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^BHHBMHI
mSTOKYof the FXPEDITION
UNDEK. THE COMMAND OF CAPTAINS
TFWIS& CLARKE
to the Souicesofthe Missouri,
checiceacrosstheRockyMoun-
nios and dowa the River
Columbia to thePad&c Ocean,
pttfarrtlcd JutiQg ihfi'CrlifS 1304-5-6
by Oidec of Che Gov«rpniH)t of the
UoitedStues
■
A camplece tepriniof che Bid die Edition o( 1B14
lo which ill Lhemembcnof ibcEipcdiiJQj)
coQuibuK-d
with an account of the
LouisiAna. Purchase bf
Rev. John Bach A^eMasfer
tad NocesupO[i(E"e Route
J
WTmiLLUSTgyinONS AND MAPS
1
U^ THXEE VOLUMES
Vol" me I
•
', : .-', ■ ■ 1' ' • ' '• i r**' "'" ■**.
MCMXXil
^TT FRTON BOOK CO.
NewYoik
i
^^^^
1
CopyHghc, 1^6. hf
WiUianu-Baiker Co.
347799
Fiilited In cka Ualied Sum pf \"Bert«
PUBLISHERS' KOTE
The advaTitages of an int-eresttng.
straightforward, consecutive narratiTe oveT
an exhaustive and exhausting compilation
of all avaiJable material are well illuattated
in the Biddle edition of the Journals of
Lewis and Clark.
For nearly a century this has remained
and will remain the popular and Batisfae-
tory narrative of the greatest American
exploration. With, the daily jomrials of
the two leaders before him and the records
kept by the other members of the eipedi-
tion, Nicholas Biddle, the real editor, was
confronted with a mase of material amount-
ing to over 1,200,000 words. Very fortu-
nately he was free from any pedantic ambi-
tion for literal comprehensiveness, and with
rare editorial judgTiient he prepared this
history, which, in addition to its pre-emi-
nent importance, has the virtues of attract-
ivenesSj clearness, and unfailing interest.
It is one of the many curious features of
this eventful exploration that Biddle's mod-
esty and other reaaong should have led to
the withdrawal of his name, and that the
name of Paul Allen, whose part was insig-
nificant, ehoiild appear ae editor.
In. presenting the Lewis and Clarli Jour-
nals in this convenient and accessible edi-
tion, the publishers have been fortunate in
enlisting the co-operation of th« distin*
I'UBLIKHERS' NOTE.
guished historinn, Professor Joha Bach.
ilcMaeter, whose account of the Louisiana
Purchase, and the transfer of this vast ter-
jitory to the Uuited States, serves aa an
appropriate inti-oJuctlon to the picturesque
narrative of the explonition of the territory
purchased. Each volume contains pref-
atory notes identifying the principal points
along^ the route auil explaining references
in the Journals. These ieaturea, in addi-
tion to the convenient size of theae volumes,
provide a work which it is believed will
remain the most useful popular edition of
the Lewis and Clark Journals.
^
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
By John Eaeli McMaster, LL. D.
When our co^intry became a soverei^,
free, and mdependent nation, our territory
nowhere touched the Gulf of Mt-xieo, nor
was our iliig anywlittrc to be seen beyond
the Mississippi River. Spain oivnctl the
f^reat V,^est and tJ:e inland on which stood
T^ew OrleanR, anil litid jn.=t obtained frDni
ftreat Rritaiii a retrortssian nf Mnrida flod
flll tbe tt'rriti^ry "oulh of Hist '""igr^e of
north l;»titL'rk\ Uut S-min rlain'etl more,
find duriii.e sixfeen years heM nrnied poe-
pe«FioTi of much nf the preFcnt Statep of
Alabama snd Mipsipsippi* displayed her
flae and maintained ber farrisons on. -many
a bluff as far np the Mississippi as Tennes-
see, HTid clnsfd the Father nf Wiiters to
navigation bv citizens o£ the United Rtnt-es.
Not till 1795, wh^^n we made our firet
treaty "K'ith Sjwin. did we obtain from her
a recopmition of the 3lBt degree of latitude
aa part of our southern bonndary. a promise
to withdraw her garrisons nortii of that
line (which was oot done till J799), find a
right to depoEit goods at New Orleans for
esportation.
To our forefathers these eonceeaiona
seemed little enouph. The treaty ac-
Itnowledged the validity of a boundary lijifc
THE LOmSIAFfA PURCHASE.
given ua at a time when Great Britain
Owned the territnry to the north and to the
south of it. The treaty p^t^Tid^?d for the
removal of armed forces from a oountry
■There they had no right to he, and granted
lo a frieniily nation the cornmercifil use of
H riTer, one hank: of which it owned from
the source almost to th* inoT]th. Yet, mild
and loral as were its provisions, they E.et
in motion a traia of events which in ei^ht
years brought us the vast domain known
SB Louisiana.
That Spain shonld he short -sigh ted
enoiifrh to make auch concessions astonished
and alarmed Talleyrand, who then served
the French Direetow as Minister of For-
eign Affairs. " The tJnited States," he said
to a minister he was about to dispatch to
Madrid, " have heen put in possession of
the forts along the Mississippi." It was
essential that Spain should hold these forts
in order to stop the progress of the Ameri-
can?, whq were devoured hy pride, amhition,
and enpidity, Tbey were determined to
rule Ameriea. The only way to put an end
to this amhition was to shut them "up
within the limits which nature seemed t«
have traced for them. Bnt Spain was in
no condition to do this great work. She
would do well, therefore, to cede to France
Rast find West Florida and Louisiana, and
" from that moment the power of America is
tiouncled bynucli limits na it nmy suit the iotercