- ferior chiefs, each of whom made us a present of a fine horse. We were in a poor condition to make an ade- quate acknowledgement for this kindness, but gave them several articles, among which was a pistol, with some hundred rounds of ammunition. We had, indeed, been treated by these people with an unusual degree of kindness and civility. They seemed to have been successful in their hunting during the last winter, for

THE JOURNEY CONTINUED 37

all of them, but particularly the women, were much better clad than when we had seen them before; both sexes among the Wollawollahs, as well as the Chimna- poos, being provided with good robes, moccasins, long1 shirts, and leggins. Their ornaments were similar to those used below, the hair being cut on the forehead, and queues falling over the shoulders in front of the body: some have small plaits at the earlocks, and others tie a bundle of the docked foretop in front of the forehead." * * *

" April 30. We had now twenty-three horses, many of them young and excellent animals, but the greater part had sore backs. The Indians are gener- ally cruel masters : they ride very hard, and their sad- dles being so badly constructed that it is almost im- possible to avoid wounding the animal, they will con- tinue to ride the poor creatures after their backs are scarified in the most shocking manner. At eleven o'clock we left these honest, worthy people, accom- panied by our guide and the Chopunnish family, and directed our course north 50° east, across an open, level sandy plain, unbroken except by large banks of pure sand, which had drifted in many parts to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. The rest of the plain is poor in point of soil, but throughout there is generally a short grass interspersed with aromatic shrubs, and a number of plants, the roots of which supply the principal food of the natives. Among these we observed a root something like the sweet potato. At the distance of fourteen miles we reached a branch of Wollawollah River, rising in the same range of mountains, and emptying itself six miles above the mouth of the latter. It is a bold, deep stream, about

38 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ten yards wide, and seems to be navigable for canoes. The hills along this creek are generally abrupt and rocky, but the narrow bottom is very fertile, and both possess twenty times as much timber as the Columbia itself: indeed, we now find, for the first time since leaving Rock Fort, an abundance of firewood. The growth consists of cottonwood, birch, the crimson haw, red and sweet willow, chokecherry, yellow cur- rants, gooseberry, the honeysuckle with a white berry, rosebushes, sevenbark, and sumach, together with some corn-grass and rushes. The advantage of a com- fortable fire induced us, as it was already night, to halt at this place.

" We were soon supplied by Drewyer with a bea- ver and an otter, of which we took only a part of the former, and gave the rest to the Indians. The otter is with them a favourite food, though much inferior, at least in our estimation, to the dog, which they will not eat. The flesh of the horse, too, is seldom eaten, and never except when absolutely necessity compels them to eat it, as the only alternative to save them from dying with hunger. This fastidiousness does not seem, however, to proceed so much from any dis- like to the food as from attachment to the animal itself, for many of them ate very heartily of the horseflesh which we gave them." * * *

After they had proceeded nine miles the next day, their Chopunnish Indian left them, taking an old, un- beaten road which led to the left. " At the distance of three miles farther," continues the Journal, " the hills on the north side became lower, and the bottoms of the creek widened into a pleasant country, two or three miles in extent. The timber, too, was now more

Tur

HONESTY OF THE WOLLAWOLLAHS 39

abundant, and our guide told us that we should not want either wood or game from this place as far as the Kooskooskee. We had already seen several deer, of which we killed one, and observed great numbers of curlew, as well as some cranes, ducks, prairie larks, and several species of the sparrow common to the prairies. There is, in fact, very little difference in the general face of the country here from that of the Dlains on the Missouri, except that the latter are en- livened by vast herds of buffalo, elk, and other animals, which give it an additional interest. Over these wide bottoms we continued on a course north 75° east, till, it the distance of seventeen miles from where we had dined, and twenty-six from our last encampment, we halted for the night. We had scarcely encamped vhen three young men came up from the Wolla- •vollah village, with a steel-trap which had inadver- tently been left behind, and which they had come a whole day's journey in order to restore. This act of integrity was the more pleasing, because, though very rare among Indians, it corresponded perfectly with the general behaviour of the Wollawollahs, among whom we had lost carelessly several knives, which were always returned as soon as found. We may, indeed, justly affirm, that of all the Indians whom we had met since leaving the United States, the Wolla- wollahs were the most hospitable, honest, and sin- cere."

M. ot H.— XXIX— 15

CHAPTER III.

The Party pursue their Route towards the Kooskooskee. — They reach the Kinnooenim Creek. — Meet with an old Acquaintance, called the Big- horn Indian. — Arrive at the Mouth of the Kooskooskee. — Difficulty of purchasing Provisions from the Natives, and new Device of the Party to obtain them. — Chopunnish Style of Architecture. — Captain Clarke turns Physician, and performs several Experiments upon the Natives with Success. — Instance of their Honesty. — Distress of the Indians for want of Provisions during the Winter. — The Party finally meet Twisted Hair, to whom their Horses had been intrusted on their Journey down. — Quarrel between that Chief and another of his Nation, in regard to his Horses. — Causes of the Controversy stated at large. — The two Chiefs reconciled by the Interference of the Party, and the Horses restored. — Extraordinary Instance of Indian Hospitality to- wards Strangers. — Council held with the Chopunnish, and the Object of the Expedition explained. — The Party perform other medical Cures. — Answer of the Chopunnish to the Speech delivered at the Council, ratified by a singular Ceremony. — They promise faithfully to follow the Advice of their Visitors.

THEY followed the course of the creek the next day, and, after travelling nineteen miles, en- camped for the night. The mountains to the southwest, at the distance of twenty-five miles, though not appearing to be very high, were still cov- ered with snow. Pursuing a course north 25° east on the morning of the 3d, at the distance of twelve miles they reached the Kinnooenim Creek ; and three miles beyond this, in a northeasterly direction, they came to a branch of this creek, which they followed

40

for eleven

MEETING WITH BIGHORN 41

eleven miles, and " at that distance," says the Journal, we were agreeably surprised by the appear- ance of Weahkoonut, or the Indian whom we had called The Bighorn, from the circumstance of his wearing a horn of that animal suspended from his left arm. He had gone down with us last year along Lewis's River, and was highly serviceable in preparing the minds of the natives for our reception. He was, moreover, the first chief of a large band of Chopun- nish; and, hearing that we were on our return, he had come with ten of his warriors to meet us. He now turned back with us, and we continued up the bottoms of the creek for two miles, till the road be- gan to leave it, and to cross the hills towards the plains. We therefore encamped for the night in a grove of cottonwood, after we had made a disagree- able journe^- of twenty-eight miles. During the greater part of the day the air had been keen and cold, and it alternately rained, hailed, and snowed; but, though the wind blew with great violence ; it was fortunately from the southwest, and on our backs. We had con- sumed at dinner the last of our dried meat, and nearly all that was left of the dogs; so that we supped very scantily on the remainder, and had nothing for the next day. Weahkoonut, however, assured us that there was a house on the river at no great distance, where we could supply ourselves with provisions. We now missed our guide and the Wollawollahs, who had left us abruptly in the morning, and never returned.

" May 4. We were now nearer to the southwest mountains, which appeared to become lower as they advanced towards the northeast. We followed the road over the plains, north 60° east, for four miles

42 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

to a ravine, where was the source of a small creek, down the hilly and rocky sides of which we proceeded for eight miles to its entrance into Lewis's River about seven miles and a half above the mouth of the Koos- kooskee. Near this place we found the house which Weahkoonut had mentioned, and where we now halted for breakfast. It contained six families, but so miserably poor that all we could obtain from them were two lean dogs and a few large cakes of half- prepared bread, made of a root resembling the sweet potato, of all which we contrived to form a kind of soup. The soil of the plain is good, tut it has no timber. The range of southwestern mountains was about fifteen miles above us, but continued to become lower, and was still covered with snow to its base. After giving a passage to Lewis's River near their northeastern extremity, they terminate in a high level plain between that river and the Kooskooskee. The salmon not having yet called them to the rivers, the greater part of the Chopunnish were still dispersed in the villages through this plain, for the purpose of collecting quamask and cow-weed, which grow here in great abundance, the soil being extremely fertile, and in many places covered with the long-leafed pine, the latch, and balsam-fir, which contribute to render it less dry than the open, unsheltered plains. After our repast we continued our route along the west side of the river, where, as well as on the opposite shore, the high hills approached it closely, till, at the dis- tance of three miles, we halted near two houses. The inmates consisted of five families of Chopunnish, among whom were Tetoh or Sky, the younger of the two chiefs who accompanied us in the autumn to

ARRIVAL AT A CHOPUNNISH VILLAGE 43

the Great Falls of the Columbia, and also our old pilot who had conducted us down to that river. They both advised us to cross here, and ascend the Koos- kooskee on the northeast side, this being the shortest and best route to the forks of that river, where we should find Twisted Hair, in whose charge we had left our horses, and to which place they promised to show us the way. We did not hestitate to accept their offer, and crossed over with the assistance of three canoes ; but, as the night was coming on, we purchased a little wood and some roots of cow-weed, and en- camped, though we had made only fifteen miles during the day. The evening proved cold and disagree- able, and the natives crowded round our fire in such numbers that we could scarcely cook or keep our- selves warm." * * *

" May 5. We collected our horses, and at seven o'clock set forward alone; for Weahkoonut, whose people resided above on the west side of Lewis's River, resumed his route homeward when we crossed to the huts. Our road was over the plains for four and a half miles to the entrance of the Kooskooskee. We then proceeded up that river, and at five miles reached a large mat house, but could not procure any provisions from the inhabitants; however, on reaching another three miles beyond, we were surprised at the liberality of an Indian, who presented to Captain Oarke a very fine gray mare, for which all he re- quested was a vial of eyewater. Last autumn, while we were encamped at the mouth of the Chopunnish River, a man who complained of a pain in his knee and thigh was brought to us, in hopes of receiving some relief. To appearance he had recovered from his dis-

44 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

order, though he had not walked for some time ; but, that we might not disappoint them, Captain Clarke with much ceremony, washed and rubbed his sore limb, and gave him some volatile liniment to continue the operation, which caused, or, more properly, per- haps, did not prevent, his complete cure. The man gratefully circulated our praises, and our fame as physicians was farther increased by the efficacy of some eye-water which we had given them at the same time. We were by no means dissatisfied at this new resource for obtaining subsistence, as the Indian would give us no provisions without merchandise, and our stock was now very much reduced. We cautiously abstained from giving them any but harmless medi- cines, and as we could not possibly do harm, our pre- scriptions, though unsanctioned by the faculty, might be useful, and were therefore entitled to some re- muneration. Four miles beyond this we came to another large house, containing ten families, where we halted, and made our dinner on two dogs and a small quantity of roots, which we did not obtain without much difficulty. While we were eating, an Indian standing by, and looking with great derision at our eating dog's flesh, threw a poor half-starved puppy almost into Captain Lewis's plate, laughing heartily at the humour of it. Captain Lewis took up the animal, and flung it back with great force into the fellow's face, and, seizing his tomahawk, threat- ened to cut him down if he dared to repeat such inso- lence. He immediately withdrew, apparently much mortified, and we continued our dog repast very quietly. Here we met our old Chopunnish guide, with his family ; and soon afterward one of our horses,

COLTER'S CREEK 45

which had been separated from the others ir> the charge of Twisted Hair, and been in this neighbour- hood for several weeks, was caught and restored to us. " After dinner we proceeded to the entrance of Colter's Creek, at the distance of" four miles, and, having made twenty and a half miles, encamped on the lower side of it. This creek rises not far from the Rocky Mountains, and, passing in the greater part of its course through a country well supplied with pine, discharges a large body of water. It is about twenty-five yards wide, with a pebbled bed and low banks. At a little distance from us were two Chopunnish houses, one of which contained eight families, and the other, much the largest we had yet seen, was inhabited by at least thirty. It was rather a kind of shed, built, like all the other houses, of straw and mats, with a roof one hundred and fifty-six feet long, and about fifteen wide, closed at the ends, and having a number of doors on each side. The vast interior was without partitions, but the fires of the different families were kindled in a row through the middle of the building, and about ten feet apart. This village was the residence of one of the prin- cipal chiefs of the nation, who was called Neeshne- pahkeeook, or Cut Nose, from the circumstance of his nose having been cut by the stroke of a lance in battle with the Snake Indians. We gave him a small medal ; but, though he was a great chief, his influence among his own people did not seem to be considerable, and his countenance possessed very little intelligence. We arrived very hungry and weary, but could not pur- chase any provisions except a small quantity of the roots of the cow-weed, and some bread made from

46 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

them. They had, however, heard of our medical skill, and made many applications for assistance ; but we refused to do anything for them, unless they gave us either some dog or horse flesh to eat. We had soon nearly fifty patients. A chief brought his wife \vith an abscess in her back, and promised to furnish us with a horse the next day if we would relieve her. Captain Clarke therefore opened the abscess, intro- duced a tent, and dressed it with basilicon. We also prepared and distributed some doses of the flour of sulphur and cream of tartar, with directions for their use. For these we obtained several dogs, but they were too poor to be eaten, and we therefore postponed our medical operations till the morning. In the mean time a number of Indians, besides the residents of the village gathered about us, or encamped in the woody bottom of the creek.

" In the evening we learned from a Snake Indian, who happened to be at the place, that one of the old men had been endeavouring to excite prejudices against us by observing that he thought we were bad men, and came there, most probably, for the pur- pose of killing them. In order to remove such sus- picions, we made a speech, in which, by means of the same Indian, we informed them of our country, and of the purpose of our visit. While we were thus en- gaged, we were joined by Weahkoonut, who assisted us in effacing all unfavourable impressions from the minds of the Indians. The following morning,

" May 6, our practice became more lucrative. The woman declared that she had slept better than she had before since her illness. She was therefore dressed a second time, and her husband, according

GI

GIVING MEDICAL AID TO THE INDIANS 47

to promise, brought us a horse, which we immedi- ately killed. Besides this woman, we had crowds of applicants, chiefly afflicted with sore eyes ; and, after administering to them for several hours, found ourselves once more in possession of a plentiful meal ; for the inhabitants became more and more friendly, and one of them even gave us a horse for our pre- scriptions for his daughter, a little girl who was af- flicted with the rheumatism. We moreover exchanged one of our horses with Weahkoonut by adding a small flag, obtaining an excellent sorrel horse.

" We found here three men of a nation called Skeet- somish, who reside at the falls of a large river empty- ing itself into the north side of the Columbia, and which takes its rise from a spacious lake in the moun- tains, at no great distance from these falls. Wre now designated this river by the name of Clarke's River, as we did not know its Indian name, and we were the first whites who had ever visited its principal branches ; for the Great Lake River, mentioned by Mr. Fidler, if at all connected with Clarke's River, must be a very inconsiderable branch. To the river, moreover, which we had before called Clarke's River, rising in the southwest mountains, we restored the name of Towahnahiooks, the appellation by which it is known to the Eneeshurs. In dress and appearance these Skeetsomish were not to be distinguished from the Chopunnish ; but their language was entirely different, a circumstance which we did not learn till their de- parture, when it was too late to obtain from them a vocabulary of it." * *

They set out about two o'clock, accompanied by Weahkoonut, with ten or twelve men. and an Indian

48 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

who called himself the brother of Twisted Hair; and after proceeding nine miles they halted, having lost the horse they had intended to kill, and, consequently, being obliged to lie down supperless for the night.

They started the next morning with the brother of Twisted Hair for their guide; and after proceed- ing four miles, to a house containing six families, by his advice they crossed to the other side of the river, expecting to find game more plentiful near the mouth of the Chopunnish. " An Indian/' says the narrative, " now brought two canisters of powder, which his dog," he stated, " had discovered under ground, in a bottom some miles above. We immediately knew them to be the same we had buried last autumn, and as he had kept them safely, and was honest enough to return them, we rewarded him — inadequately, to be sure, but as well as we could — with a steel for strik- ing fire. We set out at three o'clock, and pursued a difficult and stony road for two miles, when we left the river, and ascended the hills on the right, which began to resemble mountains. But when we reached the heights we saw before us a beautiful level country partially covered with the long-leafed pine, and sup- plied with an excellent herbage, the abundant produc- tions of a dark, rich soil. In many parts of the plain the earth was thrown up into little mounds by some animal whose habits most resemble those of the sala- mander; but, although these mounds were scattered all over the plains from the Mississippi to the Pacific, we had never been able to obtain a sight of the ani- mal to which they owe their origin."

Coming to a deserted Indian settlement, on a small creek emptying into the Kooskooskee, they

WANT OF FOOD AMONG THE NATIVES 49

encamped there for the night. The spurs of the Rocky Mountains were covered with snow, which the Indians said was still deep, and that they would not be able to cross them before the 1st of June. They had seen some deer in the course of the day, and the tracks of many others.

" May 8. Most of the hunters set out at daylight. By eleven o'clock they all returned, with four deer, and a duck of an uncommon kind, which, with the remains of our horse, formed a stock of provisions such as we had not lately possessed. Not having our facilities of procuring subsistence with guns, the natives of this country must often suffer very severely. During the last winter they had been so much dis- tressed for food, that- they were obliged to boil and eat the moss growing on the pine-trees. At the same time they cut down nearly all the long-leafed pines (which we observed lying1 on the ground), for the purpose of collecting its seed, which resembles in size and shape that of the large sunflower, and, when roasted or boiled, is nutritious, and not disagreeable to the taste. In the spring they peel this pine, and eat the inner bark ; and in the creek near us they take some trout by means of a falling trap, similar to those common in the United States. We gave Neeshnepah- keeook and his people some of our game and horse- flesh, besides the entrails of the deer. They did not eat any of it perfectly raw, but the entrails had very little cooking. The Shoshonee was offended at not receiving as much venison as he wished, and refused to interpret; but, as we took no notice of him, he be- came very officious in the course of a few hours, and made many advances to reinstate himself in our

so LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

favour. The mother of Twisted Hair and Neeshne- pahkeeook now drew a sketch, which we preserved, of all the waters west of the Rocky Mountains. They made the main southern branch of Lewis's River much more extensive than the other, and placed a great number of Shoshonee villages on its western side.

" Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon we set out, in company with Neeshnepankeeook and other Indians, the brother of Twisted Hair having left us. Our route was up a high steep hill to a level plain, with little wood, over which we passed in a direction parallel to the river for four miles, when we met Twisted Hair and six of his people. To this chief we had confided our horses and part of our saddles the preceding autumn, and we therefore formed very unfavourable surmises on finding that he received us with much coldness. He soon began to speak to Neeshnepahkeeook in a very loud, angry tone, and was answered by him. We now discovered that there was a violent quarrel between these chiefs, on the subject, as we afterward understood, of our horses. But, as we could not learn the cause, and were desirous of terminating the dispute, we inter- posed, and told them that we should go on to the first, water and halt. We therefore set out, followed by all the Indians, and, having reached, at two miles' distance, a small stream running to the right, we en- camped, the two chiefs and their little bands forming separate camps at a distance from each other. They all appeared to be in very ill humour ; and as we had already heard a report that the Indians had discovered and carried off our saddles, and that the horses were much scattered, we began to be uneasy lest there

QUARREL BETWEEN TWO CHIEFS 51

should be too much foundation for the rumour. We were therefore anxious to reconcile the two chiefs as soon as possible, and desired the Shoshonee to in- terpret for us while we attempted to mediate between them : but he peremptorily refused to speak a word. He observed that it was a quarrel between the two chiefs, and he had therefore i?c *-ight to interfere ; nor could all our representations, that, in merely repeat- ing what we said, he could not possibly be considered as meddling between them, induce him to take any part in it.

" Soon afterward Drewyer returned from hunting, and was sent to invite Twisted Hair to smoke with us. He accepted the invitation, and, as we were smoking over our fire, he informed us that, accord- ing to his promise on leaving us at the Falls of the Columbia, he collected our horses and took charge of them as soon as he reached home. But about this time Neeshnepahkeeook and Tunnachemootoolt, or Broken Arm, who, as we passed, had been on a war party against the Shoshonees on the south branch of Lewis's River, returned, and becoming jealous of him because the horses had been confided to his care, constantly sought to quarrel with him. At length, being an old man, and unwilling to live in a perpetual broil with these chiefs, he gave up the care of the horses to them, in consequence of which the animals had become very much scattered. The greater part of them were, how- ever, still in the neighbourhood ; some in the forks between the Chopunnish and Kooskooskee, and three or four at the village of Broken Arm, about half a day's march higher up the river. He added that on the rise of the river in the spring, the earth had fallen

52 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

from the door of the cache, and exposed the saddles, some of which had probably been lost; but that, as soon as he was acquainted with the situation of them, he had them buried in another deposit, where they now were. He promised that, if we would stay the next day at his house, a few miles distant, he would collect such of the horses as were in the neighbour- hood, and send his young men for those in the forks, over the Kooskooskee. He moreover advised us to visit Broken Arm, who was a chief of great eminence, and he would himself guide us to his dwelling.

" We told him that we would follow his advice in every respect : that we had confided our horses to his care, and expected he would deliver them to us, on which we should cheerfully give him the two guns and the ammunition we had promised him. With this he seemed very much pleased, and declared he would use every exertion to restore the horses. We now sent for Neeshnepahkeeook, or Cut Nose, and, after smoking for some time, began by expressing to the two chiefs our regret at .seeing a misunder- standing between them. Neeshnepahkeeook replied that Twisted Hair was a bad old man, and wore two faces; for, instead of taking care of our horses, he had suffered his young men to hunt with them, so that they had been very much injured, and it was for this reason that Broken Arm and himself had forbid- den him to use them. Twisted Hair made no reply to this speech, and we then told Neeshnepahkeeook of our arrangements for the next day. He appeared to be very well satisfied, and said he would himself go with us to Broken Arm, who expected to see us, and had two bad horses for us\ by which expression it

REGAINING THEIR HORSES 53

was meant that he intended making us a present of two valuable horses. That chief, he also informed us, had been apprized of our want of provisions, and had sent four young men with a supply for us; but that, having taken a different road, they had missed us. After this interview we retired to rest at a late hour, and in the morning,

" May 9, after sending out several hunters, we pro- ceeded through a rich, level country, similar to that of the previous day, for six miles, when we reached the house of Twisted Hair, situated near some larch-trees and a few bushes of the balsam-fir." * * * " Late in the afternoon Twisted Hair returned with about half Ihe saddles we had left in the autumn, and some pow- der and lead that had been buried at the same place. Soon after the Indians brought us twenty-one of our horses, the greater part of which were in excellent order, though some of them had not yet recovered from hard usage, and three had sore backs. We were, however, very glad to recover them in any condition. Several Indians came down from the village of Tun- nachemootpolt, and passed the night with us. Cut Nose and Twisted Hair seemed now to be perfectly reconciled, for they both slept, in the house of the lat- ter. The man who had imposed himself upon us as a brother of Twisted Hair also came and renewed his advances : but we found that he was an impertinent, proud fellow, of no respectability in the nation, and we therefore felt no inclination to cultivate any intimacy with him. Our camp was in an open plain, and soon became very uncomfortable ; for the wind was high and cold, and the rain and hail, which began about seven o'clock, changed in about two hours to a heavy fall of

54 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

snow, which continued till after six o'clock the next morning,

" May 10, when it ceased, after covering the ground eight inches deep, and leaving the air keen and frosty. We soon collected our horses, and, after a scanty breakfast of /roots, set out on a course south 35° east, The road was very slippery, and the snow stuck to the horses' feet, and made them stumble very frequently. After going about sixteen miles we came to the hills on Commearp Creek, which were sjx hundred feet high, and their tops covered with snow, though in the lower parts, as well as along the bottom of the creek, there had been only rain, while it was snowing on the ele- vated plains. Descending these hills to the creek, at about four o'clock we reached the house of Tunnache- mootoolt, where the flag which we had given him was displayed on a staff, and beneath which we were re- ceived in due form, and then conducted a short dis- tance to a good spot for an encampment, on Commearp Creek. We next collected the men of consideration in the tribe, and, after smoking with them, explained how destitute we were of provisions. The chief then spoke to the people, and they immediately brought about two bushels of dried quamash roots, some cakes of the roots of cow-weed, and a dried salmon-trout. We thanked them for this supply, but observed at the same time that, not being accustomed to live on roots only, we feared that such diet might make our men sick, and proposed to exchange one of our good horses which was rather poor, for one that was fatter that we might kilL The hospitable feelings of the chief were shocked at the idea of an exchange ; and he at once replied that his people had an abundance of young horses and that,

VISIT FROM HOHASTILLPILP 54

if we were disposed to eat such food, we migh4 i«tve as many as we wanted. Accordingly, they soov brought us two fat young horses, asking for nothing <n return : an act of liberal kindness much greater tkan any we had witnessed since crossing the Rocky Mountains, if it may not, indeed, be considered the only really hos- pitable treatment we had received in this part of the world. We killed one of the horses, and then telling the natives that we were fatigued and hungry, and that, as soon as we were refreshed, we would commu- nicate freely with them, began to prepare our repast.

" During this time a principal chief, called Hohas- tillpilp, came from his village, about six miles distant, with a party of fifty men, for the purpose of visiting us. We invited him into our circle, and he aVtghted and smoked with us, while his retinue, with five ele- gant horses, continued mounted at a short distance. While this was going on, the chief had a large leath- ern tent spread for us, and desired that we would make it our home so long as we remained at his village We removed there, and having made a fire, and cooked our supper of horseflesh and roots, collected all the dis- tinguished men present, and spent the evening in mak- ing known who we were, what were the objects of our journey, and in answering their inquiries. To each of the chiefs Tunnachemoot6olt and Hohastillpilp we gave a small medal, explaining their use and impor- tance as honorary distinctions both among the whites and the red men. Our men were well pleased at once more having made a hearty meal. They had generally been in the habit of crowding into the houses of the Indians, to purchase provisions on the best terms they could ; for the inhospitality of the country was such,

M. of H.— XXIX— 10

56 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

that often, in the extreme of hunger, they were obliged to treat the natives with but little ceremony; but this Twisted Hair had told us was very disagreeable. Finding that these people are so kind and liberal, we ordered our men to treat them with the greatest respect, and not throng round their fires, so that they now agree perfectly well together. After the council the Indians felt no disposition to retire, and our tent was filled with them all night. The next morning,

" May 11. we arose early, and breakfasted again on horseflesh. This village of Tunnachemootoolt was, in fact, only a single house, one hundred and fifty feet long, built after the Chopunnish fashion, with sticks, straw, and dried grass. It contained twenty- four fires, about double that number of families, and might mus- ter, perhaps, one hundred fighting men. Their chief subsistence was roots : and the noise made by the worn- en in pounding them gave one the idea of a nail-fac- tory. Yet, notwithstanding so many families were crowded together, we found the Chopunnish much more cleanly in their persons and habitations than any people we had met since leaving the Ottoes on the River Platte. In the course of the morning, a chief named Yoompahkatim, a stout, good-looking man of about forty years of age, who had lost his left eye, arrived from his village on the south side of Lewis's River. We gave him a small medal, and, finding that there were now present the principal chiefs of the Chopunnish nation, viz., Tunnachemootoolt, Broken Arm, Neeshnepahkeeook, Yoompahkatim, and Hohas- tillpilp, whose rank was in the order they are men- tioned, we thought this a favorable moment to explain to them the intentions of our government. We there-

COUNCIL HELD WITH CHOPUNNISH 57

fore collected the chiefs and warriors, and having drawn a map of the relative situation of our country on a map with a piece of coal, detailed the nature and power of the American nation, its desire to preserve harmo'ny between all its red brethren, and its inten- tion of establishing trading-houses for their relief and support. It was not without difficulty, nor till nearly half the day had been spent, that we were able to con- vey all this information to the Chopunnish, much of which might have been lost or misapprehended in its translation into so many different languages ; for, in the first place, we spoke in English to one of our men, who translated it into French to Chaboneau, who in- terpreted it to his wife in the Minnetaree tongue, while she then put it into Shoshonee, and the young Sho- shonee prisoner explained it to the Chopunnish in their own dialect. At last, however, we succeeded in communicating the impression we wished, and then adjourned the council; after which we amused our hosts by showing them the wonders of the compass, the spy-glass, the magnet, the watch, and the air-gun, each of which attracted its share of admiration. They said 'that after we left the Minnetarees last autumn, three young Chopunnish had gone over to that nation, the people of which had mentioned to them our visit, and the extraordinary articles we had with us, but that they had placed no confidence in it until now. Among other persons present was a youth, son of a Chopunnish chief of much consideration, killed not long since by the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie. As soon as the council was over, he brought a very fine mare, with her colt, and begged us to accept them, as a proof that he intended to follow our advice, for he

58 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

had opened his ears to it, and it had made his heart glad. We now resumed our medical labours, and had a number of patients afflicted with scrofula, rheuma- tism, and sore eyes, to all whom we administered very cheerfully as far as our skill and supplies of medi- cine would permit. We also visited a chief who had for three years past so completely lost the use of his limbs, that he lay like a corpse in whatever position he was placed ; yet he ate heartily, digested his food well, had a regular pulse, and retained his flesh ; in short, but that he was somewhat pale with lying so long out of the sun, he might have been mistaken for a man in perfect health. This disease did not seem to be common ; indeed, we saw only three cases of it among the Chopunnish, who alone are afflicted with it. The scrofulous disorders we may readily conjecture to originate in the long confinement to vegetable diet, which may also, perhaps, increase the soreness of the eyes; but this strange disorder baffled at once our curiosity and our skill. Our assistance was again de- manded early the next morning,

" May 12, by a crowd of Indians, to whom we gave eye-water. Shortly after, the chiefs and warriors held a council among themselves, to decide on an answer to our speech, and the result was, as we were informed, that they had full confidence in what we had told them, and were resolved to follow our advice. This determination having been made, the principal chief, Tunnachemootoolt, took a quantity of flour of the roots of cow-weed, and going round to all the kettles and baskets in which his people were cooking, thick- ened the soup into a kind of mush. He then began an harangue, setting forth the result of the delibera-

SPEECH OF TUNNACHEMOOTOOLY 59

ions among' the chiefs, and after exhorting them to unanimity, concluded with an invitation to all who acquiesced in the proceedings of the council to come and eat; while those who were of a different mind were requested to show their dissent by not partaking of the feast. During this animated harrangue, the women, who were probably uneasy at the prospect of forming this proposed new connexion with strangers, tore their hair, and wrung their hands with the great- est appearance of distress. But the concluding appeal of the orator effectually stopped rhe mouths of every malecontent, and the proceedings were ratified, and the mush devoured with the most zealous unanimity. The chiefs and warriors then came in a body to visit us as we were seated near our tent; and at their in- stance, two young men, one of whom was a son of Tunnachemootoolt, and the other the youth whose father had been killed by the Pahkees, presented to us each a fine horse. We invited the chiefs to be seated, and gave every one of them a flag, a pound of powder, and fifty balls, and a present of the same kind to the young men from whom we had received the horses. They then invited us into the tent, and said that they now wished to answer what we had told them yester- day, but that many of their people were at that mo- ment waiting in great pain for our medical assistance. It was therefore agreed that Captain Clarke, who was the favourite physician, should visit the sick, while Captain Lewis held the council ; which was opened by an old man, the father of Hohastillpilp. He began by declaring that the nation had listened with attention to our advice, and had only one heart and one tongue in declaring their determination to follow it. They

60 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

knew well the advantages of peace, for they valued the lives of their young men too much to expose them to the dangers of war; and their desire to live quietly with their neighbours had induced them last summer to send three warriors with a pipe to the Shoshonees, in the plains of the Columbia south of Lewis's River. These ministers of peace had been killed by the Sho- shonees, against whom the nation immediately took up arms. They had met them last winter and killed forty- two men, with the loss of only three of their own party; so that, having revenged their deceased breth- ren, they would no longer make war on the Shosho- nees, but receive them as friends. As to going with us to the plains of the Missouri, they would be very will- ing to do so; for, though the Blackfoot Indians and the Pahkees had shed much of their blood, they still wished to live in peace with them. But we had not yet seen either of these nations, and it would therefore be unsafe for them to venture till they were assured of not being attacked by them. Still, however, some of their young men should accompany us across the mountains, and if they could effect a peace with their enemies, the whole nation would go over to the Mis- souri in the course of the next summer. On our pro- posal that one of their chiefs should go with us to the country of the whites, they had not yet decided, but would let us know before we left; but that, at all events, the whites might calculate on their attachment and their best services, for, though poor, their hearts were good. The snow was, however, still so deep on the mountains, that we should perish in attempting the passage, but if we waited till after the next full

PRESENTS TO THE CHIEFS ei

moon, the snows would have melted sufficiently to en- able our horses to subsist on the grass.

" As soon as this speech was concluded, Captain Lewis replied at some length : they appeared to be highly gratified with what he said, and after smoking the pipe, made us a present of another fat horse. In turn, we gave Broken Arm a vial of eye-water, with directions how to wash the eyes of those who should apply for it; and as we promised to fill it again when it was exhausted, he seemed very much pleased with our liberality. To Twisted Hair, who last night had collected six more horses, we gave a gun, a hundred balls, and two pounds of powder, and told him he should have the same quantity when we received the remainder of our horses. In the course of the day three more of them were brought in, and a fresh ex- change of small presents put the Indians in excellent humour. On our expressing a wish to cross the river, and form a camp in order to hunt and fish till the snows had melted, they recommended a position a few miles distant, and promised to furnisrl us the next day with a canoe to pass over. We invited Twisted Hair to establish himself near our camp, for he had several young sons, one of whom we hoped to engage as a guide, and he promised to do so. Having now set- tled all their affairs, the Indians divided themselves into two parties, and began to play the game of hid- ing a bone, already described as common to all the natives of this country."

CHAPTER IV.

The Party encamp among the Chopunnish, and receive farther Evidence of their Hospitality. — Indian Mode of boiling Bear's Flesh. — Of decoy- ing the Deer within Reach of their Arrows. — Character of the Soil and Climate among the Rocky Mountains. — Varieties of Climate. — Character of the Natives. — Their Dress and Ornaments. — Mode of burying the Dead. — The Party administer medical Relief to the Natives. — One of the Natives restored to the Use of his Limbs by Sweating, and the curious Process by which Perspiration was excited. — Another Proof of Chopunnish Hospitality. — Success of their sweating Prescrip- tion on an Indian Chief. — Description of the Horned Lizard and a Variety of Insects. — Attachment of the Friends of a dying Indian to a Tomahawk which he had stolen from the Party, and which they desired to bury with the Body. — Description of the River Tommana- mah. — The Indians return an Answer to a Proposition made by the Party.

THEY were disappointed in being furnished with a canoe in season to cross the river the next day, but passed over on the 14th, and formed their camp where the Indians had recom- mended. " As soon as we had encamped," says the Journal, " Tunnachemootoolt and Hohastillpilp, with about twelve of their nation, came to the oppo- site side and began to sing, this being the usual to- ken of friendship on such occasions. We sent the canoe for them, and the two chiefs came over with several of the party, among whom were the two young men who had given us the two horses in behalf of the 62

THE VARIEGATED BEAR 63

nation. After smoking for some time, Hohastillpilp presented to Captain Lewis an elegant gray gelding which he had brought for that purpose, and was per- fectly satisfied at receiving in return a handkerchief, two hundred balls, and four pounds of powder.

" The hunters killed some pheasants, two squirrels, and a male and a female bear, the first of which was large and fat, and of a bay colour ; the second, meager, grizzly, and of a smaller size. They were of the species common to the upper part of the Missouri, and might well be termed the variegated bear, for they are found occasionally of a black grizzly brown or red colour. There is every reason to believe that they are of pre- cisely the same species. Those of different colours are sometimes killed together, as in the case of these two, and as we had found the white and bay associ- ated together on the Missouri : some nearly white were seen in this neighbourhood by the hunters. Indeed, it is not common to find any two bears of the same col- our; and if difference of colour were allowed to con- stitute a distinct species, the number would be in- creased to almost twenty. Soon after they killed a female bear with two cubs. The mother was black, with a considerable intermixture of white hairs, and a white spot on her breast. One of the cubs was jet black, and the other of a light reddish brown or bay colour. The fur of these variegated bears is much finer, longer, and more abundant than that of the com- mon black bear ; but the most striking difference be- tween them is. that the former are larger, have longer tusks, and longer as well as blunter claws ; that they prey more on other animals; and that they lie neither

64 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

so long nor so closely in winter-quarters, and never climb a tree, however closely pressed by the hunters. The variegated bear here, though specifically the same with those we met on the Missouri are by no means so ferocious, probably because the scarcity of game and the habit of living on roots may have weaned them from attacking and devouring animals. Still, however, they are not so passive as the common black bear, which are also found here; for they had fought with our hunters, though with less fury than those on the other side of the mountains.

" A large part of the meat we gave to the Indians, to whom it was a great luxury, as they scarcely taste flesh once in a month. They immediately prepared a large fire of dried wood, on which were thrown a number of smooth stones from the river. As soon as the fire went down and the stones were heated, the}' were laid close to each other in a level position, and covered with a quantity of pine branches, on which were placed flitches of the meat, and then boughs and flesh alternately for several courses, leaving a thick layer of pine on the top. On this heap they then poured a small quantity of water, and covered the whole with earth to the depth of four inches. After remaining in this state for about three Hours, the meat was taken off, and was really more tender than that which we had boiled or roasted, though the strong flavour of the pine rendered it disagreeable to our palates. This repast gave them much satisfaction; for, though they sometimes kill the black bear, they attack very reluctantly the fierce variegated bear; and never except when they can pursue him on horseback over the plains, and shoot him with arrows." * * *

INDIAN MODE OF DECOYING DEER 65

" May 15. As we were compelled to pass some time in this neighbourhood, a number of hunters were sent in different directions, and the rest were employed in completing the camp. We secured the baggage with a shelter of grass, and made a kind of bower of the under part of an old sail, the leathern tent being too rotten for use, while the men formed very com- fortable huts in the shape of the awning of a wagon, by means of willow poles and grass. Tunnachemoo- toolt and his young men left us in the morning to go home, and soon after we were visited by a party of fourteen Indians on horseback, proceeding on a hunt- ing excursion, armed with bows and arrows. The chief game is the deer, and, whenever the ground will permit, they prefer hunting on horseback ; but in the woodlands, where this is impracticable, they make use of a decoy. This consists of the skin of the head and upper part of the neck of the deer, kept in its nat- ural shape by a frame of small sticks in the inside. As soon as the hunter perceives a deer, he conceals him- self, and with his hand moves the decoy so as to rep- resent a real deer in the act of feeding, which is done so naturally that the game is enticed within reach of their arrows." * * *

The next day a horse which had strayed was brought back by one of the Indians, thus affording another instance of the honesty of these people. Their native guests all left them in the course of the day.

" May 17. . It rained," continues the narrative, " during the greater part of the night, and our flimsy covering being insufficient for our protection, we lay in water the most of the time; and, what was more

66 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

unlucky, our chronometer got wet. The rain con- tinued with us nearly the whole day, while on the high plains the snow was falling, and lay two or three inches in depth. This weather confined us to our camp, and kept the Indians from us; so that for the first time since we had left the Narrows of the Colum- bia, a day was passed without being visited by them.

" The country along the Rocky Mountains, for several hundred miles in length and about fifty in width, is a high level plain; in all its parts extremely fertile, and in many places covered with a growth of tall long-leafed pine. This plain is chiefly interrupted near the streams of water, where the hills are steep and lofty; but the soil on them is good, being unen- cumbered by much stone, and possessing more timber than the level country. Under shelter of these hills, the bottom lands skirt the margins of the rivers, and though narrow and confined, are fertile and rarely in- undated. Nearly the whole of this widespread tract is covered with a profusion of grass and plants, which were at this time as high as the knee. Among these are a variety of esculent plants and roots, gathered without much difficulty, and yielding not only a nutri- tious, but a very agreeable food. 'The air is pure and dry, the climate quite as mild, if not milder, than in the same parallels of latitude in the Atlantic States, and must be equally healthy : for all the disorders which we had witnessed might fairly be imputed more to the nature of the diet of the inhabitants than to any peculi- arity of climate. This general observation is of course to be qualified, since in the same tract of country the degrees of the variation of heat and cold depend much upon the influence of situation. Thus the rains

DESCRIPTION OF THE CHOPUNNISH 67

of the low grounds near our camp were snows in the high plains ; and while the sun shone with intense heat in the confined bottoms, the plains had a much colder air, and the vegetation was retarded there at least fifteen days, while at the foot of the mountains the snows were still many feet in depth ; so that within twenty miles of our camp we observed the rigours of winter cold, the cool air of spring, and the oppressive heat of midsummer. On the plains, however, where the snow had fallen, it seemed to do but little injury to the grass and other plants, which, though apparently tender and susceptible, were still blooming at the height of nearly eighteen inches through their wintry mantle. In short, this district affords many advantages to settlers; and, if properly cultivated, would yield every object necessary for the subsistence and com- fort of civilized man.

" The Chopunnish'are in general stout, well formed, and active : they have high, and many of them aquiline noses, and the general appearance of the face is cheer- ful and agreeable, though without any indication of gayety and mirth. Like most of the Indians, they ex- tract their beards : there does not appear to be any nat- ural deficiency in this respect, for we observed several men, who, if they had adopted the practice of shaving", would have been as well supplied with beards as our- selves. The dress of both sexes resembles that of the Shoshonees, and consists of a long shirt reaching to the. thigh, leggins as high as the waist, and moccasins and robes, all of which are formed of skins.

" Their ornaments are beads, shells, and pieces of brass attached to different parts of the dress, tie-d round the arms, neck, and wrists, or thrown over the

68 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

shoulders ; and to these are added pearls and beads sus- pended from the ears, and a single shell of wampum through the nose. The headdress of the men is a bandeau of fox or otter skin, either with or without the fur, and sometimes an ornament is tied to a plait of hair falling from the crown of the head; that of the women is a cap without rim, formed of bear-grass and cedar bark ; while the hair itself of both sexes falls in two rows down the front of the body. Collars of bears' claws are also common. But the personal ornament most esteemed is a sort of breastplate, formed of a strip of otter-skin six inches wide, cut out of the whole length of the back of the animal, including the head : this being dressed with the hair on, a hole is made in the upper end for the head of the wearer to pass through, and the skin hangs down in front, with the tail reaching below the knee, and ornamented with pieces of pearl, red cloth, wampum, or, in short, any other fanciful decoration. Tippets, also, are occasion- ally worn. That of Hohastillpilp was formed of hu- man scalps, and adorned with the thumbs and fingers of the enemies he had slain in battle.

" The Chopurfnish are among the most amiable Indians we had seen. Their character is placid and , gentle, rarely moved into passion, and not often en- livened by gayety. Their amusements consist in run- ning races, and in shooting with arrows at a target, and they are addicted to the all-prevailing vice of gam- bling. They are much less taken with bawbles than the generality of Indians, and are chiefly anxious to obtain articles of utility, such as knives, tomahawks, kettles, blankets, and awls for making moccasins. They have also suffered so much from the sugeriov

HORNED LIZARD 69

equipment of their enemies, that they are very desir- ous of procuring arms and ammunition, which they are gradually acquiring; for the band of Tunnache- mootoolt have already six guns, which, they obtained from the Minnetarees.

" The Chopunnish bury their dead in sepulchres formed of boards, and in shape like the roof of a house. The bodies are rolled in skins, and laid one above an- other, separated only by a board. We have sometimes seen their dead deposited in wooden boxes, after be- ing rolled in skins in the same manner. They sacrifice to the deceased their horses, canoes, and every other species of property, and numerous bones of horses may be seen lying round their sepulchres." * * *

" Among the reptiles common in this country is a species of lizard, which we called the horned lizard, about the size, and much resembling in figure the ordi- nary black lizard. Its belly is, however, broader, its tail shorter, and its action much slower than that of the common lizard. It crawls like the toad, and is of a brown colour variegated with yellowish brown spots : it is covered with minute shells, interspersed with little horny projections like prickles, on the up- per part of the body. The belly and throat resem- ble that of the frog, and are of a light yellowish brown. The edges of the belly are regularly studded with these horny projections, which give to them a serrated appearance : the eye is small and of a dark colour. Above and behind the eyes are several bony projec- tions, which, being armed at the extremities with a firm black substance, looking like horns sprouting from the head, induced us to call it the horned lizard. These animals are found in great abundance in the

70 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

sandy parts of the plains, and after a shower of rain are seen basking in the sun, but for the greater part of the time they are concealed in holes. They are also seen in great numbers on the banks of the Missouri, and in the plains through which we passed above the Wallawollahs."

* * * " Most of the insects of the United State* are common here, though there is neither the hornet, the wasp, or the yellow-jacket, but an insect resem- bling the last of these, though much larger. They ar> very numerous, particularly in the Rocky Mountains and on the waters of the Columbia: the body and abdomen are yellow, with transverse circles of black, the head black, and the wings, which are four in num- ber, are of a dark brown colour; their nests are built in the ground, and resemble that of the hornet, with an outer covering to the comb. These insects are very fierce, and sting severely, so that we found them ex- ceedingly troublesome in frightening our horses as we passed the mountains. The silkworm is also found here, as well as the bumble-bee, though the honey-bee is not."

From the 18th to the 23d nothing of special inter- est occurred. For several days they had almost con- stant rains, and the hunters had very little success in killing game, so that they were very scantily supplied with food. The salmon, however, were soon expected, as they had received accounts of their having made their appearance in Lewis's River.

" May 24. This proved the warmest day," says the Journal, " since our arrival. Besides administering medical relief to the Indians, we were now obliged to devote much of our time to the care of our own in-

TREATMENT BY SWEATING BATH 71

valids. The child of Sacajawea was very unwell ; and with one of the men we had ventured an experiment of a very bold character. He had been for some time sick, but had now recovered his flesh, ate heartily, and digested well, but had so great a weakness in the loins that he could not walk, nor even sit upright without extreme pain. After we had in vain exhausted the resources of our art, one of the hunters mentioned that he had known persons in a similar situation re- stored by violent sweats, and at the request of the patient we permitted the remedy to be applied. For this purpose, a hole about four feet deep and three in diameter was dug in the earth, and heated well by a large fire in the bottom of it. The fire was then taken out, and an arch formed over the hole by means of willow poles, and covered with several blankets, so as to form a perfect awning. The patient, being stripped naked, was seated under this on a bench, with a piece of board for his feet, while with a jug of water he sprinkled the bottom and sides of the hole, so as to keep up as hot a steam as he could bear. After re- maining twenty minutes in this situation he was taken out, immediately plunged twice into cold water, and then brought back to the hole, where he was again subjected to the vapour bath. During all this time he drank copiously a strong infusion' of horsemint, which was used as a substitute for the seneca root, which our informant said he had seen employed on these occasions, but of which there was none in this country. At the end of three quarters of an hour he was again withdrawn from the hole, carefully wrap- ped up, and suffered to cool gradually. The morning

M. of H.— XVIX— 17

72 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

after this operation was performed he walked abo&t, and was nearly free from pain.

" About eleven o'clock a canoe arrived with three Indians, one of whom was the poor creature who had lost the use of his limbs, and for whose recovery the natives seemed very anxious, as he was a chief of con- siderable rank among them. His situation, however, was beyond the reach of our skill. He complained of no pain in any particular limb, and we therefore thought his disorder could not be rheumatic; and his limbs would have been more attenuated if his disease had been a paralytic affection."

The two following days the hunters failed alto- gether in obtaining game, but purchased a few roots, which they brought in. The Indians still remained at the encampment with their sick chief, discovering the most affectionate anxiety for his cure, and continually soliciting that something farther might be done for him. The snows on the mountains were evidently dis- appe«a.ring, and on the 26th they were gladdened by the sight of a salmon in the river.

" May 27. The horse the Indians had given us some time ago had gone astray, but in our present dearth of provisions we searched for him and killed him. Observing that we were in want of food, Ho- hastillpilp told us that most of the horses which we saw running at large belonged to him or his people, and that, whenever we wished for meat, we might take one without any restraint. We had, indeed, more than once, occasion to admire the generosity of this Indian, whose conduct presented a model of what is due to strangers in distress. A party was sent to a .village that had been discovered the day before, and

HOSPITALITY OF HOHASTILLPILP 73

returned with a large supply of bread and roots. Ser- geant Ordway and two men were also despatched to Lewis's River, about half a day's ride to the south, where we expected to obtain salmon, which were said to be very abundant at that place. Three of our hunt- ers returned with five deer." * * * " The Indians who attended the sick chief were so anxious to have the operation of sweating performed on him under our inspection, that we determined ,to gratify them by making the attempt. The hole wras therefore en- larged, and the father of the chief, a very good-looking old man, went in writh him, and held him in a proper position. This strong evidence of affection is directly opposite to the received opinion of the insensibility of savages; nor were we less struck with the kindness and attentions shown to the sick man by those who were wholly unrelated to him, and which was the more remarkable, as his long illness of three years might be supposed to have exhausted their sympathy. We could not produce as complete a perspiration as we desired, and after he was taken out he complained of suffering considerable pain, which we relieved with a few drops of laudanum, and he then rested well. The next morning,

" May 28, he was able to use his arms, felt better than he had done for months, and sat up during the greater part of the day." * * *

" May 29. The Indian chief was still rapidly recov- ering, and for the first time during the last twelve months had strength enough to wash his face. We had intended to repeat the sweating to-day, but, as the weather was cloudy, with occasional raining, we deferred it. This operation, though violent, appears

74 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

highly efficacious ; for our own man, on whom the ex- periment was first made, is recovering his strength very fast, and the restoration of the chief is wonder- ful. He continued to improve, and on the following day,

" May 30, after a very violent sweating, was able to move one of his legs and some of his toes, the fin* gers and arms being almost entirely restored to their former strength." * * *

" May 31. Two men visited the Indian village, where they purchased a dressed bearskin of a uniform pale reddish brown colour, which the Indians called yackah, in contradistinction to hohhost, or the white bear. This induced us to inquire more particularly into their opinions as to the several species of bears; and we produced all the skins of that animal which we had purchased. The natives immediately classed the white, the deep and the pale grizzly red, the griz- zly dark brown, in short, all those with the extremities of the hair of a white or frosty colour, without regard to the colour of the ground of the fur, under the name of hohhost. They assured us that they were all of the same species with the white bear; that they associated together, had longer nails than the others, and never climbed trees. On the other hand, the animals with black skins, those which were black with a number of entire white hairs intermixed, or with a white breast, the uniform bay, and the brown and light reddish brown, they range under the class yackah, and said they resembled each other in being smaller, in having" shorter nails than the white bear, in climbing trees, and being so little vicious that they could be pursued

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BEAR 75

with safety. This distinction of the Indians seemed to be well founded, and we were inclined to believe,

" First, that the white or grizzly bear of this neigh- bourhood form a distinct species, which, moreover, are the same with those of the same colour on the upper part of the Missouri, where the other species is not found.

" Second, that the black and reddish brown, &c., are a second species, equally distinct from the white bear of this country, and from the black bear on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which last two seem to form only one species. The common black bear is indeed unknown in this country ; for the bear of which we are speaking, though in most respects similar, dif- fers from it in having much finer, thicker, and longer hair, with a greater proportion of fur mixed with it, and also in having a variety of colo trs, while the com- mon black bear has no intermixture or change of col- our, but is of a uniform black. * * *

" In the course of the day the natives brought us another of our original stock of horses, of which we had now recovered all except two ; and those, we were informed, were taken back by our Shoshonee guide when he returned home. They amounted to sixty-five, most of them fine, strong, active animals, and in excel- lent order."

The next day, in crossing the river, they had the misfortune to lose all their remaining stock of mer- chandise. " We therefore," says the Journal, " cre- ated a new fund, by cutting off the buttons from our clothes, and preparing some eye-water and basilicon, to which were added a few vials and small tin boxes,

76 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

in which we had once kept phosphorus. With these articles two men set out in the morning,

" June 2, to trade, and brought home three bushels of roots and some bread. In the mean time several hunters were sent out. The Indians informed us that there were great numbers of moose to the southeast of the east branch of Lewis's River, which they called the Tommanamah. We had lately heard, also, that some Indians, residing at a considerable distance, on the sbuth side of the Kooskooskee, were in posses- sion of two tomahawks, one of which had been left at our camp on Moscheto Creek, and the other had been stolen while we were with the Chopunnish in the autumn. This last we were anxious to obtain, in order to give it to the relations of our unfortunate com- panion, Sergeant Floyd, to whom it once belonged. We therefore sent Drewyer, with the two chiefs Nee- shnepahkeeook and Hohastillpilp, to demand it. On their arrival, they found that the present possessor of it, who had purchased it of the thief, was at the point of death ; and his relations were unwilling to give it up, as they wished to bury it in the grave with the deceased. The influence of Neeshnepahkeeook, how- ever, at length prevailed ; and they consented to surren- der the tomahawk on receiving two strands of beads and a handkerchief from Drewyer, and from each of the chiefs a horse, to be killed at the funeral of their kinsman, according to the custom of the country.

" Soon after their return, Sergeant Ordway and his party, who had been sent to procure fish, and for whose safety we had become extremely anxious, came back from Lewis's River with some roots and seventeen salmon. The distance, however, from which they had

IMPATIENCE OF PARTY TO LEAVE 77

been brought was so great, that most of them were nearly spoiled ; but such as were still sound were very delicious, the flesh being of a fine rose colour, with a small mixture of yellow, and so fat that they cooked perfectly well without the addition of any oil or grease." * * *

" June 3. Finding that the salmon did not yet ap- pear along the shore, as the Indians had assured us they would, and that all the salmon which they them- selves used were obtained from Lewis's River, we began to lose our hopes of subsisting on them. We were too poor, and at too great a distance from Lewis's River to obtain fish from thence; and it was not probable that the river would fall sufficiently for the salmon to reach where we were before it would be necessary for us to leave. Our Indian friends were about sending an express over the mountains to Trav- eller's Rest, in order to procure intelligence from the Ootlashoots, a band of Flatheads who have wintered on the east side of the mountains; and, as the route was deemed practicable for this express, we also pro- posed setting out. The Indians, however, dissuaded us from it, as many of the creeks, they said, were still too deep to be forded, the roads very heavy and slip- pery, and there was no grass yet for our horses; but that in twelve or fourteen days we should not have these obstacles to encounter." * * *

" During the two following days we continued hunting in our own neighbourhood, .and by means of these efforts, and trading with the Indians for trifling articles, we succeeeded in procuring as much bread and roots, besides other food, as would enable us to subsist while crossing the mountains. The old chief

78 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

in the mean time gradually recovered the use of his limbs, and our own man was nearly restored to his former kealth." * * *

The next day they were informed by Neeshne- pahkeeook that his people would not accompany them to the Missouri, but that some of their young men, as they had before promised, should go with them.

CHAPTER V.

They join in the Diversions of the Willetpos Indians, a Tribe hitherto unnoticed. — Joy of the Party at the prospect of Returning. — Vegeta- tion of the Rocky Mountains. — Preparations to resume their Journey. — They set out, and arrive at Hungry Creek. — Difficulties that ob- structed their Progress. — Compelled to return and wait for a Guide across the Mountains. — Their Distress for want of Provisions. — They resolve to return to the Quamash Flats. — Are at last so fortunate as to procure Indian Guides, with whom they resume their Journey. — Dangers of the Route. — Scarcity of Provisions, and the Perils to which they were exposed, their Course lying along the Ridge of the Moun- tains.— Description of the warm Springs, where the Party encamp. — Fondness of the Indians for bathing in them.

ON the 7th they were engaged in preparing packs and saddles for their journey, having now re- solved to start as soon as circumstances would in any way permit.

" June 8. Cut Nose visited us this morning with ten or twelve warriors, among whom were two be- longing to a band of Chopunnish which we had not before seen, who called themselves Willetpos, and resided on the south side of Lewis's River. One of them gave a good horse which he rode in exchange for one of ours, which was in no condition to cross the mountains, on receiving a tomahawk in addition.

79

so LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

We were also so fortunate as to exchange two other horses for two that were much better, without giving anything else. After these important transactions, several foot-races were run between our men and the Indians : the latter, who are very active, and fond of these races, proved themselves very expert, and one of them was as fleet as our swiftest runners. After the races were over, the men divided themselves in- to two parties, and played at prison bars; an exercise which we were desirous of encouraging, as several of the party were becoming lazy from inaction. At night these games were concluded by a dance. One of the Indians told us that we could not pass the moun- tains before the next full moon, or about the first of July; and that, if we attempted it before that time, the horses would be three days without food on the top of the mountains. This intelligence was by no means agreeable, as it excited doubts as to the most proper time for starting ; but, having become very im- patient, we were determined to run all hazards, and leave as soon as the Indians generally considered the route practicable, which was about the middle of the present month.

* * * " June 9. Hohastillpilp, who had visited us the day before, now left us, with other Indians, for the plains near Lewis's River, where the whole nation were about to assemble. Broken Arm, too, with all his people, stopped on their way to the general ren- dezvous at the same place. Cut Nose, or Neeshne- pahkeeook, borrowed a horse, and rode down a few miles after some young eagles. He soon returned with two of the gray kind, nearly grown, which he intended to raise for the sake of the feathers. The

CAMPING AT QUAMASH FLATS 81

young chief who had some time before made us a present of two horses, came with a party of his people and passed the night with us." * * *

The river had now fallen about six feet, which might be regarded as a sure indication that most of the snow had melted on the mountains. They con- cluded, however, that it would be most prudent still to wait a day or two longer before they finally set out on their journey.

" June 10. After collecting our horses," proceeds the Journal, " which took much time, we set out at eleven o'clock for the Quamash Flats. Our stock was now very abundant, each man being well mounted, with a small load on a second horse, besides several supernumerary ones, in case of accident or want of food. We ascended the river hills, which are very high, and three miles in extent ; our course being north 22° east, and then north 15° west for two miles, till we reached Collin's Creek. It was deep and difficult to cross, but we passed without any injury except wetting some of our provisions, and then proceeded due north for five miles to the eastern edge of the Quamash Flats, near where we had first met the Cho- punnish im the autumn. We encamped on the bank of a small stream, in a point of woods bordering an extensive level and beautiful prairie, which was in- tersected by several rivulets, and, as the quamash was now in blossom, presented a perfect resemblance to a lake of clear water.

" A party of Chopunnish, who had overtaken us a few miles above, halted for the night with us, and mentioned that they too had come down to hunt in

82 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

the flats, though we had fears that they expected us to provide them during their stay.

" The country through which we passed was gen- erally free from stone, extremely fertile, and well supplied with timber, consisting of several species of fir, long-leafed pine, and larch. The undergrowth was chokecherry near the water-courses, and scat- tered through the country were black alder, a large species of the reed-root now in bloom, a plant re- sembling the pawpaw in its leaf, and bearing a berry with five valves of a deep purple colour. There were also two species of sumach, the purple haw, sevenbark, service-berry, gooseberry, the honeysuckle bearing a whke berry, and a species of dwarf pine ten or twelve feet high, which might be confounded with the young pine of the long-leafed species, except that the former bears a cone of a globular form, with small scales, and that its leaves are in fascicles of two resembling in length and appearance the common pitch pine. We also observed two species of wild rose, both quin- quepetalous, both of a damask red colour, and simi- lar in the stem ; but one of them was as large as the common red rose of our gardens ; its leaf, too, is some- what larger than that of the other species of wild rose, and the apex, as we saw them last year, was more than three times the size of the common wild rose.

" We saw many sandhill cranes, and some ducks in the marshes near our camp ; likewise a great number of burrowing squirrels, some of which we killed, and found them as tender and well-flavoured as our gray squirrels."

The hunters were sent out in different directions the next day, but with very indifferent success. Be-

FERENT SPECIES OF PLANTS 83

ing determined to start in earnest in the morning, they cut up and dried what meat they had, packed their baggage, and hoppled their horses, to be in readi- ness at an early hour.

" June 15. The horses," proceeds the Journal, " had strayed to such a distance that we could not collect them without great difficulty ; and, as it rained very hard, we waited for it to abate. It soon, how- ever, showed every appearance of a settled rain, and we therefore set out at ten o'clock. We crossed the prairie at the distance of eight miles, where we had sent our hunters, and found two deer which they had hung up for us. Two and a half miles farther we overtook them at Collin's Creek ; they had killed a third deer. After dining, we proceeded up the creek about half a mile ; then, crossing through a high, broken country for about ten miles, reached an eastern branch of the same creek, near which we encamped in the bottom, after a ride of twenty-two miles. The rains had made the road very slippery, and this, joined to the quantity of fallen timber, rendered our progress slow and laborious. The country through which we passed had a thick growth of long-leafed pine, with some pitch pine, larch, white pine, white cedar, or arbor vita of large size, and a variety of firs. The under- growth consisted chiefly of reed-root, from six to ten feet in height, with the other species already enumer- ated. The soil was in general good, and had some- what of a red cast, like that near the Southwest Moun- tain in Virginia. We saw in the course of our ride the speckled woodpecker and the bee-martin, and found the nest of a humming-bird which had just be- gun to lay its eggs.

84 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

" June 16. We readily collected our horses, and, having taken breakfast, proceeded at six o'clock up the creek, over handsome meadows of fine grass, and a great abundance of quamash. At the distance of two miles we crossed the creek, and ascended a ridge in a direction towards the northeast. Fallen timber still obstructed our way so much, that it was eleven o'clock before we had made seven miles to a small branch of Hungry Creek. In the hollows and on the north side of the hills large quantities of snow still remained, in some places to the depth of two or three feet. Vegetation, too, was proportionably re- tarded, the dog-tooth violet being just in bloom,, and the honeysuckle, whortleberry, and a small species of white maple were but beginning to put forth their leaves. These appearances, in a part of the country comparatively low, were ill omens of the practicabili- ty of crossing the mountains. But, being determined to proceed, we halted merely to take a hasty meal while the horses were grazing, and then resumed our march. The route was through thick woods, and over high hills intersected by deep ravines and obstructed by fallen timber. We found much difficulty, also, in fol- lowing the road, the greater part of it being now cov- ered with snow, which lay in large masses eight or ten feet deep, and would have been wholly impassable had it not been sufficiently firm to bear our horses. Early in the evening we reached Hungry Creek, at the place where Captain Clarke had left a horse for us as we passed in September ; and, finding a small glade with some grass, though not enough for our horses, we thought it better to halt for the night, lest by going farther we should find nothing for them to

SNOW STILL COVERS COUNTRY 85

eat. Hungry Creek was small at this place, but deep, and discharged a torrent of water perfectly transpar- ent, and cold as ice. During the fifteen miles of our -route this day the principal timber was the pitch pine, the white pine, larch, and fir. The long-leafed pine extends but a small distance on this side of Collin's Creek, and the white cedar does not reach beyond the branch of Hungry Creek on which we dined. In the early part of the day we saw the columbine, the blue bell, and the yellow flowering pea in bloom. There was also on these mountains a great quantity of angelica, stronger to the taste, and more highly scented, than that common in the United States. The smell is very pleasant, and the natives, after drying and cutting it into small pieces, wear it in strings around their necks.

"June 17. The air we found pleasant during the day, but, notwithstanding the shortness of the nights, it became very cold before morning. At an early hour we collected our horses and proceeded down the creek, which we crossed twice with much diffi- culty and danger, on account of its depth and rapidi- ty. We avoided two other crossings of the same kind by passing over a steep and rocky hill. At the distance of seven miles, the road began to ascend the main ridges which divide the waters of the Cho- punnish and Kooskooskee Rivers. We followed it up a mountain for about three miles, when we found our- selves enveloped in snow, from twelve to fifteen feet in depth, even on the south side, with the fullest ex- posure to the sun. Winter now presented itself to us in all its rigours : the air was keen and frosty, no vestige of vegetation was to be seen, and our hands

86 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

and feet were benumbed with cold. We halted at the sight of this new difficulty.

" To wait till the snows on the mountains had dis- solved so as to enable us to distinguish the road, would we knew, defeat our design of returning to the United States this season. We found, also, that as the snow bore our horses very well, travelling was infinitely easier than it had been last fall, when the rocks and fallen timber so much obstructed our march. But it would require five days to reach the fish-wears at the mouth of Colter's Creek, even if we should succeed in following the proper ridges of the mountains : and the danger of missing our way was exceedingly great, as every track was covered with snow. During these five days, too, we should have no chance of finding either grass or underwood for our horses. To proceed, therefore, under such cir- cumstances, would be to hazard our being bewildered ir* the mountains, to ensure the loss of our horses, and, should we even be so fortunate as to escape with our lives, we might be obliged to abandon all our papers and collections. It was accordingly de- cided not to venture any farther; to deposit here all the baggage and provisions for which we had no im- mediate use, and, reserving only subsistence for a few days, return, while our horses were yet strong, to some spot where we might live by hunting till a guide could be procured to conduct us across the mountains. Our baggage was placed on scaffolds and carefully covered, as were also the instruments and papers, which we thought it safer to leave than to risk them over the roads and creeks by which we had come. Having completed this operation, we set

EFFORTS TO BECOME A GUIDE 87

out at one o'clock, and, retracing our steps, reached Hungry Creek, which we ascended for two miles, and, finding some scanty grass, encamped for the night, fhe rain fell during the greater part of the evening and, as this was the first time that we had ever been compelled to make a retrograde movement, we feared that it might depress the spirits of the men ; but, though somewhat dejected at the circumstance, the obvious necessity precluding all repining. During the night our horses strayed in search of food to a consider- able distance among the thick timber on the hill sides, nor could we collect them till nine o'clock the next morning,

" June 18. Two of them were, however, still miss- ing, and we directed two of the party to remain and look for them. At the same time we despatched Drewyer and Shannon to the Chopunnish, in the plains beyond the Kooskooskee, in order to hasten the ar- rival of the Indians who it had been promised should accompany us, or, at any rate, to procure a guide to conduct us to Traveller's Rest. For this purpose they took a rifle, as a reward to any one who would engage to go with us, with directions to increase the reward, if necessary, by an offer of two other guns to be given immediately, and ten horses at the Falls of the Missouri : we then resumed our route." * * * They proceeded on to Collin's Creek, where they halted for the night. Although numerous tracks of deer were seen, the hunters did not succeed in killing any.

They remained at their encampment on Collin's Creek the two following days, but, as they had but little success in procuring game, they resolved to return to Quamash Flats. On the 19th, the two men

M. ot H.— XXIX— 18

88 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

who had been left behind returned, without having been able to find the missing horses.

" June 21. The mortification of being obliged to retrace our steps," continues the Journal, " rendered still more tedious a route everywhere so obstructed by brush and fallen timber that it could not be passed without difficulty, and even danger to our horses. One of these poor creatures wounded himself so badly in jumping over some fallen logs, that he was ren- dered unfit for use, and sickness had deprived us of the service of another. At the pass of Collin's Creek we met two Indians, who returned with us about half a mile to a spot where we had slept in September, and where we now halted to dine and let our horses graze. These Indians had four supernumerary horses, and were on their way to cross the mountains. They had not seen Drewyer and Shannon, who, they said, would not return for two days. We pressed them to remain with us till that time, in order to conduct us over the mountains ; to which they consented, and de- posited their stores of roots and bread in the bushes at a little distance. After dinner we left three men to hunt till our return, and then proceeded ; but we had not gone more than two miles, when the Indians halted in a small prairie, where they promised to remain at least two nights, if we did not come back sooner. We left them, and at about seven in the evening found our- selves at our old encampment on the Flats, and were glad to find that four of the hunters whom we had sent ahead had killed a deer for supper.

" June 22. At daylight all the hunters set out, and, traversing the whole country, were much more suc- cessful than we had even hoped, for they brought in

THEY OBTAIN TWO INDIAN GUIDES 99

eight deer and three bear. Hearing, too, that salmon were now abundant in the Kooskooskee, we despatched a man to our former station above Collin's Creek, for the purpose of purchasing some with a few beads which had been found accidentally in one of our waistcoat pockets. He did not return in the evening, nor had we heard from Drewyer and Shannon, who we began to fear had found much difficulty in engaging a guide ; and we were also apprehensive that the two Indians might set out the next day for the mountains. Early in the morning, therefore,

" June 23, we despatched two hunters to prevail on them, if possible, to remain a day or two longer ; and if they persisted in going on, they were to ac- company them, with the three men at Collin's Creek, and mark the route as far as Traveller's Rest, where they were to remain till we joined them by following the same road.

" Our fears for the safety of Drewyer, Shannon, and Whitehouse were fortunately relieved by their return in the afternoon. The former brought three Indians, who promised to go with us to the Falls of the Missouri for the compensation of two guns. One of them was the brother of Cut Nose, and the other two had each given us a horse at the house of Broken Arm ; and as they were men of good character, and respect- able in the nation, we had the fairest prospect of being well served. We therefore secured our horses near the camp, and at an early hour the next morning,

" June 24, set out on our second attempt to cross the mountains. On reaching Collin's Creek we found only one of our men, who informed us that, a short time before he arrived, the two Indians, tired of wait-

90 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ing, had set out, and the other four men had accompa- nied them, as they were directed. After halting, we went on to Fish Creek, the branch of Hungry Creek where we had slept on the 19th instant. Here we overtook two of the party who had gone on with the Indians, and who had been fortunate enough to per- suade them to wait for us. During their stay at Collin's Creek they had killed only a single deer, and of this they had been very liberal to the Indians, in order to induce them to remain, so that they were without provisions; and two of them had set out for another branch of Hungry Creek, where we should meet them the next day.

" In the evening, the Indians, to bring fair weather, as they said for our journey, set fire to the woods. As these consisted chiefly of tall fir-trees, with very numerous dried branches, the blaze was almost in- stantaneous, and as the flames mounted to the tops of the highest trees, it resembled a splendid display of fireworks. In the morning,

" June 25, one of our guides complained of being sick : a symptom by no means pleasant, as sickness with an Indian is generally the pretext for abandon- ing an enterprise which he dislikes. He promised, however, to overtake us, and we therefore left him with his two companions, and set out at an early hour. At eleven o'clock we halted for dinner at the branch of Hungry Creek, and here we found our two men, who had killed nothing. Here, too, we were joined, rather unexpectedly, by our guides, who now appeared disposed to be faithful to their engagements. The Indian, indeed, was really sick ; and having no covering except a pair of moccasins and an elkskin

CROSSING MOUNTAINS DIFFICULT 91

dressed without the hair, we supplied him with a buf- falo robe.

" In the evening we arrived at Hungry Creek, and halted for the night about a mile and a half below our encampment on the 16th.

" Tune 26. Having collected our horses and taken breakfast, we set out at six o'clock, pursuing our former route, and at length began to ascend for the second time the ridge of mountains. Near the snowy region we killed two small black pheasants and one of the speckled kind. These birds generally frequent the higher parts of the mountains, where they feed on the leaves of the pine and fir ; but both kinds appear to be solitary and silent, as we never heard either of them make any noise; and the Indians told us that they did not drum in flying, nor make a whirring sound with their wings. On reaching the top of the moun- tain we found our deposit perfectly safe. The snow rin the neighbourhood had melted nearly four feet since the 17th. By measuring it accurately, and com- paring it with the mark which we had then made, we found the general depth to have been ten feet ten in- ches, though in some places still greater; but at this time it was about seven feet. It required two hours to arrange our baggage and prepare a hasty meal, after which the guides urged us to set off, as we had a long ride to make before we should reach a spot where there was grass for our horses. We accordingly mounted, and, following,' their steps, sometimes crossed abruptly steep hills, and then wound along their sides, near tremendous precipices, where, had our horses ! slipped, we should have beer: irrecoverably lost. Our route lay along the ridgy mountains which separate

92 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

the waters of the Kooskooskee and Chopunnish, and above the heads of all the streams, so that we met] no running water. The whole country was completely! covered with snow, except occasionally a few square feet of earth at the roots of some trees, round which it had dissolved. We passed our camp of the 18th of I September, and late in the evening reached a spot! where we encamped, near a good spring of water. It I was on the steep side of a mountain, with no wood,! and a fair southern aspect, from which the snow seemed to have disappeared for about ten days, and an abundant growth of young grass, like greensward, had sprung up. There was also a species of grass not unlike flag, with a broad succulent leaf, and which is confined to the upper parts of the highest mountains. It is a favourite food with horses, but it was then either covered with snow, or just making its appearance. There is a third plant peculiar to the same regions, a species of whortleberry; and there are also large quantities of a species of bear-grass, which, though it grows luxuriantly over all these mountains, and preserves its verdure during the whole winter, is never eaten by horses.

" In the night there came to our camp a Chopun- nish, who had followed us with the view of accom- panying us to the Falls of the Missouri. We now learned that the two young Indians whom we had met on the 21st, and detained several days, were merely going on a party of pleasure to the Ootlashoots, or, as they call them, Shallees, a band of Tushepahs who live on Clarke's River, near Traveller's Rest. Early the next morning,

" June 27, we resumed our journey over the heights

HARDNESS OF THE SNOW 93

and steep hills of the same great ridge. At eight miles' distance we reached an eminence where the Indians had raised a conical mound of stone, six or eight feet high, on which was fixed a pine pole about fifteen feet high. Here we halted and smoked for some time at the request of the Indians, who told us that, in passing the mountains with their families, some men are usually sent on foot from this place to fish at the entrance of Colt Creek, rejoining the main party at the Ruamash Glade at the head of the Koos- kooskee. From the elevated point where we now were, we had a commanding view of the surrounding mountains, which so completely enclosed us, that, al- though we had once passed them, we might have al- most despaired of ever escaping from them but for the assistance of the Indians. The marks on the trees, which had been our chief dependence, were much fewer and more difficult to be distinguished than we had expected ; but our guides traversed this trackless region with a kind of instinctive sagacity : they never hesi- tated, nor were they ever embarrassed ; and so unerring was their course, that wherever the snow had disap- peared for even a hundred paces, they found at once the summer road. With their aid the snow was scarce- ly a disadvantage; for, although we were often obliged to slide down, the fallen timber and the rocks, which were now covered, had been much more troublesome when we passed in the autumn. The travelling was, indeed, comparatively pleasant, as well as more rapid, the snow being granular and without crust, and suffi- ciently hard to prevent the horses from sinking more than two or three inches. After the sun had been on it for some hours it became softer than early in the

94 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

morning, but the horses were almost always able to get a sure foothold.

" After some time we resumed our route, and at the distance of three miles descended a steep moun- tain, when, crossing two branches of the Chopunnish River just above their forks, we began to mount a second ridge. Along this we proceeded for some time, and at the distance of seven miles reached our camp of the 16th of September. Near this place we crossed three small branches of the Chopunnish, and then ascended a second dividing ridge, along which we continued for nine miles, when it became somewhat lower, and we halted for the night in a position similar to that where we had encamped the preceding even- ing.

" We had now travelled twenty-eight miles with- out taking the loads from our horses or giving them anything to eat; and as the snow where we halted had not entirely melted, there was but little grass. Among other plants we observed great quantities of the white lily, with reflected petals, which were now in bloom, and in the same forwardness as in the plains on the 10th of May. As for ourselves, our stock of meat being en- tirely gone, we distributed to each mess a pint of bear's oil, which, with some boiled roots, made an agreeable repast. We saw several black-tailed or mule-deer, but could not get a shot at them, and were informed that there were great numbers of elk in the valley, near the fishery on the Kooskooskee. The Indians also asserted that on the mountains to our right there were large numbers of what they call white buffalo, or mountain sheep. Our horses had strayed some distance in quest of food, and in the morning,

SCARCITY OF FOOD FOR HORSES 95

" June 28, when they were brought in, exhibited rather a gaunt appearance. The Indians promised, however, that we should reach some good grass by noon, and we set out after an early breakfast. Our route lay along the dividing ridge and across a very deep hollow, till at the distance of six miles we reached our camp of the 15th of September. A mile and a half farther we passed a road from the right, immediately on the dividing ridge, leading to the fishery. We went on, as we had done during the former part of the route, over deep snows, when, having made thirteen miles, we came to the side of a mountain just above the fishery, which, having no timber and a southern ex- posure, the snow had disappeared from it, and there was an abundance of fine grass. Our horses were very hungry as well as greatly fatigued, and as there was no other spot within our reach this evening where we could find food for them, we determined to encamp, though it was not yet midday. As there was no water in the neighbourhood, we melted snow for cooking, and early in the morning,

" June 29, continued along the ridge we had been following for several days, till at the end of five miles it terminated ; and now, bidding adieu to the snows which we had been traversing, we descended to the main branch of the Kooskooskee. On reaching the water side we found a deer which had been left for us by two of our hunters, who had been dispatched at an early hour to the warm springs, and which proved a very seasonable addition to our food; for, having neither meat nor oil, we were reduced to a diet of roots, without salt or any other addition. At this place (about a mile and a half from the point where

96 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

Quamash Creek falls in from the northeast) the Koos- kooskee is about thirty yards wide, and runs with great velocity over a bed, like those of all the moun- tain streams, composed of pebbles. We forded the river, and ascended for two miles the steep acclivities of a mountain, and at its summit found, coming in from the right, the old road which we had passed on our route in the autumn. It was now much plainer and more beaten, which the Indians told us was owing to the frequent visits of the Ootlashoots from the val- ley of Clarke's River to the fishery, though there was no appearance of their having been here this spring. Twelve miles from our camp we halted to graze our horses on the flats of the Quamash Creek. These form a handsome plain of fifty acres in extent, cov- ered with an abundance of quamash, and seem to be one of the principal stopping places of the Indians in crossing the mountains. We saw here several young pheasants, and killed one of the small black kind, which was the first we had observed below the region of snow. In the neighbourhood were also seen the tracks of two barefoot Indians, which our companions supposed to be Ootlashoots who had fled in distress from the Pahkees. Here, too, we discovered that two of our horses were missing. We sent two men in quest of them, and then went on seven miles farther to the warm springs, where we arrived early in the afternoon. The two hunters who had been sent for- ward in the morning had collected no game, nor were several others who went out after our arrival more successful. We therefore had a prospect of continu- ing our usual diet of roots, when late in the afternoon

WARM SPRINGS 97

the men returned with the stray horses and a deer for supper.

" These warm springs are situated at the foot of a hill on the north side of Traveller's Rest Creek, which is ten yars wide at this place. They issue from the bottoms and through the interstices of a gray freestone rock, which rises in irregular masses round their lower side. The principal spring, which the In- dians have formed into a bath by stopping the run with stones and pebbles, is of about the same temper- ature as the warmest bath used at the Hot Springs in Virginia. Captain Lewis could with difficulty remain in it nineteen minutes, and was then affected with <a profuse perspiration. The two other springs are much hotter, their temperature being equal to that !of the warmest of the Hot Springs in Virginia. Our men, as well as the Indians, amused themselves with , going into the bath : the latter, according to the uni- [versal custom among them, first entering the hot bath, where they remained as long as they could bear the | heat, then plunging into the creek, which was now of tan icy coldness, and repeating this operation several times, but always ending with the warm bath."

CHAPTER VI.

The Party, proceeding on their Journey with their Indian Guides, agree to divide, take separate Routes, and meet again, at the Mouth of the Yellowstone River. — Captain Lewis, with nine Men, proceeds up the eastern Branch of Clarke's River, and takes leave of the Indian Guides. Description of that Branch, and Character of the surrounding Country. — The Cokalahishkit River. — They arrive at the Ridge dividing the Missouri from the Columbia River. — Meet with the Buffalo and Brown Bear. — Immense Herds of Buffalo seen on the Borders of Medicine River. — The Party encamp on White Bear Island. — Singular Adven- ture that befell M'Neil. — Captain Lewis, with three of his Party, proceeds to explore the Source of Maria's River. — Tansy River. — He reaches the dividing Line of these two Streams. — General Character of the surrounding Country.

THE next day they proceeded along Traveller's Rest Creek, and, after making thirty-two miles, halted for the night on its south side, near where it enters Clarke's River. In the course of the day they killed six deer, of which there wrere great numbers, as well as bighorn and elk, in the neighbour- hood.

" July 1. We had now," continues the Journal, " made one hundred and fifty-six miles from the Qua- mash Flats to the mouth of Traveller's Rest Creek. Here we proposed to separate ; and it was accordingly resolved to remain a day or two, to refresh ourselves a$d the horses, which had borne the journey ex- tremely well, and were still in fine order, though they

98

PARTY TAKE DIFFERENT ROUTES 99

required a little rest. We had hoped to meet som£ of the Ootlashoots at this place, but no tracks of them were to be seen. Our Indian companions expressed much anxiety lest they should have been cut off by the Pahkees during the winter, and alluded to the tracks of the two barefooted persons as a proof how much they must have been distressed.

" We now formed the following plan of operations : Captain Lewis, with nine men, was to pursue the most direct route to the Falls of the Missouri, where three of his party were to be left, to prepare carriages for transporting the baggage and canoes across the portage. With the remaining six he was to ascend Maria's River, to explore the country, and ascertain whether any branch of it reached as far north as the latitude of fifty degrees, after which he would de- scend that river to its mouth. The rest of the party were to accompany Captain Clarke to the head of Jef- ferson River, which Sergeant Ordway and nine men would descend with the canoes and other articles de- posited there. Captain Clarke's party, which would then be reduced to ten, would proceed to the Yellow- stone at its nearest approach to the Three Forks of the Missouri, where he would build canoes, descend the river with seven of his party, and wait at its mouth till the rest should join him. Sergeant Pryor, with the two others, would take the horses by land to the Mandans, and from that nation go to the Brit- ish posts on the Assiniboin, with a letter to Mr. Henry, to induce him to endeavour to prevail on some of the Sioux chiefs to accompany him to the city of Washington."

Having concluded on these arrangements, they

loo LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

busied themselves with putting their arms in order: the hunters were also sent out, and hac! good success in killing deer.

'' The Indians who had accompanied us," pro- ceeds the narrative, " proposed leaving us here, in order to seek their friends the Ootlashoots ; but we pre- vailed on them to accompany Captain Lewis a part of his route, so as to show him the shortest road to the Missouri, and in the mean time amused them with conversation, and with running races both on foot and on horseback, in both of which they proved them- selves hardy, athletic, and active. To the chief Cap- tain Lewis presented a small medal and a gun, as a reward for having guided us across the mountains: and, in return, the customary civility was observed of exchanging names, by which the former acquired the title of Yomekollick, or White Bear Skin Un- folded. The Chopunnish who had overtaken us on the 26th made us a present of an excellent horse for the good advice we had given him, and as a proof, also, of his attachment to the whites, and of his desire to be at peace with the Pahkees. The next morning,

" July 3, all our preparations being completed, we saddled our horses, and the two parties which had been so long companions now separated, with an anxious hope of soon meeting, after each had ac- complished its destined purpose.

" The nine men and five Indians who accompanied Captain Lewis proceeded in <i direction due north, down the west side of Clarke's River. Half a mile from the camp we forded Traveller's Rest Creek, and two and a half miles farther passed a western

CROSSING THE RIVER 101

branch of the river; one mile beyond this was a small creek on the eastern side, and a mile lower down, the entrance of the eastern branch of the river. This stream is from ninety to one hundred and twenty yards wide, and its waters, which are discharged |hrough two channels, were more turbid than that the main river. The latter is one hundred and fifty yards in width, and waters an extensive level plain and prairie, the lower parts of which are ornamented fyith the long-leafed pine and cotton-wood, while the lops of the hills are covered with pine, larch, and fir. We proceeded two miles farther, to a place where the Indians advised us to cross ; but, havingj no boats, and wood being scarce, four hours were spent in col- lecting sufficient timber to make three small rafts, on which, with some difficulty and danger, we passed the river. We then drove our horses into the water, and they swam to the opposite shore ; but the Indians crossed on horseback, drawing, at the same time, their baggage alongside of them, in small vessels tnade of deerskin. The whole party being now re- assembled, we proceeded three miles farther, and en- camped about sunset at a small creek. The Indians now pointed out to us a road at no great distance, which, they said, would lead up the eastern branch of Clarke's River, to another river called Cokala- hishkit, or the River of the Road to the Buffaloes, and thence to Medicine River and the Falls of the Missouri. They added, that not far from the dividing ridge of the waters of Clarke's River and the Missouri the roads forked, and, though both led to the Falls, the left-hand route was the best. The road was so well beaten that we could no longer mistake it, and, having

102 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

now shown us the way, they were anxious to go on in quest of their friends the Shakes; besides which, they feared, .by venturing farther with us, that they might encounter the Pahkees, we having in the after- noon seen the fresh track of a horse, which they be- lieved to be that of a Shalee scout. We could not insist on their remaining longer with us ; and as they had so kindly conducted us across the mountains, we were desirous of giving them a supply of provi- sions, and therefore distributed to them the half of three deer, and our hunters were ordered to go out early in the morning in hopes of adding to the stock.

" The horses suffered so dreadfully from the mos-j chetoes, that we were obliged to kindle large fires,! and place the poor animals in the midst of the smoke." * * *

" July 4. We smoked a farewell pipe with our es- timable Indian companions, who expressed the great- est regret at parting with us, which they felt the more, because of their fears, which they did not con- ceal, of our being cut off by the Pahkees. We also gave them a shirt, a handkerchief, and a small quan- tity of ammunition. The meat which they received from us they dried, and left it at this place as a stock for their homeward journey. TJrio circumstance convinced us that there was no route along Clark's River to the plains on the Columbia so near or so good as that by which we had come ; for, although these people meant to. go several days' journey down the former river to look for the Shalees, yet they intended returning home by the same pass of the mountains through which they had conducted us. This route is used also by all the nations with whom

PRAIRIE OF THE KNOBS 103

we became acquainted west of the mountains that are in the habit of visiting the plains of the Missouri ; while, on the other side, all the war-paths of the Pahkees, which run into this valley of Clarke's River, concentrate at Traveller's Rest, beyond which these people have never ventured to the west." * * *

After taking leave of their Indian friends, they proceeded up the eastern branch of Clarke's River for ten miles, when they came to the Cokalahiskit, a deep and rapid stream, sixty yards broad, empty- ing into it ; and turning up this stream in a due east course, at the distance of eight miles they encamped for the night.

The road continued to extend along this river most of the following day, during which they came to a considerable stream emptying into it from the north, which they called Werner's Creek ; and, after making a distance of twenty eight miles, they encamped near the entrance to another creek, to which they gave the name of Seaman's Creek. The country through which they passed consisted of plains and prairies.

"July 6. At sanrise," proceeds the Journal, "we continued our course eastward along the river. At seven miles' - distance we passed the north fork of the Cokalahiskit, a deep and rapid stream, forty- five yards in width, and, like the main branch itself, somewhat turbid, though the other streams of this country are clear. Seven miles farther the river enters the mountains, and here end the extensive prairies on this side, though they widen in their course towards the southeast, and form an Indian route to Dearborn's River, and thence to the Missouri. From the multitude of knobs irregularly scattered

M. of H.— XXIX— 19

104 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

through this country, Captain Lewis called it the Prairie of the Knobs. It abounds in game, as we saw goats, deer, great numbers of the burrowing squir- rels, some curlews, bee-martins, woodpeckers, plover, robins, doves, ravens hawks, ducks, a variety of sparrows, and yesterday observed swans on Werner's Creek. Among the plants we observed the southern wood, and two other species of shrubs, of which we preserved specimens." * * ''•'

" July 7. We proceeded through a beautiful plain," says the Journal, " on the north side of the river, which seemed here to abound in beaver. On the low grounds there was much timber, and the hills were covered chiefly with pitch pine, that of the long- leafed kind having disappeared since we left the Prairie of the Knobs. At the distance 'of twelve miles we left the river, or rather the creek, and having for four miles crossed two ridges in a direction north 15° east, again struck to the right, proceeding through a narrow bottom covered with low willows and grass, and abundantly supplied with both deer and beaver. After travelling seven miles we reached the foot of a ridge, which we ascended in a direction north 45° east, through a low gap of easy ascent from the west- ward ; and, on descending it, were delighted at dis- covering that this was the dividing ridge between the waters of the Columbia and those of the Missouri. From this gap Fort Mountain is about twenty miles in a northeastern direction. We now wound through the hills and mountains, passing several rivulets which ran to the right, and at the distance of nine miles from the gap encamped, having made thirty-two miles. We procured some beaver, and this morning

FIRST APPEARANCE OF BUFFALO 105

saw tracks of buffalo, from which it appears that those animals do sometimes penetrate a short distance among the mountains.

" July 8. At three miles from our camp we reached a stream issuing from the mountains to the south- west. It contains water only for a width of thirty feet, but its bed is more than three times that breadth, and from the appearance of the roots and trees in the neighbouring bottom, its current must sometimes run with great violence : we called it Dearborn's River. Half a mile farther we observed from a height the Shishequaw Mountain, a high, insulated eminence of a conical form, standing several miles in advance of the eastern range of the Rocky Mountains, and then about eight miles from us, and immediately on our road, which was in a northwest direction. But, as our object was to strike Medicine River, and hunt down to its mouth, we determined to leave the road, and therefore proceeded due north, through an open plain, till we reached Shishequaw Creek, a stream about twenty yards wide, with a considerable quan- tity of timber on its low grounds. Here we halted and dined; and now felt, by the luxury of our food, that we were approaching once more the plains of the Missouri, so rich in game. We saw a great number of deer, goats, and wolves, and some barking squir- rels, and for the first time caught a distant prospect of two buffalo. After dinner we followed the Shishe- quaw for six and a half miles, to its entrance into Medicine River, and along the banks of this river for eight miles, when we encamped on a large island. The bottoms continued low, level, and extensive : the plains, too, were level ; but the soil of neither was

106 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

fertile, as it consisted of a light-coloured earth inter- mixed with a proportion of gravel : the grass in both was generally about nine in,ches high. Captain Lewis here shot a large wolf, remarkable for being almost white. We had made twenty-eight miles." * * *

It rained the whole of the next day, and they ad- vanced but eight miles, over extensive bottom lands tolerably well supplied with the narrow-leafed cotton- wood.

" July 10. We set out early, and proceeded through a country similar to that of yesterday, with wide- leafed cottonwood occasionally along the borders of the bottoms, though for the most part the low grounds were without timber. In the plains were great quan- tities of two species of prickly pear, then in bloom. Gooseberries of the common red kind were in abun- dance, and just beginning to ripen, but there were no currants. The river had now widened to a hundred yards ; was deep ; crowded with islands, and in many parts rapid. At the distance of seventeen miles the timber disappeared totally from the bottoms. About this time the wind, which had before blown on our backs, and put the elk on their guard, shifted round, and we shot three of them and a brown bear. Captain Lewis halted to skin them, while two of the men took the pack-horses forward to seek for a place to encamp. It was nine o'clock before he overtook them, at the distance of seven miles, in the first grove of cotton- wood. They had been pursued as they came along by a very large bear, on which they were afraid to fire, lest their horses, .being unaccustomed to the re- port of a gun, might take fright and throw them. This circumstance reminded us of the ferocity of these

HUNTING THE BUFFALO 107

animals when we were before near this place, and ad- monished us to be very cautious. We saw vast num- 'bers of buffalo below us, which kept up a dreadful bellowing during the night. With all our exertions" we were unable to advance more than twenty-four miles, owing to the miry state of the ground, occa- sioned by the rain. The next morning, however,

" July 11, was fair, and enlivened by multitudes of birds, which sang delightfully in the clusters of cottonwood. The hunters were sent down Medicine River in pursuit of elk, while Captain Lewis crossed the high plain, in a direction of 75° east, to White Bear Island, a distance of eight miles, and here they joined him. They had seen some elk; but in this neighbourhood the buffalo were in such numbers, that on a moderate computation there could not have been fe\ver than ten thousand within a circuit of two miles. At this season they are heard bellowing in every di- rection, so as to form an almost continual roar, which at first alarmed our horses, which, being from the west of the mountains, were unaccustomed to the noise and appearance of these animals. Among the smaller game were the brown thrush, pigeons, doves, and a beautiful bird called the buffalo-pecker.

" Immediately on our arrival we began to hunt, and by three in the afternoon had collected a stock of food and hides sufficient for our purpose. We then made two canoes, one in the form of a basin, like those used by the Mandans, the other consisting of two skins, in a form of our own invention. They were completed the next morning,

" July 12 ; but the wind continued so high that it was not till towards night that we could cross the

108 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

river in them. In the mean time nearly the whole day was consumed in seeking after our horses, which had disappeared during the night; and seven of them were not recovered at dark, Drewyer being still in quest of them." * * *

" July 13. We formed our camp this morning at our old station, near the head of White Bear Island, and immediately set to work in making gear. On opening the cache, we found the bearskins entirely destroyed by the water, which in the flood of the river had penetrated to them. All the specimens of plants, too, were unfortunately lost; the chart of the Mis- souri, however, still remained unhurt, and several articles contained in trunks and boxes had suffered but little injury; but a vial of laudanum had lost it? stopper, and the liquid had run into a drawer of medi- cines, which it spoiled beyond recovery. The mosche- toes were so troublesome that it was impossible even to write without a moschetobier. The buffalo are leav- ing us fast, on their way to the southeast.

" July 14. We continued making preparations for transporting our articles, and, as the old deposit was too damp, we secured the trunks on a high scaffold, covered with skins, among the thick brush on a largo island: a precaution against the Indians, should they visit us before the main party arrived. The carriage wheels were in good order, and the iron frame of the boat had not suffered marterially. The buffalo had now nearly disappeared, leaving behind them a num- ber of large wolves who were prowling about us.

" July 15. To our great joy, Drewyer now return- ed from his long search after the horses; for we had concluded from his protracted stay that he had

ADVENTURE OF ONE OF THE PARTY 109

ably met with a bear, and with his usual intrepidity attacked the animal, in which case, if by any accident he had been separated from his horse, his death was almost inevitable. Under this impression, we had resolved to set out in quest of him, when his return relieved us from our apprehensions. He had search- ed for two days before he discovered that the horses had crossed Dearborn's River, near a spot where there was an Indian encampment, which seemed to have been abandoned about the time the animals were stol- en, and around which so much caution had been used, that no trace of a horse was to be seen within the dis- tance of a quarter of a mile. He crossed the river and pursued the track of these Indians westward, till his horse became so much fatigued that he despaired of overtaking them, and then returned. These Indians were supposed to be a party of Tushepaws, who had ventured out of the mountains to hunt buffalo.

" During the day we were engaged in drying meat and dressing skins. At night M'Neal, who had been sent in the morning to examine the cache at the lower end of the portage, returned, but had been prevented from reaching that place by a singular adventure. Just as he arrived near Willow Run, he approached a thicket of brush in which was a white bear, which he did not discover until he was within ten feet of him ; when his horse started, and, wheeling suddenly round, threw him almost immediately under the animal. M'Neal started up instantly, and, finding the bear rais- ing himself on his hind feet to attack him, struck him on the head with the butt end of his musket. The blow was so violent that it broke the breech of the musket and knocked the bear to the ground ; and, be-

no LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

fore he recovered, M'Neal sprang into a willow-tree which he saw close by, and remained there, while the bear closely guarded the foot of it, till late in the after- noon. He then went off, when M'Neal came down, and, having found his horse, which had strayed to the distance of two miles, returned to camp. These ani- mals are, indeed, terribly ferocious ; and it is matter of wonder that in all our encounters with them we should have had the good fortune to escape unhurt. We were now troubled with another enemy, not quite so dangerous, though even more disagreeable: these were the moschetoes, which swarmed around us in such myriads that we frequently got them into our throats when breathing, and the dog howled with the torture they occasioned. Having now accomplished the object of our stay, Captain Lewis determined to leave Sergeant Gass, with two men and four horses, to assist the party who were expected, in carrying our effects over the portage, while he, with Drewyer, the two Fields, and six horses, proceeded to the sources of Maria's River. Accordingly, early in the morning,

" July 16, he descended in a skin canoe to the lower side of Medicine River, where the horses had previ- ously been sent, and then rode with his party to the fall of forty-seven feet, where he halted for two hours to dine, and took a sketch of the cascade. In the after- noon they proceeded to the Great Falls, near which they slept, under a shelving rock, with a happy ex- emption from moschetoes. These falls had lost much of their grandeur since they were before seen, - the river being now much lower, though they still formed a most sublime spectacle. As we came along we met several white bears, but they did not venture to at-

TANSY RIVER ill

tack us. There were but few buffalo, however, they having principally passed the river, and directed their course downward. As usual, there were great num- bers of goats and antelopes dispersed over the plains, and we saw large flocks of geese, which raised their young about the entrance of Medicine River. We ob- served here, also, the cuckoo, or, as it is sometimes called, the raincraw, a bird which is not known either among or west of the Rocky Mountains.

" July 17. After taking a second draught of the Falls, Captain Lewis directed his course north 10° west, with an intention of striking Maria's River at the point to which he had ascended in 1804. The coun- try here spreads into wide level plains, swelling like the ocean, in which the eye is unattracted by the ap- pearance of a single tree or shrub, and which are di- versified only by the moving herds of buffalo. The soil consists of a light-coloured earth, inter-mixed with a large proportion of coarse gravel, without sand, and is by no means as fertile as either the plains on the Columbia, or those lower down the Missouri. When dry it cracks, and is hard and thirsty, while in its wet state it is soft and slimy like soap. The grass is nat- urally short, and at this time was still more so, from the recent passage of the buffalo." * * *

" The tribes which principally frequent this coun- try are the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie and the Blackfoot Indians, both of whom are vicious and prof- ligate rovers ; and we had, therefore, everything to fear : not only that they might steal our horses, but even our arms and baggage, if they were sufficiently strong."

After proceeding about twenty miles they came to

112 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

Tansy River, and as they would not be able to reach Maria's River before night, they encamped there.

" July 1'8. A little before sunrise," proceeds the Journal, " we started on a course north 25° west, which we continued for six miles, when we reached the top of a high plain which divides the waters of Maria and Tansy Rivers ; and a mile farther came to a creek of the former, about twenty-five yards wide, though without water except in a few pools in its bed. Down this creek we proceeded for twelve miles, through thick groves of timber on its banks, passing such immense numbers of buffalo that the whole seemed to be but a single herd. Accompanying them were multitudes of wolves, and besides these we saw some antelope and hare. After dinner we left this ; creek, which we called Buffalo Creek, and, crossing the plain for six miles, came to Maria's River, where we encamped in a grove of cottonwood on its western j side, keeping watch through the night lest we should i be surprised by the Indians."

The two following days they continued their jour- j ney up Maria's River to the distance of forty-eight miles, seeing great numbers of wild animals of differ- ent kinds, though fewer buffalo than before. The j country was spread out in level, beautiful plains, j though the soil, except on the bottoms, was of inferi- or quality.

CHAPTER VII.

Captain Lewis and his Party arrive at the Forks of Maria's River. — Alarmed by the Evidence of being in the Neighbourhood of un- friendly Indians, and distressed for Want of Provisions. — The un- favourable Weather compels them to return. — Interview with the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie. — Mutual Consternation. — Resolution of Captain Lewis. — They encamp together for the Night. — Conversation which ensues. — Conflict occasioned by the Indians attempting to seize the Rifles and Horses of the Party, in which one of the former is mortally wounded. — Captain Lewis kills another Indian, and his nar- row Escape. — Having taken four Horses belonging to the Indians, they hasten to join the Party with Captain Clarke. — Arriving near the Missouri, they are alarmed by the Sound of Rifles, which fortunately proves to be from the Party under Sergeant Ordway. — The two De- tachments thus united, leave their Horses, and descend the Missouri in Canoes. — Continue their Route down the River to join Captain Clarke. — Vast Quantities of Game seen on their Passage. — Captain Lewis accidentally Wounded by one of his own Party. — They at length join Captain Clarke.

STARTING at sunrise on the 21st, Captain Lewis and his party, after proceeding eighteen miles, came to the forks of Maria's River, the largest branch running south 75° west towards the mountains, and the other north 40° west. They followed the northern branch, believing it would lead them to the most northerly point of the river, and at the distance of thirteen miles encamped under a cliff on its banks. Ascending this branch for twenty-eight miles on the following day, they were brought within about ten

113

114 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

miles of the foot of the Rocky Mountains ; " and be- ing now able to trace distinctly," says the Journal, "that the point at which the river issues from those moun- tains was to the south of west, we concluded that we had reached its most northern point; and as we had ceased to believe that any of its branches extended as far north as the fiftieth degree of latitude, we deemed it useless to proceed farther."

They concluded to remain here two days, to take some observations and rest their horses. Being un- able to procure either game or fish, they were much distressed for want of provisions ; and their situation was rendered still more unpleasant by certain evi- dences that the Minnetarees were at no great distance from them. The weather, also, was cold and rainy, preventing their taking any observation, and detain- ing them beyond the period they had proposed to stop.

They did not start till the 26th, when, proceeding in nearly a southeast direction across the plains, at twelve miles' distance they came to a branch of Maria's River, " which," says the Journal, " we crossed, and continued along its southern side for two miles, where it is joined by another branch of nearly equal size from the southwest, and far more clear than the north branch, which is turbid, though the beds of both are composed of pebbles. We now decided on pursuing this river to its junction with the fork of Maria's River, which we had ascended, and then crossing the coun- try obliquely to Tansy River to descend that stream to its confluence with Maria's River. We therefore crossed over and descended the river, and at one mile below the junction halted to let the horses graze in a

DISCOVERY OF THE MINNETAREES 115

fertile bottom, in which were some Indian lodges that

appeared to have been inhabited during the last win- ^er » * -jf *

" At the distance of three miles we ascended the hills close to the river, while Drewyer proceeded along its valley on its opposite side. But scarcely had Cap- tain Lewis reached the high plain, when he saw, about a mile to his left, a collection of about thirty horses. He immediately halted, and by the aid of his spyglass discovered that one half of the horses were saddled, and that on the eminence above the horses there were several Indians looking down towards the river, pro- bably at Drewyer. This was a most unwelcome ^ight. Their probable numbers rendered any contest with them of doubtful issue, while to attempt to escape would only invite 'pursuit, and our horses were so bad that we must certainly be overtaken ; besides which, Drewyer could not yet be aware that the Indians were near, and if we ran he would most probably be sacri- ficed. We determined, therefore, to make the best of our situation, and advanced towards them in a friendly manner. The flag which we had brought in case of any such accident was displayed, and we continued slowly to approach them. Their attention was so en- tirely directed to Drewyer that they did not immedi- ately discover us. As soon as they did perceive us they appeared to be much alarmed, and. ran about in great confusion : some of them came down the hill and drove their horses within gunshot of the eminence, to which they then returned, as if to await our arrival. When we came within a quarter of a mile, one of them mounted and rode at full speed to meet us ; but at the distance of a hundred paces he halted, and

116 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

Captain Lewis, who had alighted to receive him, held out his hand and beckoned to him to approach: he looked at us for some time, and then, without saying a word returned to his companions with as much haste as he advanced. The whole party now descended the hill and rode towards us. As yet we saw only eight, but presumed that there must be more behind them, as there were other horses saddled. We, however, advanced, and Captain Lewis now told his two men that he feared these were the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie, who, from their infamous character, would in all probability attempt to rob us; but that, being de- termined to die rather than lose his papers and instru- ments, he had made up his mind to resist to the last extremity, and advised them to do the same, and to be on the alert should there be any disposition to attack us.

" When the two parties came within a hundred yards of each other, all the Indians except one halted; Captain Lewis therefore ordered his two men to stop while he advanced alone ; and, after shaking hands with the Indian, he went on, and did the same with the oth- ers in the rear, the foremost Indian at the same time shaking hands with the two men. They all now came up, and, after alighting, the Indians asked to smoke with us. Captain Lewis, who was very anxious for Drewyer's safety, told them that the man who had gone down the river had the pipe, and requested, as they had seen him, that one of them should accompany Fields to bring him back. To this they assented, and Fields went with a young Indian in search of Drew- yer. Captain Lewis now asked them by signs if they were the Minnetarees of the north, and was sorry to

INTERVIEW WITH THE MINNETAREES 117

learn by their answer that his suspicions were too true. He then inquired if there was any chief among them. They pointed out three ; but, though he did not believe them, he thought it best to please them, and gave to one a flag, to another a medal, and to a third a handkerchief. They appeared to be well satisfied with these presents, and soon entirely recovered from the agitation into which our first interview had thrown them ; for they were, in fact, more alarmed than we were at the first meeting. In turn, however, we be- came equally satisfied, on seeing that they were not joined by any more companions ; for we considered ourselves quite a match for eight Indians, particularly as only two of them had guns, the rest being armed with eye-dogs and bows and arrows.

" As it was growing late, Captain Lewis proposed that they should encamp together near the river; for he was glad to see them, and had a great deal to say to them. They assented; and being soon joined by Drewyer, we proceeded towards the river and after descending a very steep bluff, two hundred and fifty feet high, encamped in a small bottom. Here the In- dians formed a large semicircular tent of dressed buf- falo skins, in which the two parties assembled, and by the help of Drewyer the evening was spent in con- versation. The Indians informed us that they were a part of a large band, which at present lay encamped on the main branch of Maria's River, near the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and at the distance of a day and a half's journey from this place. Another numerous party were hunting buffalo near the Broken Moun- tains, from which they would proceed in a few days to the north of Maria's River. With the first of these

113 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

there was a white man. They added, that from this place to the establishment at which they traded on the Saskashawan was only six day's easy march, that is, such a day's journey as could be made with their women and children; so that we computed the distance at one hundred and sixty miles. There they carry wolfskins and some beaver, and exchange them for guns, ammunition, blankets, spirituous liquors, and other articles of Indian traffic.

" Captain Lewis, in turn, informed them that he had come from a great distance up the large river which runs towards the rising sun, and that he had been as far as the great lake where the sun sets ; that he had seen many nations, the greater part of whom were at war with each other, but that by his mediation they had made peace, and all of them had been invited to come and trade with him east of the mountains; that he was now on his way home, but had left his companions at the Falls while he came in search of the Minnetarees, in the hope of inducing them also to live at peace with their neighbours, and to visit the trading houses which were about to be established at the entrance of Maria's River. They said that they were anxious to be at peace with the Tushepaws, but that those people had lately killed a number of their relations, as they proved by pointing to several of the party who had their hair cut as a mark of mourn- ing. They were equally willing, they added, to come down and trade with us. Captain Lewis therefore proposed that they should send some of their young men to invite all their band to meet us at the mouth of Maria's River, and that the rest of the party should go with us to that place, where he hoped to find his

CONFLICT WITH THE MINNETAREES no

men, offering them, at the same time, ten horses and some tobacco if they would accompany us. To this, however, they made no reply. Finding them very fond of the pipe, Captain Lewis, who was desirous of keep- ing a vigilant watch during the night, smoked with them until a late hour, and, as soon as they were all asleep, he awoke R. Fields, and ordering him to arouse us all in case any Indian left the camp, as they would probably attempt to steal our horses, he lay down by the side of Drewyer in the tent with all the Indians, while the two Fields were stretched near the fire at the mouth of it.

" July 27. The Indians got up at sunrise and crowded round the fire, near which J. Fields, who was then on watch, had carelessly left his rifle, by the head of his brother, who was still asleep. One of the In- dians slipped behind him, and, unperceived, took his brother's and his own rifle, while at the same time two others seized those of Drewyer and Captain Lewis. As soon as Fields turned round he saw the Indian run- ning off with the rifles, and instantly calling his brother, they pursued him for fifty or sixty yards, and just as they overtook him, in the scuffle R. Fields stab- bed him through the heart with his knife : he ran about fifteen steps and fell dead. They now hastened back with their rifles to the camp. The moment the fellow touched his gun, Drewyer, who was awake, jumped up and wrested it from him. The noise awoke Captain Lewis, who instantly started from the ground, and reached to seize his gun ; but, finding it gone, he drew a pistol from his belt, and turning about, saw an Indian running off with it. He followed him and ordered him to lay it down, which he was doing, just as the two

M. of H.— XXIX— 20

120 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

.

Fields came up and were taking aim to shoot him ; when Captain Lewis ordered them not to fire, as the Indian did not appear to intend any mischief. He dropped the gun, and was going off slowly, when Drewyer came out and asked permission to kill him ; but this Captain Lewis forbade, as he had not at- tempted to shoot us. But, finding that the Indians were now endeavouring to drive off all our horses, he ordered the men to follow the main party who were chasing the horses up the river, and to fire instantly upon the thieves ; while he, without taking time to run for his shot-pouch, pursued the fellow who had stolen his gun and another Indian, who were driving away the horses on the left of the camp. He pressed them so closely that they left twelve of their own horses, but continued to drive off one of ours. At the distance of three hundred paces they entered a steep niche in the river bluffs, when Captain Lewis, being too much out of breath to pursue them any farther, called out, as he had done several times before, that unless they gave up the horses he would shoo't them. As he raised his gun one of them jumped behind a rock, and spoke to the other, whom stopping at a distance of thirty paces, Captain Lewis shot in the belly. He fell on his knees and right elbow, but, raising himself a little, fired, and then crawled behind a rock. The shot had nearly proved fatal ; for Captain Lewis, who was bareheaded, felt the wind of the ball very distinctly. Not having his shot-pouch, he could not reload his rifle; and, hav- ing only a single charge also for his pistol, he thought it most prudent not to attack them farther, and retired j slowly to the camp. He was met by Drewyer, whr, hearing the report of the guns, had come to his assist-

THEY HASTEN THEIR JOURNEY 121

ance, leaving the Fields to follow the other Indians. Captain Lewis ordered him to call out to them to desist from the pursuit, as we could take the horses of the In- dians in place of our own; but they were at too great a distance to hear him. He therefore returned to the camp, and while he was saddling the horses the Fields returned with four of our own, having followed the Indians until two of them swam the river and two oth- ers ascended the hills, so that the horses became dis- persed.

" We were, on the whole, rather gainers by the con- test, for we had taken four of the Indian horses, and lost only one of our own. Besides these, we found in the camp four shields, two bows with quivers, and one of their guns, which we took with us, and also the flag we had presented to them : the medal we left round the neck of the dead man, that they might be informed who we were. The rest of their baggage, except some buf- falo meat, we did not disturb ; and as there was no time to be lost, we mounted our horses, and, after ascending the river hills, took our course through the beautiful level plains in a direction a little to the south of east. We had no doubt but we should be immediately pur- sued by a much larger party, and that, as soon as intel- ligence was given to the band near the Broken Moun- tains, they would hasten to the mouth or Maria's River to intercept us. We hoped, however, to be there before them, so as to form a junction with our friends. We therefore pushed our horses as fast as we possibly could (and, fortunately for us, the Indian horses proved very good), the plains being perfectly level, without many stones or prickly pears, and in fine order for trav- elling after the late rains. At eight miles from our

122 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

eamp we passed a stream forty yards wide, to which, from the occurrence of the morning, we gave the name of Battle River. At three o'clock we reached Rose River, five miles above where we had formerly passed it ; and having now come by estimate sixty-three miles, we halted for an hour and a half to refresh our horses, then pursued our journey seventeen miles farther, when, as the night came on, we killed a buffalo, and again stopped for two hours. The sky was now over- cast, but as the moon gave light enough to show us the route, we continued along through immense herds of buffalo for twenty miles, and then, almost exhausted with fatigue, halted at two in the morning,

" July 28, to rest ourselves and the horses. At day- light we awoke, sore, and scarcely able to stand ; but as our own lives, as well as those of our companions, depended on our pressing forward, we again mounted our horses and set out. The men were desirous of crossing the Missouri at Grog Spring, where Rose River approaches it so nearly that by passing down the southwest side of it we might avoid the country at the junction of the two rivers, across which the enemy would most probably pursue us. But as this circuitous route would consume the whole day, and the Indians might in the mean time attack the canoes at the point, Captain Lewis stated to his party that it was now their duty to risk their lives for their friends and companions ; that they should therefore proceed imme- diately to the point to give them the alarm ; and if they had not yet arrived there, they would raft the Missouri, and, after hiding the baggage, ascend the river on foot through the woods till they should meet them. He told them, also, that it was his determination, in case

CACHE, CAVED IN 123

they were attacked in crossing the plains, to tie the bridles of the horses, and stand together till they had either routed their enemies, or sold their lives as dearly as possible. To this they all assented, and we therefore continued our route to the eastward, till at the distance of twelve miles we came near the Missouri, when we heard a noise which seemed like the report of a gun. We therefore quickened our pace for eight miles far- ther, and, being about five miles from Grog Spring, now heard distinctly the noise of several rifles from the river. We hurried to the bank, and saw with exquisite satisfaction our friends descending the river. They landed to greet us, and after turning our horses loose, we embarked with our baggage, and went down to the spot where we had made a deposit. This, after recon- noitring the adjacent country, we opened; but, unfor- tunately, the cache had caved in, and most of the articles were injured. We took whatever was still worth pre- serving, and immediately proceeded to the point, where we found our deposits in good order. By a singular good fortune, we were here joined by Sergeant Gass and Willard from the Falls, who had been ordered to come with the horses here to assist in procuring meat for the voyage, as it had been calculated that the canoes would reach this place much sooner than Captain Lewis's party. After a very heavy shower of rain and hail, attended with violent thunder and lightning, we started from the point, and giving a final discharge to our horses, went over to the island where we had left our red pirogue, which, however, we found much de- cayed, and we had no means of repairing her. We therefore took all of the iron work out of her, and, proceeding down the river fifteen miles, encamped near

124 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

some cottonwood-trees, one of which was of the nar- row-leafed species, and the first of that kind we had remarked in ascending the river.

" Sergeant Ordway's party, which had left the mouth of Madison River on the 13th, had descended in safety to White Bear Island, where he arrived on the 10th, and, after collecting the baggage, had left the falls on the '37th in the white pirogue and five canoes, while Sergean^ Gass and Willard set out at the same time by land with the horses, and thus fortunately met together."

They started the next morning, notwithstanding a violent storm of rain and hail, having first sent two canoes ahead for the purpose of hunting elk and buffalo, which were in immense numbers. The river was high and the current rapid, and they continued their voy- age downward for several days, at the rate, when the weather would permit, of sixty or seventy miles a day, passing the mouths of the Muscleshell, Big Dry, Little Dry, and Porcupine Rivers in their descent.

" August ?'. Being resolved," proceeds the Jour- nal, " to reach, if possible, the Yellowstone, a distance of eighty-three miles, in the course of the day, we set out early, and, being favoured by a rapid current and good oarsmen, proceeded with great speed. In pass- ing Martha's River, we observed that its mouth was at present a quarter of a mile lower than it had been last year. Here we perceived the first appearance of coal- burned hills and pumice-stone, which seem always to accompany each other. At this place, also, were the first elms and dwarf cedars, on the bluffs of the river. The ash, too, made its first appearance in a solitary tree at the Ash Rapid, but was seen occasionally scat-

PASSAGE DOWN THE MISSOURI 125

tered through the low grounds at the Elk Rapid, and thence downward, though it was generally small. The whole country on the northeast side, between Martha and Milk Rivers, is a beautiful level plain, with a soil much more fertile than that higher up. The buffalo, elk, and other animals still continued numerous, as were also the bear, who lie in wait at the crossing places, where they seize elk and the weaker cattle, and then stay by the carcass to keep off the wolves till the whole is devoured. At four o'clock we reached the mouth of the Yellowstone, where we iound a note from Captain Clarke, informing us of his intention of waiting for us a few miles below. We therefore left a memo- randum for two of our huntsmen, who had been sent out, and who, we now supposed, must be behind us, and then pursued our course till night came on, when, not being able to overtake Captain Clarke, we en- camped."

The next day they proceeded nearly to the mouth of Whiteearth River without meeting Captain Clarke, and not knowing what to think of it, they landed and re- mained for two days, during which they employed themselves in caulking and repairing their canoes, and in preparing skins for clothing.

" August 11. Being anxious," continues the nar- rative, " to reach the Burned Hills by noon, in order to determine their latitude, we went forward with great rapidity, but by the time we reached that place it was twenty minutes too late to take a meridian altitude. Captain Lewis observing on the opposite side of the river a herd of elk on a sand-bar covered with willows, landed with Cruzatte to hunt them. Each of them fired and shot an elk. They then reloaded, and took differ-

126 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ent routes in pursuit of the game, when, just as Cap- tain Lewis was taking aim at an elk, a ball struck him in the left thigh, about an inch below the hipjoint, and missing the bone, passed through the limb, and grazed the other to some depth. It instantly occurred to him that Cruzatte, whose eyesight was not very good, must have shot him in mistake for an elk, as he was dressed in brown leather. He therefore called out that he was wounded, and looked towards the place from which the shot came : seeing nothing, however, he called on Cru- zatte by name several times, but received no answer. As, then, his companion was out of hearing, and the shot appeared not to have come from more than forty paces' distance, he now concluded that it must have been fired by an Indian; and not knowing how many might be concealed in the bushes, he made towards the pirogue, calling out to Cruzatte to retreat, as there were Indians in the willows. As soon as he reached the pirogue, he ordered the men to arms, and stating to them that he had been wounded by the Indians, though he hoped not mortally, bade them follow him to re- lieve Cruzatte. They instantly followed for a hundred paces, when his wound became so painful, and his thigh stiffened in such a manner, that he could go no farther. He therefore ordered the men to proceed, and if they should be overpowered by numbers, to retreat towards the boats, keeping up a continual fire ; then limping back to the pirogue, he made ready his rifle, pistol, and air-gun, determined to sell his life dearly in case the men should be overcome. In this state of anxiety and suspense he remained for about twenty minutes, when the party returned with Cruzatte, and reported that no Indians were to be seen in the neighbourhood.

LEWIS ACCIDENTALLY WOUNDED 12?

Cruzatte was now much alarmed, and declared that he had shot at an elk, as he supposed, after Captain Lewis had left him, but disclaimed all idea of having inten- tionally wounded his officer. There was now no doubt but the shot had come from him ; yet, as it seemed to be perfectly accidental, and he had always conducted himself with propriety, no further notice was taken of it. The wound was dressed, and patent lint put into the holes. It bled considerably, but as the ball had touched no bone or artery, it was hoped it would not prove fatal. As it was now rendered impossible for him, however, to take the observations he had pro- posed, to determine the latitude of the Burned Hills, which was chiefly desirable from their being at the most northern point of the Missouri, he declined re- maining till the next day, and proceeded on till even- ing. As he could not now be removed without great pain, and had a high fever, he remained on board dur- ing the night, and early next morning,

" August 12, we proceeded on with as much expe- dition as possible. Soon after starting we went on shore to visit a camp, which we found to be that of Dickson and Hancock, the two Illinois traders, who told us that they had seen Captain Clarke the day be- fore. While stopping here we were overtaken by our two hunters, Colter and Collins, who had been missing since the 3d. They stated that, after following us the first day, they concluded we must be behind, and waited for us several days, until they became convinced of their mistake, when they came on as rapidly as they could. We made some presents to the two traders, and then proceeded till one o'clock, when we joined our friends and companions under Captain Clarke."

CHAPTER VIII.

Tbe Party commanded by Captain Clarke proceed along Clarke's River. — Their sorry Commemoration of the 4th of July. — Instance of Saca- jawea's Strength of Memory. — Description of the River and of the surrounding Country, as the Party proceed. — Horses missing, and supposed to be stolen by the Indians. — They reach Wisdom River. — Extraordinary Heat of a Spring. — Fondness of the Party for Tobacco. — Sergeant Ordway recovers the Horses. — Captain Clarke divides his Party, one detachment to descend the River. — They reach Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers. — Arrive at the Yellowstone River. — Otter and Beaver Rivers. — Indian Fortification. — One of the Party accidentally wounded. — Engaged in building Canoes. — Twenty-four Horses stolen, probably by the Indians.

' T ULY 3. On taking leave of Captain Lewis and the Indians, the division under Captain Clarke, J consisting of fifteen men, with fifty horses, set ut through the valley of Clarke's River, along the western side of which they rode in a southern direction. This valley is from ten to fifteen miles in width, toler- ably level, and partially covered with the long-leafed and the pitch pine, with some cottonwood, birch, and sweet willow on the borders of the streams." * * * " After crossing eight different streams of water, four of which were small, they halted at the distance of eighteen miles, on the upper side of a large creek, where they let their horses graze, and after dinner continued their journey in the same direction eighteen miles far-

128

DETERMINING THE BEST ROUTE 129

ther, when they encamped on the north side of a large creek. The valley became more beautiful as they ad- vanced, and was diversified by a number of small open plains, abounding with grass and a variety of sweet- scented plants, and watered by ten streams rushing from the western mountains with considerable velocity. These mountains were covered with snow about one fifth of their way from the top, and some snow was still to be seen on the high points, and in the hollows of the mountains to the eastward."

The following day they continued their route up the valley, which became narrower as they advanced. They were obliged to ford several rapid creeks on their way, and at the distance of thirty miles encamped on the western branch of Clarke's River. Crossing the river the next morning, after proceeding one mile they came to its eastern branch, which they ascended to the foot of the mountain; and, having ascertained that it took its rise in a high, peaked mountain about twenty miles to the northeast of the valley, they stopped for the night. " As soon as they halted," proceeds the nar- rative, " several men were dispatched in different direc- tions to examine the road, and from their report it was concluded that the best path would be one about three miles up the stream. This was the road travelled by the Ootlashoots, and would certainly shorten the route two days at least, besides being much better, as they had been informed by the Indians, than tjiat by which we had advanced in the fall.

" July 6. The night was very cold, succeeded by frost in the morning ; and as the horses were much scat- tered, the party were not able to set out before nine o'clock. They then went along the stream for three

130 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

f

miles, and leaving to the right the path by which they had come in the fall, followed the road taken by the Ootlashoots, up a gentle ascent to the dividing moun- tain which separates the waters of the middle fork of Clarke's River from those of Wisdom and Lewis Riv- ers. On reaching the other side they came to Glade Creek, down which they proceeded, crossing it fre- quently into the glades on each side, where the timber was small, and in many places destroyed by fire : there were great quantities of quamash then in bloom. Throughout the glades were great numbers of holes made by the whistling or burrowing squirrel ; and they killed a hare of the large mountain species. Along these roads there were also appearances of old buffalo paths, and some old heads of buffaloes; and as these animals evince wonderful sagacity in the choice of their routes, the coincidence of a buffalo with an In- dian track affords the strongest evidence that it is the best. In the afternoon they passed along the hill side, north of the creek, for six miles, when they entered an extensive level plain. Here the Indian tracks scat- tered so much that they were wholly at a loss which to follow; but Sacajaweah recognised the plain imme- diately. She had travelled it often during her child- hood, and informed them that it was greatly resorted to by the Shoshonees, who came here for the purpose of gathering quamash and of taking beaver, with which the plain abounded ; that Glade Creek was a branch of Wisdom River, and that, on reaching the more elevated part of the plain, they would see a gap in the moun- tains, on the route to the canoes, and from that gap the high point of a mountain covered with snow. At the distance of a mile they passed over a large creek

VALUABLE HORSES MISSING iai

from the right ; also Fish Creek, coming from a snowy mountain, across which there was a gap. Soon after, on ascending some rising ground, the country spread itself into a beautiful plain, extending north and south about fifteen miles wide and thirty in length, and sur- rounded on all sides by high points of mountains cov- ered with snow, among which was the gap pointed out by the squaw, bearing south 56° east. They had not gone two miles from the last creek when they were overtaken by a violent storm of wind, accompanied by a heavy fall of rain, which lasted an hour and a half. Having no shelter, they formed a solid column to pro- tect themselves from the gust, and then went on five miles to a small creek, where, finding some wood, they encamped for the night, and dried themselves. Here they observed fresh signs of Indians, who had been gathering quamash. Their distance was twenty-six miles. In the morning,

"July 7, their horses were so much scattered, that, although they sent out hunters to range the country in every direction for six or eight miles, nine of them were still missing. They were the most valuable ones of all, and so much attached to some of their compan- ions that it was difficult to separate them in the day- time. It was therefore concluded that they must have been stolen by some roving Indians, and, accordingly, a party of five men was left to continue the pursuit, while the rest went on to a spot where the canoes had been deposited. They set out at ten o'clock, and pursued a course south 50° east across the valley, which they found to be watered by four large creeks, with exten- sive, low, miry bottoms, till they reached Wisdom River, along the northeast side of which they con-

132 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

tinued, when, at the distance of sixteen miles, they came to the three branches. Near that place they stop- 'ped for dinner at a hot spring situated in the open plain. The bed of the spring is about fifteen yards in circumference, and composed of loose, hard, gritty stones, through which the water boils in large quan- tities. It is slightly impregnated with sulphur, and so hot that a piece of meat, about the size of three fingers, was completely done in twenty-five minutes. After dinner they proceeded across the eastern branch and along the north side of the middle branch for nine miles, when they reached the gap in the mountain^, and took a final leave of this extensive valley, which they called the Hot-spring Valley. It is, indeed, a beauti- ful country : though enclosed by mountains covered with snow, the soil is exceedingly fertile, and well sup- plied with esculent plants, while its numerous creeks furnish immense quantities of beaver. Another valley less extensive and more rugged opened itself to their view as they passed through the gap ; but, as they had made twenty-five miles, and the night was advancing, they halted near some fine springs which fall into Wil- lard's Creek. After a cold night, during which their horses separated and could not be collected till eight o'clock in the morning,

" July 8, they crossed the valley along the south- west side of Willard's Creek for twelve miles, when it entered the mountains, and then, turning S. 20° E., they came to the Shoshonee Cove, after riding seven miles ; thence they proceeded down the west branch of Jefferson River, and at the distance of nine miles reached its forks, where we had deposited our mer- chandise in the month of August. Most of the men

FONDNESS OF THE MEN FOR TOBACCO 133

i

were in the habit of chewing tobacco; and such was their eagerness to procure it after so long a privation, that they scarcely waited to take the saddles from their horses before they ran eagerly to the cave, and were delighted at being able to resume this fascinating in- dulgence. This, indeed, was one of the most trying privations they had encountered. Some of the men, whose tomahawks were formed as to answer the pur- pose of pipes, even broke the handles of these weapons, and chewed them ; the wood having, by frequent smok-

.. ing, become strongly impregnated with the taste of that plant. They found everything safe, though some of the goods were a little damp, and one of the canoes had a hole in it. The ride of this day was twenty-seven miles in length, through a country diversified by low, marshy grounds, and high, open, stony plains, ter- minated by lofty mountains, on the tops and along the northern sides of which the snow still remained. Over the whole were scattered great quantities of hyssop, and the different species of shrubs common to the plains of the Missouri.

" They had now crossed from Traveller's Rest Creek to the head of Jefferson's River, which seems to form the best and shortest route over the mountains during almost the whole distance of one hundred and sixty-four miles. It is, in fact, a very excellent road; and by cutting down a few trees it might be rendered a good route for wagons, with the exception of about four miles over one of the mountains, which would re- quire some leveling."

The next day was spent in raising and repairing the canoes, and in the course of it they were joined by Sergeant Ordway with the missing horses.

134 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

" July 10. This morning," says the journal, " a white frost covered the ground, the grass was frozen, and the ice three quarters of an inch thick in a basin of water. The boats were now loaded, and Captain Clarke dividing his men into two bands, one to descend the river with the baggage, while he, with the other, should proceed on horseback to the Yellowstone. After break- fast the two parties set out, those on shore skirting the eastern side of Jefferson River, through Service Valley, and over Rattlesnake Mountain, into a beautiful and extensive country, known among the Indians by the name of Hahnahappapelah, of Beaverhead Valley, from the number of those animals found in it, and also from a point of land resembling the head of a beaver. It extends from Rattlesnake Mountain as low as Frazier's Creek, and is about fifty miles in length in a direct line, while its width varies from ten to fifteen miles, being watered in its whole course by the Jefferson, and six different creeks. This valley is open and fertile, and, besides the vast numbers of beaver and otter on its creeks, the bushy low grounds are a favourite resort for deer, while on the higher parts of the valley were seen scattered groups of antelopes, and beyond, on the steep sides of the mountains, many of the bighorn, taking refuge there from the wolves and bears. At the distance of fifteen miles the two parties stopped to dine, when Captain Clarke, finding that the river became wider and deeper, and that the canoes could advance more rapidly than the horses, determined to proceed himself by water, leaving Sergeant Pryor, with six men, to bring on the horses. They resumed their jour- ney after dinner, and encamped on the eastern side of

GALLATIN RIVER 135

the river, opposite to the head of Three-thousand-mile Island."

The two following days they continued to descend the river, passing Philanthropy and Wisdom Rivers, and seeing great numbers of beaver as they passed along.

" July 13. Early in the morning/' continues the narrative, " they set out, and at noon reached the en- trance of Madison River, where Sergeant Pryor had arrived with the horses about an hour before ; and, having driven them across Madison and Gallatin Riv- ers, just below the mouth of the latter the party halted to dine and unload the canoes. Here they again sepa- rated ; Sergeant Ordway, with nine men, setting out in six canoes to descend the river, while Captain Clarke, with the remaining ten, the wife and child of Chaboneau, and fifty horses, were to proceed by land to the Yellowstone. They set out at five in the after- noon from the forks of the Missouri, in a direction nearly east ; but, as many of the horses had sore feet, they were obliged to move slowly, and after going four miles halted for the night on the bank of Gallatin River. This is a beautiful stream, and though rapid, and obstructed by islands near its mouth, is navigable for canoes. On its lower side the land rises gradually to the foot of the mountain, running almost parallel with it; but the country below it and the Madison River is a level plain, covered with short grass, the soil being poor, and encumbered with stones and strata of hard white rock along the hill sides. Throughout the whole, game was very abundant. They obtained deer in the low grounds ; beaver and otter were seen in Gal- latin River ; and elk, wolves, eagles, hawks, crows, and

M. of H.— XXIX— 21

136 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

geese were noticed at different points on the route. The plain was intersected by several great roads, lead- ing to a gap in the mountain about twenty miles dis- tant, in a direction E. N. E. ; but the Indian woman, who was acquainted with the country, recommended another gap more to the south, through which Cap- tain Clarke determined to proceed."

They started early the next morning, and, pursu- ing the course recommended by the squaw, came in the afternoon to the three forks of Gallatin River, and in the evening encamped at the entrance of the gap previously mentioned by her.

" July 15. After an early breakfast," says the Jour- nal, " they proceeded through this gap to the heads of the eastern fork of Gallatin River, near which they had encamped the evening before, and at the distance of six miles reached the top of the dividing ridge which separates the waters of the Missouri and the Yellowstone, on descending which ridge they struck one of the streams of the latter river. They followed its course through an open country, with pine, and watered by several streams, crowded as usual, with beaver dams. Nine miles from the summit of the ridge they reached the Yellowstone itself, about a mile and a half below where it issues from the Rocky Mountains. It now appeared that the communication between the two rivers was short and easy. The dis- tance from the head of the Missouri at its three forks to this place is forty-eight miles, the greater part of which is through a level plain : while from the forks of the eastern branch of Gallatin River, which is there navigable for small canoes, to this part of the Yellowstone, it is no more than eighteen miles, with

COUNTRY ON THE YELLOWSTONE is?

an excellent road over a high dry country, the hills being of considerable height, and easily passable. They halted for three hours to rest their horses, and then pursued the buffalo road along the bank of the river.

" Although but just emerging from a high snowy mountain, the Yellowstone is here a bold, rapid, and deep stream, one hundred and twenty yards in width. The bottoms along this course are narrow within the mountains, but widen to the extent of nearly two miles in the valley below, where they are occasion- ally overflowed, and the soil gives growth to cotton- wood, rose-bushes, honeysuckle, rushes, common coarse grass, a species of rye, and various produc- tions found on moist lands. On each side these low grounds are bordered by dry plains of coarse gravel and sand, stretching back to the foot of the moun- tains, and supplied with a very short grass. The mountains on the east side of the river are rough and rocky, and were still covered with great quan- tities of the snow : while two other high, snowy moun- tains were seen one bearing north fifteen or twenty miles, the other nearly east. They had no cover- ing except a few scattered pine, nor, indeed, could they discover any timber fit even for a small canoe." At the distance of nine miles from the mountain they passed a bold, deep stream from the northwest, discharging itself into the Yellowstone, and to which they gave the name of Shields River.

They continued their course along the river the following day, their horses being unable to travel fast in consequence of the soreness of their feet, and halted in the evening after having made twenty-six

138 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

miles. On the 17th they passed two large creeks, entering the Yellowstone nearly opposite to each other; the one coming from the northeast they called Otter, and that on the other side Beaver River. ' The river," says the Journal, " was now becoming more divided by islands, and a number of small creeks fell into it on both sides. The largest of these was about seven miles from Beaver River, entering on the right; they called it Bratton's River, from one of the men. The highlands, too, approached more nearly than be- fore ; but, although their sides were partially supplied with pine and cedar, the growth was too small for canoes. The buffalo were beginning to be more abun- dant, and for the first time on this river they saw a pelican ; but deer and elk were now more scarce than before. In one of the low bottoms of the river was an Indian fort, which seemed to have been built during the previous summer. It was in the form of a circle, about fifty feet in diameter, five feet high, and formed of logs lapped over each other, covered on the out- side with bark set on end. The entrance was guarded by a work on each side of it facing the river. These intrenchments, the squaw informed us, were fre- quently made by the Minnetarees and other Indians at war with the Shoshonees, when pursued by their enemies on horseback."

Gibson, one of the party, was so badly hurt the following day, by falling on a sharp point of wood, that he was unable to sit on his horse, and they were obliged to form a sort of litter for him, so that he could lie nearly at full length. The wound became so pafnful, however, after proceeding a short distance, that he could not bear the motion, and they left him

THE INDIANS STEAL THEIR HORSES 139

with two men, while Captain Clarke went to search for timber large enough to form canoes. He suc- ceeded in finding some trees of sufficient size for small canoes, two of which he determined to construct, and by lashing them together hoped to make them answer the purpose of conveying the party down the river, while a few of his men should conduct the horses to the Mandans. All hands, therefore, were set busily to work, and they were employed in this labour for several days. In the mean time no less than twenty- four of their horses were missing, and they strongly suspected had been stolen by the Indians for they were unable to find them, notwithstanding they made the most diligent search.

" July 23. A piece of robe and a moccasin," says the Journal, " were discovered this morning not far from the camp. The moccasin was worn out in the sole, and yet wet, and had every appearance of having been left but a few hours before. This was conclusive that the Indians had taken our horses, and were still prowling about for the remainder, which fortunately escaped last night by being in a small prairie sur- rounded by thick timber. At length Labiche, one of our best trackers, returned from a very wide circuit, and informed Captain Clarke that he had traced the horses bending their course rather down the river to- wards the open plains, and from their tracks, must have been going very rapidly. All hopes of recover- ing them were now abandoned. Nor were the In- dians the only plunderers around our camp ; for in the night the wolves or dogs stole the greater part of the dried meat from the scaffold. The wolves, which constantly attend the buffalo, were here in great num-

140 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

bers, as this seemed to be the commencement of the buffalo country." * * *

" At noon the two canoes were finished. They were twenty-eight feet long, sixteen or eighteen in- ches deep, and from sixteen to twenty four inches wide; and, having lashed them together, everything was ready for setting out the next day, Gibson having now recovered. Sergeant Pryor was directed, with Shannon and Windsor, to take the remaining horses to the Mandans, and if they should find that Mr. Henry was on the Assiniboin River, to go thither and deliver him a letter, the object of which was to prevail on the most distinguished chiefs of the Sioux to accompany him to Washington."

CHAPTER IX.

Captain Clarke proceeds down the River. — Description of an Indian Lodge. — Sergeant Pryor arrives with the Horses. — Remarkable Rock seen by Captain Clarke, and the Beauty of the Prospect from its Summit. — Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers compared. — Immense Herds of Buf- falo.— Fierceness of the White Bear. — Encamp at the Junction of the Yellowstone and Missouri. — General Outline given of the Yellowstone River. — Sufferings of the Party from the Moschetoes. — Sergeant Pryor arrives, and reports that the Horses were all stolen by the Indians. — In this Emergency they make Canoes of Skins, in which they descend the River over the most difficult Shoals and Rapids. — Unexpectedly meet with two White Men, from whom they procure Intelligence in relation to the Indians formerly visited by the Party.

J

<f ^ ULY 24. The canoes were loaded, and Sergeant Pryor and his party set out, with orders to pro- ceed down to the entrance of Bighorn River, which was supposed to be at no great distance, where they would be taken in the boats across the Yellow- stone. At eight o'clock Captain Clarke embarked, and proceeded on very steadily down the river, which contained a number of islands, some of which were supplied with a growth of small timber. At the dis- tance of a mile from the camp, the river passed along1 a high bluff for about twenty-three miles, when the bottoms widened on both sides ; and twenty-nine miles farther, a stream fell into it from the south, which was supposed to be the Bighorn; but after-

141

142 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ward, when the Bighorn was found, the name of Clarke's Fork was given to this stream. It is a bold river, one hundred and fifty yards wide at the en- trance, but a short distance above is contracted to a hundred yards. The water is of a light muddy colour, and much colder than that of the Yellow- stone, and its general course is southeasterly from the Rocky Mountains. There is a small island sit- uated immediately at its entrance, and this or the adjoining mainland would form a very good position for a fort. The country most frequented by the beaver begins here, and that which lies between this river and the Yellowstone is perhaps the best dis- trict for the hunters of that animal. About a mile before reaching this river there was a ripple in the Yellowstone, on passing which the canoes took in some water. The party therefore landed to bale out the boats, and then proceeded six miles farther to a large island, where they halted for the purpose of waiting for Sergeant Pyror. It is a beautiful spot, with a rich soil, covered with wild lye, and a spe- cies of grass like the blue grass, and some of another kind, which the Indians wear in plaits round the neck, on account of its fragrance, resembling that of the vanilla. There is also a thin growth of cottonwood. In the centre was a large Indian lodge, which seemed to have been built during the preceding summer. It was in a form of a cone, sixty feet in diameter at the base, composed of twenty poles, each forty-five feet long, and two and a half in circumference, and the whole structure covered with bushes. The interior was curiously ornamented. On the top of the poles were feathers of eagles, and circular pieces of wood,

INDIAN LODGE 143

with sticks across them in the form of a girdle. From the centre was suspended a stuffed buffalo skin ; front- ing the door was hung a cedar bush; on one side of the lodge, a buffalo's head; and on the other, several pieces of wood were stuck in the ground. From its whole appearance, it was more like a building for holding councils than an ordinary lodge. Sergeant Pryor not having yet arrived, they went on about fif- teen and a half miles farther, to a small creek on the right, to which they gave the name of Horse Creek, and just below it they overtook him with the horses. He had found it almost impossible, with two men, to drive them on; for, as soon as they discovered a herd of buffalo, the loose horses, having been trained by the Indians to hunt this animal, immediately set off in pursuit, and surrounded the herd with almost as much skill as their riders could have done. At last he was obliged to send one horseman forward, to drive all the buffalo from their route. The horses were here driven across, and Sergeant Pryor started again, with an additional man to his party." As they proceeded, the river deepened and became more navi- gable; they passed a creek coming from the southeast, which they called Pryor's Creek, and landed in the eve- ning after having made sixty-nine and a half miles.

"July 25. At sunrise they resumed their voyage, and passed a number of small islands and streams, and occasionally high bluffs, composed of a yellow gritty stone. After proceeding a short distance they were overtaken by a storm of rain, with a high south- west wind, which obliged them to land and form a sort of log hut covered with deerskins. As soon as it ceased they went on; and at about four o'clock, after

144 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

having made forty-nine miles, Captain Clarke landed to examine a very remarkable rock, situated in an ex- tensive bottom on the right, about two hundred and fifty paces from the shore. It is nearly two hundred paces in circumference, two hundred feet high, and accessible only from the northeast, the other sides consisting of perpendicular cliffs of a light-coloured gritty stone. The soil on the summit is five or six feet deep, of a good quality, and covered with short grass. The Indians have carved the figures of animals and other objects on the sides of the rock, and on the top are raised two piles of stones. From this height the eye ranged over a wide extent of variegated coun- try. On the southwest were the Rocky Mountains covered with snow; there was a low mountain about forty miles distant, in a direction north 55° west; and at the distance of thirty-five miles, the southern ex- tremity of what are called the Little Wolf Mountains. The low grounds of the river extended nearly six miles to the southward, when they rose into plains reach- ing to the mountains, and were watered by a large creek ; while at some distance below, a range of high- land, covered with pine, stretched on both sides of the river in a direction north and south. The north side of the river, for some distance, is here surrounded by jut- ting romantic cliffs, succeeded by rugged hills, beyond which the plains are, again open and extensive, and the whole country was enlivened by herds of buffalo, elk, and wolves. After enjpying the prospect from this rock, to which Captain Clarke gave the name of Pom- pey's Pillar, he descended and continued his route. At the distance of six or seven miles he stopped to secure two bighorns which had been shot from the boat ; and

BIGHORN AND YELLOWSTONE RIVERS 145

while on shore, saw, in the face of the cliff on the left, about twenty feet above the water, a fragment of the rib of a fish, three feet long and nearly three inches round, incrusted in the rock itself, and which, though neither decayed nor petrified, was very rotten. After making fifty-eight miles they reached the entrance of a stream on the right, about twenty-two yards wide, where they encamped.

" July 26. They started early the next morning. The river was now much divided by stony islands and bars, but the current, though swift, was regular, and there were many very handsome islands covered with cottonwood. On the left shore the bottoms were very extensive ; the right bank was formed of high cliffs of a whitish gritty stone ; and beyond, the country on both sides was diversified with waving plains covered with pine." * * * " At length, after coming sixty-two miles, they landed at the entrance of the Bighorn River; but finding the point between the two com- posed of soft mud and sand, and liable to be over- flowed, they ascended the Bighorn for half a mile, then crossed, and formed a camp on its lower side." * * * " At their junction the two rivers are nearly equal in breadth, extending from two hundred to two hundred and twenty yards ; but the Yellowstone con- tains much more water, being ten or twelve feet deep, while the depth of the Bighorn varies from five to seven feet. This is the river which had been described by the Indians as rising in the Rocky Mountains near the Yellowstone and the sources of the Platte, and then finding its way through the Cote Noir and the eastern range of the Rocky Mountains. In its long course it receives two large rivers, one from the north

i-iG LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

and the other from the south, and being unobstructed by falls, is navigable in canoes for a great distance, through a fine, rich, open country, supplied with a great quantity of timber, and inhabited by beaver and numerous species of other animals, among which are those from which it derives its name of Bighorn. There are no permanent settlements near it ; but the whole country watered by it is occasionally visited by roving bands of hunters of the Crow Tribe, by the Paunch In- dians, also a band of Crows, and by the Castahanas, a small band of the Snake Indians.

" July 27. They again set out very early, and on leaving the Bighorn, took a last look at the Rocky Mountains, which had been constantly in view from the 1st of May. The river now widened to the extent of from four to six hundred yards, was much divided by islands and sand-bars, and its banks were generally low and falling in, and resembled those of the Mis- souri in many particulars ; but its islands were more numerous, its waters less muddy, and its current more rapid/' * * * " Throughout the country there were vast numbers of buffalo, which kept up a continued bellowing. Large herds of elk, also, were lying on every point, and were so gentle that they might be ap- proached within twenty paces without being alarmed. Several beaver, likewise, were seen in the course of the day. Deer, however, were by no means abundant, and antelopes as well as the bighorns were scarce." They made this day eighty and a half miles, and en- camped on a large island in the evening.

" July 28. At daylight the next morning they pro- ceeded down the smooth, gentle current, passing by a number of islands, and several creeks which were now

DRY BEDS OF RIVERS U7

dry. These are, indeed, more like the beds of the dry brooks of the Missouri, merely serving to carry off the vast quantities of water that fall on the plains, and bringing down also a great deal of mud, which contributes to the discoloration of the Yellowstone. The largest of these are, at the distance of six miles, a creek eighty yards in width, coming from the north- west, and called by the Indians Little Wolf River; twenty-nine miles lower, another on the left, seventy yards in width, which they named Table Creek, from several mounds in the plains to the northwest, the tops of which resemble a table; and four miles farther, a stream of more importance, entering behind an is- land from the south. This last is about one hundred yards in width, with a bold current of muddy water, and is probably the river called by the Indians the Little Bighorn. There is also another stream on the right, twenty-five yards wide, the Indian name of which is Mashaskap. Nearly opposite to this creek they encamped, after making seventy-three miles."

The channel was now from five hundred yards to half a mile in width. They continued to pass the beds of rivers that were then dry ; and in the evening of the 29th, after making forty-one miles, they encamped op- posite to the entrance of a stream coming from the right, called by the Indians Lazeka, or Tongus River.

" July 30. They set out at an early hour, and after passing, at the distance of twelve miles, the bed of a river one hundred yards wide, but then nearly dry, reached, two miles below it, a succession of bad shoals, extending for six miles, the rock near their termina- tion stretching nearly across the river, with a descent of about three feet. At this place they were obliged to

148 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

let their canoes down by hand, for fear of their strik- ing on some concealed rock ; though, with a perfect knowledge of the shoals, a large canoe might be nav- igated down with safety. This is the most difficult part of the Yellowstone River, and they called it the Buffalo Shoal, from the circumstance of one of those animals being found there. The neighbouring cliffs on the right are about one hundred feet high, while on the left the country is low, but gradually rises, and at some distance from the shore presents the first appear- ance of burned hills to be seen on the Yellowstone." Twenty miles beyond they came to a rapid with a channel that was easily navigable on the left, and which they called Bear Rapid. They landed for the night about a mile and a half below the mouth of a stream coming in from the right, one hundred yards in width, to which they gave the name of the Redstone River, having made during the day forty-eight miles. " July 31. During the whole night," continues the Journal, " the buffalo were hovering about the camp, and excited much alarm lest they should tread on the boats and split them to pieces. They set out, as usual, and at the distance of two miles passed a rapid that was not very formidable, which they called Wolf Rapid. At this place commences a range of highlands. They have no timber, and are composed of earth of different colours, without much rock, but supplied throughout with great quantities of coal or carbon- ated wood. After passing these hills the country again opens into extensive plains, like those passed the pre- vious day, the river being diversified with islands, and having a great number of wide, but then nearly dry, brooks on either side. Thus eighteen miles below their

VAST HERDS OF BUFFALO «9

camp there was a shallow, muddy stream on the left, one hundred yards wide, and supposed to be that known among" the Indians by the name of Saasha, or Little Wolf River; five miles below, on the right, an- other, forty yards wide and four feet in depth, which, from the steep coal-banks on each side, they called Oaktaroup, or Coal River; and eighteen miles farther, a third, sixty yards in width, to which they gave the name of Gibson's River. Having made sixty-six miles, they stopped for the night; and just as they landed, perceived a white bear, which was larger than any of the party had before seen, devouring a dead buffalo on a sand-bar. Though they fired two balls into him, still he swam to the mainland and walked along the shore. Captain Clarke pursued him, and lodged two more balls in his body; he bled profusely, but still made his escape, as the night prevented them from fol- lowing him."

The next day, August 1st, they had a strong head- wind, which retarded their progress, and their situa- tion was rendered very uncomfortable by continual rain. "? The current of the river," proceeds the Journal, " was less rapid, had more soft mud, and was more ob- structed by sand-bars, and the rain had greatly in- creased the quantity of water in the brooks. Buffalo now appeared in vast numbers. A herd happened to be crossing the river ; and such was the multitude of these animals, that for a mile in length, down the river, the herd stretched as thick as they could swim, com- pletely from one side to the other, and the party were obliged to stop for an hour. They consoled them- selves for the delay by killing four of them, and then proceeded, till at the distance of forty-five miles they

150 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

reached an island, below which two other herds of buffalo, as numerous as the first, soon afterward crossed the river. * * *

" August 2. The river was now about a mile wide, less rapid, and more divided by islands, and bars of sand and mud, than heretofore ; the low grounds, too, were more extensive, and contained a greater quantity of cottonwood, ash, and willows. On the northwest was a low, level plain, and on the southeast some rug- ged hills, on which we saw, without being able to ap- proach them, some bighorns. Buffalo and elk, as well as their pursuers, the wolves, were in great numbers. On each side of the river there were several dry beds of streams, but the only one of any considerable size was one to which they gave the name of Ibex River, on the right, about thirty yards wide, and sixteen miles from their encampment of the preceding night. The bear, which had given them so much trouble at the head of the Missouri, they found equally fierce here. One of these animals, which was on a sand-bar as the boat passed, raised himself on his hind feet, and after looking at the party for a moment, plunged in and swam towards them ; but, after receiving three balls in the body, he turned and made for the shore. Towards evening they saw another enter the water to swim across ; when Captain Clarke directed the boat towards the shore, and just as the animal landed shot it in the head. It proved to be the largest female they had ever seen, and was so old that its tusks were worn quite smooth. The boats escaped with difficulty between two herds of buffalo that were crossing the river, and came near being again detained by them. Among the elk of this neighbourhood they saw an unusual number

DESCRIPTION OF THE YELLOWSTONE 151

of males, while higher up the herds consisted chiefly of females. After making eighty-four miles, they en- camped among some ash and elm trees on the right. They might be said rather to have passed the night than slept there, however, for th'e moschetoes were so troublesome that scarcely any of the party closed their eyes.

" August 3. They set out early in the morning to escape the persecution of the moschetoes. At the dis- tance of two miles they passed Field's Creek, a stream thirty-five yards wide, which enters on the right, im- mediately above a high bluff which is rapidly sinking into the river. Here Captain Clarke went ashore in pursuit of some bighorns, but the moschetoes were so numerous that he was unable to aim with certainty. He therefore returned to the canoes ; and, observing a ram of the same species soon after, he sent on shore one of the hunters, who shot it, and it was preserved as a specimen. Eight miles below Field's Creek they reached the junction of the Yellowstone and the Mis- souri, and landed at the point where they had en- camped on the 26th of April the previous year. The canoes were now unloaded, and the baggage exposed to dry, as many of the articles were wet, and some of them quite spoiled

" The Roche jaune, or Yellowstone River, according to the Indian accounts, has its remote sources in the Rocky Mountains, near the peaks of the Rio del Norte, on the confines of New Mexico, to which country there is a good road for the whole distance along the banks of the Yellowstone. Its western waters are probably connected with those of Lewis's River, while the east- ern branches approach the heads of Ctarke's River, of

M. of H.— XXIX— 22

152 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

the Bighorn, and the Platte ; so that it waters the mid- dle portion of the Rocky Mountains for several hun- dred miles, from northwest to southeast. Along its whole Course, from the point where Captain Clarke reached it to the Missouri, a distance which he com- puted at eight hundred and thirty-seven miles, it is large, and navigable for pirogues, and even batteaux, there being none of the moving sand-bars which ob- struct the navigation of the Missouri; while there is but one ledge of rocks, and this is not difficult to pass. Even its tributary streams, the Bighorn, Clarke's Fork, and Tongue River, may be ascended in boats for a con- siderable distance. The banks of the Yellowstone are low, but bold, and nowhere subject to be overflowed, except for a short distance from the mountains. The predominating colour of its waters is a yellowish brown ; while those of the Missouri, which have more mud, are of a deep drab colour. The bed of the former is chiefly composed of loose pebble, which diminish in size, however, in descending the river, till, after pass- ing the Lazeka, they cease as the river widens, and mud and sand below this form the greater part of the bottom. The current flows with a velocity constantly and equably decreasing in receding from the moun- tains. From the mountains to Clarke's Fork it may be estimated at four and a half miles an hour; thence as low as the Bighorn, at three and a half; between that and the Lazeka, at three ; from that river to the Wolf Rapid, at two and three quarter miles ; and from thence to the mouth of the river, at two miles per hour.

" The appearance and character of the country pre- sents nearly similar varieties of fertile, rich, open lands.

TRADING POST ON YELLOWSTONE 153

Above Clark's Fork it consists of high waving plains, bordered by stony hills, partially covered with pine : the middle portion, as low as Buffalo Shoal, contains less timber, and the number of trees diminishes in pro- ceeding lower down, till, where the river widens, the country spreads itself into extensive plains. Like all the branches of the Missouri which penetrate the Rocky Mountains, the Yellowstone and its tributary streams within the district of country beyond Clarke's Fork abound in beaver and otter: a circumstance which strongly recommends the mouth of the latter river as a judicious position for a trading estab- lishment. To such an establishment at that point, the Shoshonees both from within and westward of the Rocky Mountains would willingly resort, as they would be farther from the Blackfoot Indians and the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie than in trading with any factories on the Missouri. The same motive of personal safety would probably induce many of the tribes on the Columbia and Lewis Rivers to prefer this place to the mouth of Maria's River, at least for some years ; and as the Crow and Paunch Indians, the Castahanas, and the Indians residing south of Clarke's Fork, would also be induced to visit it, this position might be considered as one of the best points for the western fur-trade. The adjacent country, too, possesses a sufficiency of timber, an advantage which is not found anywhere between Clarke's Fork and the Rocky Moutains. * * *

" August 5. Their camp became absolutely unin- habitable from the multitudes of moschetoes; nor could the men either work in preparing skins for clothing, or hunt in the low timbered grounds ; in

154 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

short, there was no method of escape but by going on the sand-bars in the river, where, when the wind blew, the insects did not venture." * * * " Captain Clarke therefore determined to remove to some spot that would be free from moschetoes, and afford more game. After writing a note to Captain Lewis, therefore, to inform him of his intention, he stuck it on a pole at the confluence of the two rivers, loaded the canoes at five in the afternoon, and proceeded down the river to the second point, where he encamped on a sand-bar ; but here their tormentors appeared to be even more numerous than above. The face of the Indian child was swollen with the bites of these insects, nor could the men procure scarcely any sleep during the night.

" August 5. Finding their situation intolerable where they were, they proceeded farther down. On the way Captain Clarke went on shore, and ascended a hill in pursuit of a bighorn ; but the moschetoes were in such multitudes that he could not keep them from the barrel of his rifle long enough to take aim. At about ten o'clock, however, a light breeze sprung up from the northwest, and in some measure dispersed them. Captain Clarke then landed on a sand-bar, where he intended to wait for Captain Lewis ; but, not finding buffalo in the neighbourhood, he proceeded on again in the afternoon, and after killing a large white bear, encamped under a high bluff, exposed to a light breeze from the southwest, which drove away the mos- chetoes."

The next day they continued to descend, and en- camped on a sand-bar below the mouth of Whiteearth River; and on tfce 7th, after proceeding till six in the

SKIN CANOES 155

evening, they again landed on a sand-bar for the night.

" August 8. In the morning they were here joined by Sergeant Pryor, accompanied by Shannon, Hall, and Windsor, but without the horses. They stated that, the second day after leaving the party, they halted to let the horses graze near the bed of a large creek which contained no running water, but that, soon after, a shower of rain fell, and the creek swelled so suddenly that several horses which had strayed across it while dry could return only by swimming. They formed the'ir camp at this place, but were astonished next morning at not being able to find a single one of their horses. They immediately examined the neighbour- hood, and soon discovering the tracks of the Indians who had stolen the horses, they pursued them for five miles, when they came to the place where the fugitives divided into two parties. They now followed the largest party five miles farther, when, losing all hopes of overtaking them, they returned to the camp, and packing the baggage on their backs, pursued a north- east course towards the Yellowstone. The following night a wolf bit Sergeant Pryor through the hand as he lay asleep, and made an attempt to seize Windsor, when Shannon got sight of him, and shot him. They passed over an open, broken country, and having reached the Yellowstone near Pompey's Pillar, they determined to descend it, and for this purpose made two skin canoes, such as they had seen among the Mandans and Ricaras. They are constructed in the following manner : two sticks of about an inch and a quarter in diameter are tied together so as to form a round hoop, which serves for the gunwale, while a

156 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

second hoop for the bottom is made in the same way, both being secured by sticks of the same size ex- tended from the hoops, and fastened to them and to each other by thongs. Over this frame the skin is drawn closely and tied with thongs, so as to form a perfect basin of about seven feet in diameter and six- teen inches in depth, strengthened by sixteen ribs or cross-sticks, and capable of carrying six or eight men with their burdens. Being unacquainted with the river, they thought it most prudent to divide their guns and ammunition, so that in case of accident all might not be lost, and for this purpose built two of these canoes. In these frail vessels they embarked, and were not a little surprised at the perfect safety with which they passed over the most difficult shoals and rapids, without taking in any water, even in the highest winds.

" On reaching the confluence of the Yellowstone i and Missouri, Sergeant Pryor took down the note j from the pole, supposing that Captain Lewis had al- ready passed ; and now learning where the party were, he pressed on with his skin canoes to join them.

" The day was spent in hunting, in order to pro- cure skins to trade with the Mandans ; for, having now neither horses nor merchandise, their only resource to j obtain corn and beans was to lay in a stock of skins, which those Indians greatly admire."

The next day they continued their route down the river till late in the evening, and encamped on the southeast side, where they remained until the llth. " In the low grounds of the river/' continues the Jour- nal, " Captain Clarke found a species of cherry which he had never seen before, and which seems peculiar to

THEY MEET TWO TRADERS 157

this small district of country, though even here it is not very abundant. The men also dug up quantities of a large and very insipid root, called by the Indians hankee, and by the engages the white apple. It is used by them in a dry, pounded state, to mix with their soup ; but our men boiled it and ate it with meat. In descending the river the day before, the squaw brought in a large, well-flavoured gooseberry, of a rich crimson colour; and also a deep purple berry, being a species of currant common along this river as low as the Man- dans, and called by the engages the Indian currant.

" August 11. They set out early in the morning, and at about ten o'clock landed on a sand-bar for the purpose of taking breakfast and drying their meat. At noon they started again, and after proceeding about two miles, observed a canoe near the shore. They immediately landed, and were no less surprised than gratified at discovering two men by the names of Dick- son and Hancock, who had come from the Illinois on a hunting excursion up the Yellowstone. They had left the Illinois in the summer of 1804, and spent the last winter with the Tetons, in company with a Mr. £eautoin, who came there as a trader, and whom they had robbed, or, in other words, taken all his merchan- dise and given him a few robes in exchange. These men had met the boat we had despatched from Fort Mandan, on board of which they were told there was a Ricara chief on his way to Washington, and also a party of Yankton chiefs, accompanying Mr. Durion on a visit of the same kind. We were sorry te learn that the Mandans and Minnetarees were at war with the Ricaras, and had killed two of them. The Assini- boins, too, were at war with the Mandans. They had,

158 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

in consequence, prohibited the Northwest Company from trading to the Missouri, and even killed two of their traders near Mouse River, and were now lying in wait for Mr. M'Kenzie of that company, who had been for a long time among the Minnetarees. These ap- pearances were rather unfavorable to the project of carrying some of the chiefs to the United States; but we still hoped that by effecting a peace between the Mandans, Minnetarees, and Ricaras, the views of our government might still be accomplished.

" After leaving these trappers, Captain Clarke went on and encamped nearly opposite to the entrance of Coatpen Creek, where the party were again assailed by thefr old enemies the moschetoes."

CHAPTER X.

Captain Clarke and his Party are overtaken by the Detachment under Captain Lewis, and they all descend the Missouri together. — They revisit the Minnetaree Indians, and hold a Council with that Nation, as well as the Mahahas. — Captain Clarke endeavours to persuade their Chiefs to accompany him to the United States, which they decline on account of their Fears of the Sioux in their Passage down the River. Colter, one of the Party, requests and obtains Liberty to remain among the Indians, for the Purpose of hunting Beaver. — Friendly Deportment of the Mandans. — Council held by Captain Clarke with the Chiefs of the different Villages. — The Chief named Big White, with his Wife and Son, agrees to accompany the Party to the United States. — He takes an affecting Farewell of his Nation. — Chaboneau, with his Wife, declines going to the United States, and they are left among the Indians. — The Party at length proceed on their Route. — They arrive among the Ricaras. — Character of the Chayennes, their Dress, Habits, &c- — Captain Clarke offers a Medal to the Chief of this Nation, which he at first refuses, believing it to be Medicine, but which he is afterward prevailed on to accept. — The Ricaras decline permitting one of their Number to accompany Captain Clarke to the United States, preferring to wait the Return of their Chief who had already gone. — The Party proceed rapidly down the River. — Prepare to defend themselves against the Tetons. — Incredible Number of Buf- falo seen near White River. — They meet with the Tetons, and decline their Invitations to Land. — Intrepidity of Captain Clarke.

" A UGUST l2- The Party continued slowly to

ZA descend the river. One of the skin canoes

L V had by accident a small hole made in it, and

they halted for the purpose of covering it with a piece

of elkskin, and also to wait for two of the party who

were behind. While there, about noon they were over-

159

*eo LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

joyed at seeing the boats of the other party heave in sight ; but this feeling was changed into alarm on per- ceiving them reach the shore without Captain Lewis, who had been wounded, they were informed, the day before, and was then lying in the pirogue.

" After giving to his wound all the attention in our power," proceeds the narrative, " we remained here for some time, during which we were overtaken by our two men, accompanied by Dickson and Hancock, who wished to go with us as far as the Mandans. The party being now happily reunited, we left the two skin canoes, and at about three o'clock all embarked on board the boats. The wind was, however, very high from the southwest, accompanied with rain, so that we did not proceed far before we halted for the night on a sand-bar. Captain Lewis's wound was now sore and somewhat painful. The next day,

" August 13, we set out at sunrise, and with a strong breeze from the northwest proceeded on rapidly. At eight o'clock we passed the mouth of the Little Mis- souri. Some Indians were seen at a distance below in a skin canoe, and were probably some of the Minne- tarees on their return from a hunting excursion, as we passed one of their camps on the southwest side, where they had left a canoe. Two other Indians were seen far off on one of the hills, and we therefore expected soon to meet with our old acquaintances the Mandans. At sunset we arrived at the entrance of Miry River, and encamped on the northeast side, having come by the aid of the wind and our oars a distance of eighty- six miles. The air was cool, and the moschetoes now ceased to trouble us as they had done.

" August 14. We again set out at sunrise, and at

c

CAPTAIN CLARK ADDRESSES CHIEFS iei

length approached the grand village of the Minneta- rees, where the natives had collected to view us as we passed. We fired the blunderbuss several times by way of salute, and soon after landed near the village of the Mahahas or Shoe Indians, and were received by a crowd of people, who came to welcome us on our return. Among these were the principal chief of the Mahahas, and the chief of the Little Minnetaree vil- lage, both of whom expressed great pleasure at seeing us again ; but the latter wept most bitterly. On in- quiring the cause, it appeared that his tears were ex- cited by the sight of us reminding him of his son, who had been lately killed by the Blackfoot Indians. After * remaining there a few minutes, we crossed to the Man- dan village of the Black Cat, where all the inhabitants seemed very much gratified at seeing us. We imme- diately sent Chaboneau with an invitation for the Min- netarees to visit us, and dispatched Drewyer to the village of the Mandans, to bring Jesseaume as an in- terpreter. Captain Clarke, in the mean time, walked up to the village of Black Cat, and smoked and ate with that chief. This village had been rebuilt since our departure, and was now much smaller; a quarrel having arisen among its inhabitants, in consequence of which a number of families had removed to the oppo- site side of the river.

" On the arrival of Jesseaume, Captain Clarke ad- dressed the chiefs. He spoke to them now, he said, in the same language he had done before ; and repeated his invitation to them to accompany him to the United States, to hear in person the counsels of their great father, who could at all times punish his enemies. In reply Black Cat declared that he wished to visit thf

168 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

United States, and to see his great father, but was afraid of the Sioux, who had killed several of the Man- dans since our departure, and who were now on the river below, and would intercept him if he attempted to pass. Captain Clarke endeavoured to quiet his ap- prehensions by assuring him that he would not suffer the Sioux to injure any one of our red children who should accompany us, and that they should return loaded with presents, and protected at the expense of the LTnited States. The council was then broken up; after which we crossed and formed our camp on the other side of the river, where we should be sheltered from the rain. Soon after, the chief of the Mahahas informed us, that if we would send to his village we should have some corn. Three men were therefore despatched, and returned soon after loaded with as much as they could carry. They were soon followed j by the chief and his wife, to whom we presented a few needles and other articles suitable for a woman.

" In a short time Borgne, the great chief of all the Minnetarees, came down, attended by several other chiefs, to whom, after smoking a pipe, Captain Clarke made a speech, renewing his assurance of friendship, and the invitation to accompany us to Washington. In reply, Borgne began by declaring that he much de- sired to visit his great father, but that the Sioux would certamly kill any of the Mandans who should attempt to go down the river : they were bad people, and would not listen to any advice. When he saw us last, we had told him that we would make peace with all the nations below, yet the Sioux had since killed eight of his tribe, and stolen a number of their horses. The Ricaras, too, had stolen their horses, and in the contest his people

COUNCIL WITH BLACK CAT 163

had killed two of them. Yet, in spite of these things, he had always his ears open to our counsels, and had actually made a peace with the Chayennes and the In- dians of the Rocky Mountains. He concluded by say- ing that, however much disposed they might be to visit the United States, the fear of the Sioux would prevent them from going with us. The council was then con- cluded, and soon afterward an invitation to visit him was received from Black Cat, who, on Captain Clarke's arrival at his village, presented him with a dozen bush- els of corn, which he said was a large proportion of what his people possessed ; and, after smoking a pipe, declared that his tribe were too apprehensive of the Sioux for any of them to venture with us. Captain Clarke then spoke to the chiefs and warriors of the village : he told them of his anxiety that some of them should see their great father, and hear his good words, and receive his gifts, and requested them to fix on some confidential chief who might accompany us. To this they made the same objections as before, till at length a young man offered to go, and the warriors all assented to it. But the character of this man was known to be bad, and one of the party with Captain Clarke informed him that at that moment he had in his possession a knife whichvhe had stolen. Captain Clarke thereupon told the chief of the theft, and de- manded the knife to be given up. This was done, with but a poor apology for having it in his possession ; and Captain Clarke then reproached the chiefs for wishing to send such a fellow to see and hear so dis- tinguished a person as their great father. They all hung down their heads for some time, till Black Cat at length apologized by saying that the danger was

*64 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

such that they were afraid to send any one of their chiefs, as they should consider his loss almost inevit- able. Captain Clarke remained some time with them, smoking, and relating various particulars of -his jour- ney ; and then left them to visit the second chief of the Mandans, or Black Crow, who had expressed some disposition to accompany us. He seemed well inclined to the journey, but was unwilling to decide till he had called a council of his people, which he intended to do in the afternoon. On returning to the camp, Captain Clarke found the chief of the Mahahas, and also the chief of the Little Minnetaree village, who had brought a present of corn on their mules, of which they have several, and which they procure from the Crow In- dians, who either buy or steal them on the frontiers of the Spanish settlements. A great number of the Indians visited us, either for the purpose of renewing their acquaintance, or of exchanging robes and other articles for the skins brought by the party.

" In the evening Colter applied to us for permis- sion to join the two trappers who had accompanied us, and who now proposed an expedition up the river, in which they were to find traps and to give him a share of the profits. The offer was a very advanta- geous one; and as he ha*d always performed his duty, and his services could be dispensed with, we consented to his going upon condition that none of the rest were to ask or expect a similar indulgence. To this they all cheerfully assented, saying that they wished Colter every success, and would not apply for liberty to separate before we reached St. Louis. We there- fore supplied him, as did his comrades also, with pow- der and lead, and a variety of articles which might be

GENEROSITY OF THE MANDANS 165

useful to him, and he left us the next day. The ex- ample of this man shows how easily men may be weaned from the habits of civilized life to the ruder, though scarcely less fascinating, manners of the woods. This hunter had now been absent for many years from the frontiers, and might naturally be presumed to have some anxiety, or at least curiosity, to return to his friends and his country ; yet, just at the moment when he was approaching the frontiers, he was tempted by a hunting scheme to give up all those delightful pros- pects, and to go back without the least reluctance to the solitude of the wilds.

" In the evening, Chaboneau, who had been ming- ling with the Indians, and learned what had taken place during our absence, informed us that, as soon as we had left the Minnetarees, they sent out a war party against the Shoshonees, whom they had at- tacked and routed, though in the engagement they lost two men, one of whom was the son of the chief of the Little Minnetaree village. Another war party also went against the Ricaras, two of whom they had killed. A misunderstanding had likewise taken place between the Mandans and Minnetarees, in conse- quence of a dispute about a woman, which had nearly occasioned a war; but at length a pipe was presented by the Minnetarees, and a reconciliation took place.

" August 16. The Mandans had offered to give us some corn, and on sending this morning we found a greater quantity collected for our use than all our canoes would contain. We therefore thanked the chief, and took only six loads. At ten o'clock the chiefs of the different villages came down to smoke with us, and we embraced this opportunity to endeav-

166 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

our to engage Borgne in our interest by the present of our swivel, which was no longer of any use, as it, could not be discharged from our largest pirogue. It was now loaded, and the chiefs having been formed! in a circle round it, Captain Clarke addressed them with great ceremony. He said that he had listened with much attention to what had yesterday been de- clared by Borgne, whom he believed to be sincere,' and then reproached them with their disregard of our counsels, and their wars with the Shoshonees and Ricaras. Little Cherry, the old Minnetaree chief, answered that they had long stayed at home and lis- tened to our advice, but that at last they went to war against the Sioux because they had stolen their horses and killed their companions ; and that, in an expedition against that people, they had met the Ricaras, who were on their way to strike them, when a battle en- sued. But in future, he said, they would attend to our words and live in peace. Borgne, too, added, that .his ears would always be open to the words of his good father, and shut against bad counsel. Captain Clarke then presented to him the swivel, which he told him had announced the words of his great father to all the nations we had seen ; and which, whenever it was fired, should recall those which we had now delivered. The gun was trren discharged, and Borgne had it con- veyed in great pomp to his village, when the council was adjourned.

" In the afternoon Captain Clarke walked up to the village of Little Crow, taking a flag which he in- tended to present to him, but was surprised on being told by him that he had given up all intention of ac- companying us, refusing at the same time the flag.

CHABONEAU AND WIFE REMAIN 167

He found that this change was occasioned by a jeal- ousy between him and the principal chief, Big White : by the interference of Jessseaume, however, the two chiefs were reconciled, and it was agreed that Big White himself should accompany us, with his wife and son.

" August 17. The principal chiefs of the Minne- tarees now came down to bid us farewell, as none of them could be. prevailed on to go with us. This circumstance induced our interpreter, Chaboneau, to remain here with his wife and child, as he could no longer be of use to us, and, although we offered to take him with us to the United States, he declined, saying that there he had no acquaintance, and no chance of making a livelihood, and preferred remain- ing among the Indians. This man had been very serviceable to us, and his wife was particularly use- ful among the Shoshonees : indeed, she had borne with a patience truly admirable the fatigues of so long a route, encumbered with the charge of an infant, who was then only nineteen months old. We there- fore paid him his wages, amounting to five hundred dollars and thirty-three cents, including the price of a horse and a lodge purchased of him, and soon after- ward dropped down to the village of Big White, at- tended on shore by all the Indian chiefs, who had come to take leave of him. We found him surrounded by his friends, who sat in z circle smoking, while the women were crying. He immediately sent his wife and son, with their baggage, on board, accompanied by the interpreter and his wife, and two children ; and then, after distributing among his friends some powder and ball which we had given him, and smoking a

M. of H. -XXIX— 23

168 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

pipe, he went with us to the river side. The whole village crowded about us, and many of the people wept aloud at the departure of their chief.

" As Captain Clarke was shaking hands with the principal chiefs of the different villages, they requested that he would sit with them a moment longer. Being willing to gratify them, he stopped and ordered a pipe, when, after smoking it, they informed him that they had not believed all that we told them at the time they first saw us ; but having now found that our words were all true, they would carefully remem- ber them, and follow our advice; and that he might tell their great father that the young men should re- main at home, and not make war on any people except in their bwn defence. They requested him to tell the Ricaras to come and visit them, which they might do without fear, as they meant that nation no harm, but, on the contrary, were desirous of peace with them. On the Sioux, however, they could place, they said, no dependence, and must kill them whenever they sent war parties against their country. Captain Clarke replied that we had never insisted on their not defend- ing themselves, but only requested that they would not strike those whom we had taken by the hand ; that we would apprize the Ricaras of their friendly inten-^ tions; and that, although we had not seen the Sroux with whom they were at war, we should relate their conduct to their great father, T,/ho would take meas- ures for effecting a general peace among all his red children.

" Borgne now requested that we would take good care of the chief, who would report whatever their great father should say; and the council then break-

BIG WHITE'S BROTHER 169

ing up, we took leave with a salute from a gun, and proceeded. On reaching Fort Mandan we found a few pickets standing on the river side, but all the houses except one had been accidently burned. At the distance of eighteen miles we reached the old Ricara village and encamped on the southwest side, the wind being too violent, and the waves too high, to permit our going any farther.

" August 18. The same cause prevented us from setting out before eight o'clock in the morning. Soon after we had embarked, an Indian came running down to the beach, and appeared very anxious to speak to us. We therefore went ashore, and found it was the brother of Big White, who was encamped at no great distance, and hearing of our departure, had come to take leave of the chief. Big White gave his brother a pair of leggins, and they separated in the most affec- tionate manner : we then continued our voyage, though the wind and waves were still high. The Indian chief seemed quite satisfied with his treatment, and during the day employed himself in pointing out the ancient monuments of the Mandans, or in relating their tradi- tions. At length, after making forty miles, we en- camped on the northeast side, opposite to an old Mandan village, and below the mouth of Chesshetah River.

" August 19. The wind was so violent that we were not able to proceed until four in the afternoon, and in the mean time the hunters had killed four elk and twelve deer. We then went on for ten miles, and came to a sand-bar. The wind and rain continued through the night, and during the whole of the next day,

170 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

" August 20, the waves were so high that one man was constantly occupied in bailing the boats. At noon we passed Cannonba!1 KiVer, and at three in the afternoon the mouth of Wardepon River, which bounds the country claimed by the Sioux; and after proceeding eighty-one miles, landed for the night on a sand-bar. The plains were beginning to change their appearance, the grass assuming a yellowish colour. We this day saw great numbers of wolves, and some buffalo and elk, though these were by no means as abundant as on the Yellowstone.

"Since we passed in 1804, a very obvious change had taken place in the course and appearance of the Missouri. In places where, at that time, there were sand-bars, the current of the river now passed, and where the channel was then, there were, in turn, banks of sand. Sand-bars, then naked, were now covered with willows several feet high ; the entrances of some of the creeks and rivers had been changed by the quantity of mud thrown into them; and in some of the bottoms there were layers of mud eight inches in depth.

" August 21. We rose after a night of broken rest, having been much annoyed by moschetoes, and after putting our arms in order, to be prepared for any attack, continued our course. We soon met three traders, two of whom had wintered with us among the Mandans in 1804, and who were now on their way thither. They were out of powder and lead, and we supplied them with both. They informed us that seven hundred Sioux had passed the Ricara towns on their way to attack the Mandans and Minnetarees, leaving their women and children encamped near the

INTERVIEW WITH THE RICARAS 171

Big Bend of the Missouri; but that the Ricaras had all remained at home, declining to take any part in the war. They also told us that the Pawnee or Ricara chief who had gone to the United States the spring before, died on his return near the Sioux River.

" We then left them, and soon afterward arrived opposite to the upper Ricara villages. We saluted them with the discharge of four guns, which they answered in the same manner; and on our landing we were met by the greater part of the inhabitants of each village, and also by a band of the Chayennes, who were encamped on a hill in the neighbourhood.

" As soon as Captain Clarke stepped on shore, he was greeted by the two chiefs to whom he had given medals in our former visit; and as they and the rest appeared much rejoiced at our return, and desirous of hearing from the Mandans, he sat down on the bank, while the Ricaras and Chayennes formed a circle round him; and, after smoking, he informed them, as he had already done the Minnetarees, of the various tribes we had visited, and of our anxiety to promote peace among our red brethren. He then expressed his regret at their having attacked the Mandans, who had listened to our counsels, and had sent on a chief to smoke with. them, and to assure them that they might now hunt in the plains, and visit the Mandan village in safety, and he concluded by invit- ing some of the chiefs to accompany us to Washington. The man whom we had acknowledged as the princi- pal chief when we ascended the river, now presented another, who, he said, was a greater chief than him- self; and to him, therefore he had surrendered the flag and medal with which we had honoured him. This

172 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

chief, who had been absent at our former visit, was a man of thirty-five years of age, stout and good-looking, and called by the Indians Grey Eyes.

"He now made a very animated reply. He de- clared that the Ricaras were willing to follow the counsels we had given them ; but that a few of their bad young men would not live in peace, but had joined the Sioux, and thus embroiled them with the Mandans. These young men, had, however, been driven out of the villages ; and as the Ricaras were now separated from the Sioux, who were a bad people, and the cause of all their misfortunes, they desired to be at peace with the Mandans, and would receive them with kindness and friendship. Several of the chiefs, he said, were desirous of visiting their great father; but as the chief who had gone to the United States the last summer had not returned, and they had some fears for his safety on account of the Sioux, they did not wish to leave home until they had heard from him. As to himself, he should continue with his nation, to see that they followed our advice.

" The sun being very hot, the chief of the Chay- ennes invited us to his lodge, which was at no great distance from the river. We followed him, and found a very large lodge, made of twenty buffalo skins, surrounded by eighteen or twenty others of nearly equal size. The rest of the nation were expected the next day, and would make the number of from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty lodges, containing from three hundred and fifty to four hun- dred men, at which the men of the nation might be computed. These Chayennes are a fine looking people, of large stature, with straight limbs, and high cheek-

MANNERS AND DRESS OF RICARAS 173

bones and noses, and of a complexion similar to that of the Ricaras. Their ears are cut at the lower part, but few wear ornaments in them. Their hair is gener- ally cut over the eyebrows, and small ornaments hang from it down the cheeks, the remainder being either twisted with horse or buffalo hair, and divided over each shoulder, or else flowing loosely behind. Their decorations consist chiefly of blue beads, shells, red paint, brass rings, bears' claws, and strips of otter skins, of which last they, as well as the Ricaras, are very fond. The women, however, are coarse in their features, with wide mouths, and ugly. Their dress consists of a habit reaching to the mid-leg, made of two equal pieces of leather, sewed from the bottom, with armholes, and with a flap hanging nearly half way down the body both before and behind. On these are burned various figures by means of an ignited stick, and they are adorned with beads, shells, and elk's tusks, which all the Indians greatly prize. The other ornaments are blue beads in the ears, but the hair is left plain, and flows down the back. The sum- mer dress of the men is a simple buffalo robe, a cloth round the waist, moccasins, and occasionally leggins. Living remote from the whites, they are shy and cau- tious, but are peaceably disposed, and profess to make war against no people except the Sioux, with whom they have been engaged in contests from time im- memorial. In their excursions they are accompanied by their dogs and horses, of which they have a great number; the former serving to carry almost all their light baggage.

" After smoking for some time, Captain Clarke gave a small medal to the Chayenne chief, explain-

174 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

ing at the same time the meaning of it. He seemed alarmed at the present, and sending for a robe and a quantity of buffalo meat, he gave them to Captain Clarke, requesting him to take back the medal, as he knew that all white people were medicine, and he was afraid of everything which they might give to the Indians. Captain Clarke again explained his object in giving the medal, which, he said, was the medi- cine his great father had directed him to deliver to all their chiefs who should listen to his word and follow his counsels; and that, as he had done so, it had been given him as a proof that we believe him sincere. He now appeared satisfied, and receiving the medal, gave in return double the quantity of buffalo meat he had offered before. He seemed now quite reconciled to the whites, and requested iliat some traders might be sent among his people, who lived, he said, in a country full of beaver, but did not understand the best modes of catching them, and, farthermore, were deterred from it by having no market for them when caught. Captain Clarke promised that they should soon be supplied with goods, and taught the best mode of catching beaver.

" Big White, chief of the Mandans, now addressed them at some length, explaining ,ihe pacific intentions of his nation ; and the Chayenne observed that both the Ricaras and Mandans seemed to be in fault; but at the end of the council the Mandan chief was treated with much civility, and the greatest harmony prevailed between them. The great chief informed us, however, that none of the Ricaras could be prevailed on to ac- company us till the return of the other chief ; and that the Chayennes were a wild people, arid afraid to go.

RECONCILIATION BETWEEN CHIEFS 175

He invited Captain Clarke to his house, and gave him two carrots of tobacco, two beaver skins, and a trencher of boiled corn and beans. It is the custom of the nations on the Missouri to offer to all white men food and refreshments when they first enter their tents.

" Captain Clarke now returned to the boats, where he found the chief of the lower village, who had cut off part of his hair and disfigured himself in such a manner that we did not recognize him until he ex- plained that he was in mourning for his nephew, who had been killed by the Sioux. He proceeded with us to the village on the island, where we were met by all the inhabitants. The second chief, on seeing the Mandan, began to speak to him in a loud and threatening tone, till Captain Clarke declared that the Mandans had listened to our councils, and that, if any injury was attempted to be done to the chief, we should defend him to the utmost extrem- ity. He then invited the chief to his lodge, and after a very ceremonious smoking," assured Captain Clarke that he was as safe as at his home, for the Ricaras, as well as the Mandans, had opened their ears to our councils. This was repeated by the great chief; and the Mandan and Ricara chiefs now smoked and conversed with great apparent harmony, after which we returned to our boats. The whole distance made this day was twenty-nine miles.

" August 22. It rained the whole night, so that we all rose in the morning quite wet, and were about proceeding, when Captain Clarke received from the chiefs a request to visit them. They made to him sev- eral, speeches, in which they observed that they must

176 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

decline going with us, as their countryman had not yet returned ; and that, although all their troubles came from the Sioux, yet, as they had more horses than they wanted, and were in want of guns and powder, they should be obliged to trade with them once more for those articles, after which they would break off all connection with them. He then returned to the boats, and after taking leave of the natives, who seemed to regret our departure, and firing a salute of two guns, we proceeded on our way. We made only seven- teen miles this day, being obliged to land near Wetar- boo River to dry our baggage; besides which, the sand-bars were very numerous, as the river became wider below the Ricara villages. Captain Lewis was now so far recovered that he was able to walk a little for the first time. While here we noticed that the Mandans, as well as the Minn etarees and Ricaras, keep their horses in the same lodges with themselves."

During the two following days they made a dis- tance of eighty-three miles, and in the morning of the 24th encamped at the gorge of the Lookout Bend.

" August 25. Before daylight," continues the Jour- nal, " we sent five of the men ahead to hunt on Pawnee Island, and followed them soon after. At eight o'clock we reached the entrance of the Chay- enne, where we remained till noon to take a merid- ian observation. At three o'clock we passed the old Pawnee village, near which we had met the Tetons in 1804, and encamped in a large bottom on the north- east side, a little below the mouth of Notimber Creek. Just above our camp the Ricaras had formerly a large village on each side of the river, and there were still to be seen the remains of five villages on the southwest

IMMENSE NUMBERS OF BUFFALO 177

side below the Chayenne, and one on Lahoocat's Is- land, all of which had been destroyed by the Sioux. The weather was clear and calm, but by the help of our oars we made forty-eight miles." * * *

" August 26. We set out early, and at nine o'clock reached the entrance of Teton River, below which were a raft and a skin canoe, which made us sus- pect that the Tetons were in the neighbourhood. Our arms, therefore, were put in order, and every prepara- tion was made to revenge the slightest insult from those people, who required, we knew, to be treated with rigour. We went on, however, without seeing any of them, though we were obliged to land near Smoke Creek, and remained there for two hours to stop a leak in the pirogue. Here we saw great quan- tities of plums and grapes, but they were not yet ripe. At five o'clock we passed Louisville's Fort, on Cedar Island, twelve miles below which we encamped, having made sixty miles by using our oars, with the wind ajiead during the greater part of the day."

Setting out before sunrise the next morning, at the distance of a few miles they landed on a sand-bar near Taylor's River. " Near this place," says the Journal, " we observed the first signs of the wild turkey, and not long after landed in the Big Bend, and killed a fine fat elk. Towards night we heard the bellowing of the buf- falo bulls on the lower island of the Big Bend ; and following the direction of this agreeable sound, we killed some of the cows, and encamped on the island, forty-five miles from our camp of the previous night.

" August 28. We started at an early hour, having first despatched some hunters ahead, with orders to join us at our old camp a little above Corvus Creek,

178 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

where we intended to remain one day, for the purpose of procuring the skins and skeletons of some animals, such as the mule-deer, the antelope, the barking squir- rel, the magpie, &c., which we were desirous of taking with us. After rowing thirty-five miles, we landed at twelve o'clock, and formed our camp in a high bottom, thinly timbered, and covered with grass. Soon after our arrival the squaws and several of the men went to the bushes near the river, and brought a great quantity of large, well-flavoured plums, of three different species.

" The hunters returned in the afternoon without having been able to procure any of the game we wished except the barking squirrel, though they killed four common deer, and had seen large herds of buffalo, of which they brought in two."

Setting out at ten o'clock next morning, at a short distance they passed the mouth of White River, the water of which was nearly of the colour of milk. As they were much occupied with hunting, they made but twenty miles. " The buffalo," says the Journal, " were now so numerous, that from an eminence we discovered more than we had ever seen before at one time; and though it was impossible accurately to calculate their number, they darkened the whole plain, and could not have been, we were convinced, less than twenty thou- sand. With regard to game in general, we have ob- served that wild animals are usually found in the great- est numbers in the country lying between two nations at war.

"August 30. We set out at the usual time, but after going some distance were obliged to stop two hours for one of our hunters. During this time we

HOSTILITY OF THE TETONS 179

made an excursion to a large orchard of delicious plums, where we were so fortunate as to kill two buck elks. We then proceeded down the river, and were about landing at the place where we had agreed to meet all the hunters, when several persons appeared on the high hills to the northeast, and by the help of our spyglass we distinguished them to be Indians. We landed on the southwest side of the river, and immedi- ately after saw on a height opposite to us about twenty men, one of whom, from his blanket greatcoat and a handkerchief round his head, we took for a Frenchman. At the same time, about eighty or ninety Indians, armed with guns and bows and arrows, came out of a wood some distance below them, and fired a salute, which we returned. From their hostile appearance we were apprehensive that they might be Tetons ; but as, from the country through which they were passing, it was possible they might be Yanktons, Pawnees, or Mahas, we did not know in what way to receive them. In order, however, to ascertain who they were without risk to the party, Captain Clarke crossed, with three persons who could speak different Indian languages, to a sand-bar near the opposite side, for the purpose of conversing with them. Eight young men soon met him on the sand-bar, but none of them could under- stand either the Pawnee or Maha interpreter. They were then addressed in the Sioux language, and an- swered that they were Tetons, of the band headed by the Black Buffalo, Tahtackasabah. It was the same band which had attempted to stop us in 1804 ; and be- ing now less anxious about offending this mischievous tribe, Captain Clarke told them that they had been deaf to our counsels, had ill treated us two years ago,

180 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

and had abused all the whites who had since visited them. He believed them, he added, to be bad people, and they must return, therefore, to their compan- ions, for if they crossed over to our camp we would put them all to death. They asked for some corn, which Captain Clarke refused them : they then re- quested permission to come and visit us, but he or- dered them back. He then returned, and our arms were all made ready in case of an attack. But when these Indians reached their comrades, and informed their chiefs of our determination, they all set off for their own camp : some of them, however, halted on a rising ground, and abused us with their tongues very copiously, threatening to kill us if we came across. We took no notice of this for some time, as three of our hunters were absent, and we were afraid the Indians might meet them; but as soon as they joined us we, embarked, and, to see what the Indians would attempt, steered near their side of the river. At this the party on the hill seemed not a little agitated: some of them set off for their camp, others walked about, and one man came towards the boats and invited us to land. As he approached, we recognised him to be the same who had accompanied us for two days in 1804, and was considered a friend of the whites. Unwilling, however, to have any intercourse with these people, we declined his invitation, upon which he returned to the hill, and struck the earth three times with his gun, a great oath among the Indians, who consider swearing by the earth as one of the most solemn forms of imprecation. At the distance of six miles we stopped on a bleak sand- bar, where we thought ourselves secure from any -at- tack during the night, and also safe from the mosche-

SEVERITY OF STORM isi

toes. We had made but twenty-two miles, but in the course of the day had killed a mule-deer, an animal we were very anxious to obtain. About eleven in the even- ing the wind shifted to the northwest, and it began to rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, after which the wind changed to the southwest, and blew with such violence that we were obliged to hold fast the canoes, for fear of their being driven from the sand- bar: still, the cables of two of them broke, and two others were blown quite across the river; nor was it till two o'clock that the whole party were reassembled, waiting in the rain for daylight.""

CHAPTER XI.

The Party return in Safety to St. Louis.

" A U GUST 31. We examined our arms, and pro- /\ ceeded with the wind in our favour. For L Y some time we saw different Indians on the hills, but at length lost sight of them. In passing the Dome, and the first village of barking squirrels, we stopped and killed two fox squirrels, an animal we had not seen on the river higher than this place ; and at night we encamped on the northeast side, after making a distance of seventy miles. We had seen no game for some time past on the river, but in the evening the moschetoes were not slow to discover us.

" September 1. We set out early, but were shortly compelled to land, and wait for half an hour, till a thick fog dispersed. At nine o'clock we passed the mouth of the Quicurre, which presented the same ap- pearance as when we ascended, the water being rapid and of a milky-white colour. Two miles below, several Indians ran down to the bank and beckoned us to land ; but as they appeared to be Tetons, and of a war party, we paid no attention to them, except to inquire to what tribe they belonged : our Sioux interpreter, how- ever, did not understand much of their language, and 182

INTERVIEW WITH THE YANKTONS 183

they probably mistook his question. As one of our canoes was behind, we were afraid of its being at- tacked; we therefore landed on an open, commanding1 situation, out of view of the Indians, to wait for it. We had not been in this position fifteen minutes, when we heard several guns, which we immediately concluded were fired at the men in the canoe; and being determined to protect them against any number of Indians, Captain Clarke, with fifteen men, ran up the river, while Captain Lewis hobbled up the bank, and formed the rest of the party as would best enable them to protect the boats. On turning a point of the river, however, Captain Clarke was agreeably sur- prised at seeing the Indians still in the place where we had left them, and our canoe at the distance of a mile. He now went on to a sand-bar, and, the In- dians crossing over to him, he gave them his hand, when they informed him that they had been amusing themselves with shooting at an old keg we had thrown into the river as it was floating down. We now found them to be part of a band of eighty lodges of Yank- tons on Plum Creek, and therefore invited them down to our camp. After smoking several pipes, we told them that we had mistaken them for Tetons, and had intended putting every one of them to death if they had fired at our canoe; but finding them Yanktons, who were good men, we were glad to take them by the hand as faithful children, who had opened their ears to our, counsels. They saluted the Mandan with great cordia- lity, and one of them said that their ears had indeed been open, and that they had followed our advice since we gave a medal to their great chief, and should con- tinue to do so. We now tied a piece of riband to

M. of H.— XXIX—24

184 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

the hair of each Indian, and gave them some corn. We also made a present of a pair of leggins to the principal chief, when we took our leave of them, hav- ing been previously overtaken by our canoe. At two o'clock we landed to hunt on Bonhomme Island, but obtained a single elk only. The bottom on the north side, is very rich, and was so thickly overgrown with pea-vines and grass, interwoven with grape- vines, that some of the party who attempted to hunt there were obliged to leave it and ascend the plain, where they found the grass nearly as- high as their heads. These plains are much more fertile below than above the Quicurre, and the whole country was now very beautiful. After making fifty-two miles against a head wind, we landed for the night on a sand-bar opposite to Calumet Bluff, where we had encamped on the 1st of September, 1804, and where our flag- staff was still standing. We suffered very much from the moschetoes till the wind became so high as to blow them away.

" September 2. At eight o'clock we passed the mouth of the Jacques River, but soon after were com- pelled to land, in consequence of the high wind from the northeast, and to remain till sunset, after which we went on to a sandbar twenty-two miles from our camp of the previous evening. While we were on shore we killed three buffaloes and four prairie-fowl which were the first of the latter we had seen in de- scending. Two turkeys were also killed, and were very much admired by our Indians, who had never seen that bird before." * * *

" September 3. Towards daylight we started again, and at eleven o'clock we passed the Redstone. The

THEY MEET A TRADING PARTY 185

river was crowded with sand-bars, which were now very differently situated from what they had been when we ascended; but, notwithstanding these and the head wind, we had made sixty miles towards night, when, seeing two boats and several men 01? the shore we landed, and found a Mr. James Airs, a. partner of a house at Prairie de Chien, who had come from Macknaw by the way of St. Louis, witk a license to trade among the Sioux for one year^ He had started, two canoes loaded with merchandise, but lost many of his most valuable articles in a squaU some time before. After so long an absence, the sight of any one who could give us information oi our country was peculiarly delightful, and much of the night was spent in making inquiries as to wha/- had occurred since we had left. We found Mr. Ainy a very friendly and liberal gentleman, and when we proposed to him to purchase a small quantity of to- bacco, to be paid for at St. Louis, he very readily furnished every man of the party with as much as, he could use during the rest of the voyage, and in-, sisted also on our receiving a barrel of flour. Thic last was very acceptable, though w^e had still a littk flour, which we had deposited at the mouth of Maria's River. We could give in return only about six bushels of corn, which was all that we could spare. The next morning,

" September 4, we left Mr. Airs at about eight o'clock, and after passing the Big Sioux River stop- ped at noon near Floyd's Bluff. On ascending the hill we found that the grave of Floyd had been opened, and was now half uncovered. We filled it up, and then continued down to our old camp near the Maha

186 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

village, where all our baggage, which had been wet by the rain in the night, was exposed to dry. There was no game on the river except wild geese and peli- cans. Near Floyd's grave were some flourishing black-walnut trees, the first we had seen on our re- turn. At night we heard the report of several guns in a direction towards the Maha village, and supposed it to be a signal for the arrival of some trader. But not meeting any one when we set out the next morning,

" September 5, we concluded that the firing was merely to announce the return of the Mahas to their village, this being the season at which they come home from buffalo hunting, to take care of their corn, beans, and pumpkins. The river was now more crooked, the current more rapid, and crowded with snags and sawyers, while the bottoms on both sides were well supplied with timber. At three o'clock we passed Bluestone Bluff, where the river leaves the highlands and meanders through a low, rich bottom, and encamped for the night after making seventy- three miles.

" September 6. The wind continued ahead, but the moschetoes were so tormenting that to remain was more unpleasant than to proceed, however slowly, and we therefore started. Near the Little Sioux River we met a trading-boat belonging to Mr. Augustus Chateau, of St. Louis, with several men on their way to trade with the Yanktons at the Jacques River. We obtained from them a gallon of whiskey, and gave each of the party a dram, which was the first spirit- uous liquor any of them had tasted since the 4th of July, 1805."

EVAPORATION FROM THE MISSOURI 187

During this and the following day they made a distance of seventy-four miles, encamping, as usual, on sand-bars for the night, to avoid the moschetoes, though even here they were greatly tormented by them.

" September 8. We set out early," continues the Journal, " and stopped for a short time 'at Council Bluffs to examine the situation of the place, when we were confirmed in our belief that it would be a very eligible spot for a trading establishment. Being anxious to reach the Platte, we plied our oars so well that by night we had made seventy-eight miles, and landed at our old White Catfish encampment, twelve miles above that river. We could not but here remark the wonderful evaporation from the Mis- souri, which does not appear to contain more water, nor is its channel wider than at one thousand miles nearer its source, though within the intervening dis- tance it receives twenty rivers some of them of con- siderable width, and a great number of creeks. This evaporation seemed, in fact, to be greater now than when we ascended the river ; for we were obliged to replenish the inkstand every day with fresh ink, nine tenths of which must have escaped by evapora- tion.

" September 9. By eight o'clock we passed the mouth of the Platte, which river was lower than when we saw it before, and its waters were almost clear, though its channel was turbulent, as usual. The sand-bars, however, which then obstructed the Mis- souri were now washed away, and nothing of them was to be seen except a few remains. Below the Platte the current of the Missouri became evidently more

188 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

rapid, and the obstructions from fallen timber in- creased. The river bottoms are here extensive, rich, and covered with tall, (large timber, which is still more abundant in the hollows of the ravines, where may be seen oak, ash, and elm, interspersed with some walnut and hickory. The moschetoes, though still numerous, seemed to have lost some of their vigour. As we advanced the difference of climate was very perceptible, the air being more sultry than we had ex- perienced it for a long time before, and the nights were so warm that a thin blanket was now sufficient, although a few days before two had been no more than comfortable. Late in the afternoon we encamped opposite to the Baldpated Prairie, after having come a distance of seventy-three miles.

" September 10. We again set out early, and the wind being moderate, though still ahead, we pro- ceeded sixty-five miles, to a sand bar a short distance above the Grand Nemaha. In the course of the day we met a trader with three men, on his way to the Paw- nee Loups, or Wolf Pawnees, on the Platte. Soon after another boat passed us with seven men from St. Louis, bound to the Mahas. With both of these parties we had some conversation, but our anxiety to go on would not suffer us to remain long with them. The Indians, particularly the squaws and children, had become weary with the length of the route, and we were impatient to reach our country and our friends. We saw on the shore deer, raccoons and turkeys.

" September 11. A high wind from the northwest detained us till after sunrise, when we started, but proceeded slowly, since, from the river being now rapid and narrow, as well as more crowded with sand-

THEY MEET A TRADING PARTY 189

bars and timber than above, much caution was neces- sary in avoiding these obstacles, especially as the water was low. The Nemaha seemed less wide than when we saw it before, and Wolf River had scarcely any water. In the afternoon we halted above the Nadowa, to hunt, and killed two deer, after which we went on to a small island forty miles from our last encampment. Here we were no longer annoyed by the moschetoes, which did not seem to frequent this part of the river; and, after having been persecuted by these insects the whole distance from the Falls, it was a most agree- able release. Their noise was very agreeably ex- changed for that of the common wolves, which were howling in different directions, and of the prairie wolves, whose barking resembles precisely that of

j CAAmPTGN ACCcbsUMI

a curdog.

" Septeiff15efOFf^l8R^ter a thick fog and a heavy dew, we set out at sunrise, and at the distance of seven miles passed two pirogues, one of them bound to the Platte for the purpose of trading with the Pawnees, the other on a trapping expedition to the neighbour- hood of the Mahas. Soon after we met the trading party under Mr. M'Clellan; and with them was Mr. Gravelines, the interpreter whom we had sent with a Ricara chief to the United States. The chief had un- fortunately died at Washington, and Gravelines was now on his way to the Ricaras with a speech from the president, and the presents which had been made to the deceased. He had also directions to instruct the Ricaras in agriculture. He was accompanied on his mission by old Mr. Durion, our former interpreter, for the purpose of employing his influence to secure a safe passage for the Ricara presents through the

190 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

country of the Sioux, and also to engage some of the Sioux chiefs, not exceeding six, to visit Washington. Both of them were instructed to inquire particularly after the fate of our party, no intelligence having been received from us for a long time. We authorized Mr. Durion to invite ten or twelve of the Sioux chiefs to accompany him, particularly the Yanktons, whom we had found well disposed towards our country. The afternoon being wet, we determined to remain with Mr. M'Clellan during the night; and sending five hunters ahead, spent the evening in inquiries respect- ing what had transpired in the United States since we left.

" September 13. By eight o'clock in the morning we overtook the hunters, but they had killed nothing. The wind now being too high to proceed safely through the timber that was stuck in every part of the channel, we landed and sent the small canoes ahead to hunt. Towards evening we overtook them, and encamped, having been able to advance only eighteen miles. The weather was very warm, and the rushes in the bottoms were so thick and high that we could scarcely hunt; still, we were so fortunate as to obtain four deer and a turkey, which, with the hooting owl, and the common buzzard, crow, and hawk, were the only game we saw. Among the tim- ber was the cottonwood, sycamore, ash, mulberry, papaw, walnut, hickory, prickly ash, and several spe- cies of elm, interspersed with great quantities of grape- vines, and three kinds of peas.

" September 14. We resumed our journey, and this being the part of the river to which the Kanzas resort for the purpose of robbing the boats of the

MEET WITH MANY TRADING PARTIES 191

traders, we held ourselves in readiness to fire upon any Indians who should offer us the slightest indig- nity, as we no longer needed their friendship, and had found that a tone of firmness and decision was the best possible method of making a proper impres- sion upon these freebooters. We did not, however, encounter any of them, but just below the old Kanzas village met three trading boats from St. Louis, on their way to the Yanktons and Mahas. After leaving them we saw a number of deer, of which we killed! five, and landed on an island fifty-three miles from our last encampment.

" September 15. A strong breeze ahead prevented us from proceeding more than forty-nine miles, to the neighbourhood of Hay Cabin Creek. The Kan- zas was very low at this time. About a mile beyond it we landed to examine the situation of a high hill, which has many advantages for a trading house or fort ; while on the shore we gathered great quantities of papaw, and shot an elk. The low grounds were now delightful and the whole country exhibited a rich ap- pearance; but the weather was oppressively warm, and descending as rapidly as we did from a cool, open country, situated in the latitude of from 46° to 49°, in which we had been for nearly two years, to the wooded plains in 38° and 39° the heat would have been almost insufferable but for the winds constantly blowing from the south and southeast.

" September 16. We set out at an early hour, but the weather soon became so warm that the men rowed but little. In the course of the day we met two trading parties on their way to the Pawnees and

192 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

Mahas, and after making fifty-two miles, landed on an island, and remained there till the next morning.

" September 17. We started early, and passed in safety the island of the Little Osage village. This place is considered by the navigators of the Missouri as the most dangerous part of it, the whole stream being compressed, for two miles, within a narrow channel crowded with timber, into which the violence of the current is constantly washing the banks. At the distance of thirty miles we met a Captain M'Clellan, lately of the United States army, with whom we encamped. He informed us that the general opin- ion in the United States was that we were lost, the latest accounts of us being from the Mandan village. Captain M'Clellan was on his way to attempt to open a new trade with the Indians. His plan was to estab- lish himself on the Platte, and after trading with the Pawnees and Ottoes, to prevail on some of their chiefs to accompany him to Santa Fe, where he hoped to obtain permission to exchange his merchandise for gold and silver, which were there abundant. If this should be granted, he would transport his goods on mules and horses from the Platte to some part of Louisiana, convenient to the Spanish settlements, where he would be met by the traders from New Mexico.

" September 18. We parted with Captain M'Clel- lan, and within a few miles passed the mouth of Grand River, below which we overtook the hunters who had been sent forward the day before. They had not been able to kill anything nor did we see any game except one bear and three turkeys, so that our whole stock of nrovtsions was reduced to one biscuit for

THEY APPROACH ST. LOUIS 193

each person ; but as there was an abundance of papaw, the men were perfectly contented. The current of the river was more gentle than when we had ascended the water being lower, though it was still rapid in places where it was confined. We continued to pass through a very fine country for fifty- two miles, when we encamped nearly opposite to Mine River. The next morning,

" September 19, we worked our oars all day, with- out taking time to hunt, or even landing, except once to gather papaws; and at eight o'clock reached the entrance of the Osage River, a distance of seventy- two miles. Several of the party had been for a day or two attacked with soreness of the eyes, the eye- ball being very much swelled, and the lid appearing as if burned by the sun, and being extremely painful, particularly when exposed to the light. Three of the men were so much affected by it as to be unable to row. We therefore turned one of the boats adrift, and distributing the men among the others, we set out a little before daybreak,

" September 20. The Osage was at this time low, and discharged but a very little quantity of water. Near the mouth of the Gasconade, where we arrived at noon, we met five Frenchmen on their way to the Great Osage village. As we were rapidly moving along, we saw on the banks some cows feeding, when the whole party almost involuntarily raised a shout of joy on perceiving this image of civilization and do- mestic life.

" Soon after, we reached the little French village of La Charette, which we saluted with a discharge of four guns, and three hearty cheers. We then landed,

194 LEWIS AND CLARKE'S EXPEDITION

and were received with kindness by the inhabitants, as well as some traders from Canada, who were going to traffic with the Osages and Ottoes. They were all equally surprised and pleased at our arrival, for they had long since abandoned all hopes of ever seeing us again.

" These Canadians have boats prepared for the navigation of the Missouri, which seem better cal- culated for the purpose than those of any other form. They are in the shape of a bateaux, about thirty feet long and eight wide; the bow and stern pointed, the bottom flat, and being propelled by six oars only: their chief advantage is their width and flatness, which saves them from the danger of rolling sands.

" Having come forty-eight miles, and the weather threatening to be bad, we remained at La Charette till the next morning,

" September 21, when we proceeded, and as sev- eral new settlements had been made during our ab- sence, we were refreshed with the sight of men and cattle along the banks. We also passed twelve canoes of the Kickapoo Indians going on a hunting excur- sion. At length after proceeding forty-eight miles, we saluted with heartfelt satisfaction the village of St. Charles, and on landing were treated with the greatest hospitality and kindness by all the inhabitants of the place. Their civility detained us till ten o'clock the next morning,

"September 22. when the rain having ceased, we set out for Coldwater Creek, about three miles from the mouth of the Missouri, where we found a canton- ment of United States troops, with whom we passed the day; and then,

THE JOURNEY ENDED 195

" September 23, descended to the Mississippi, and round to St. Louis, at which place we arrived at twelve o'clock; and having fired a salute, went on shore, where we received a most hearty and hospitable wel- come from the whole village."

NOTE.

This volume completes the History of the Expedition of Captains Lewis and Clarke during the years 18(H-5-6 undertaken by order of the Government of the United States and which was the first narrative which diffused widely at that time a knowledge of the so-called "Oregon" Ter- ritory and the intermediate territory from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. /

The preceding volumes are as follows:

"Up the Missouri with Lewis and Clarke, Pioneers." THE SUPERIOR SERIES.

"Captains Lewis and Clarke of the United States Army, Daring and Success- ful Explorers." THE SUPERIOR SERIES.

"In The Rocky Mountains, Great Difficulties and Dangers encountered by Captains Lewis and Clarke." THE SUPERIOR SERIES.

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IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS; By Paul Allen.

A complete story graphically told about the discovery of the headwaters of the Columbia River.

CAPTAINS LEWIS & CLARKE OF THE U. S. ARMY; By Paul Allen.

A history of the Northwest Expedition during the years 1804 to 1806, by order of the Government of the United States.

EDMUND DANTES; By Alexander Dumas.

The sequel to The Count of Monte Christo, one of the greatest novels ever written*

DIARY OF A PILGRIMAGE AND SIX ESSAYS; By Jerome K. Jerome.

Interesting observation's made by a Pilgrim in Germany and at the Ober-Ammergau Passion Play.

THE DEMONIAC; By Walter Besant.

An interesting story of college life and the experiences of a young man possessed with a strange spirit.

THE HOUSE OF THE WOLF; By Stanley J. Weyman.

A modern English version of a curious French Memoir written about the year 1620 by Anne Vicounte de Caylus.

THE ROMANCE OF A POOR YOUNG MAN; By Octave Feuillet.

A comprehensive entertaining tale written in an enchant- ing style that will keep the reader interested from the first chapter to the last.

JACK AND THREE JILLS; By F. C. Philips.

A delightful and original novel that bears the mark of being written by a man of the world who knew how to enjoy himself.

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The Superior Series

The Best Books of the Best Authors

CAPTAINS LEWIS & CLARKE; or Adventures in The Northwest Territory. By Paul Allen. A true story of Adventures on the Missouri.

IN CAMP ON WHITE BEAR ISLAND; or In Con- flict with The Indians. By Paul Allen.

An interesting story concerning the manners and customs of the native inhabitants of the Northwest.

A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT; or The Ad- ventures of Claudius Bombarnac. By Jules Verne. Adventures among the various races of Central Asia.

MARIE ANTOINETTE OF FRANCE; By John S. C. Abbott.

Daughter of Francis and Marie Theresa ; married Louis XVI. The author has pictured the great gifts and powers of Marie Antoinette as well as her faults and weaknesses.

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS; By Jacob Abbott.

An intensely interesting story of a lovely woman and an unfortunate queen. She was proclaimed Queen of Scotland ten months and seven days after her birth.

THE CHESS PLAYER; and Eleven other Masterful Stories and Essays. By Edgar Allan Poe.

QUEEN ELIZABETH : By Jacob Abbott.

A complete history of a queen who dexterously piloted her subjects past threatening disaster into a period of pros- perity and splendor.

MASTER ROCKEFELLER'S VOYAGE; By W. Clark Russell.

An extremely interesting story of Torn Rockafeller's ex- periences aboard the good ship Lady Violet.

OUTWARD BOUND; By Oliver Optic.

The experiences of the officers and crew of The Young America, also a full description of the routine and discipline of the ship.

PILGRIMS OF THE RHINE; By Edward Bulwer Lytton.

A collection of thoughts a:id sentiments that constitute •Jnt romance of Youth, also faithful descriptions of the Rhine.

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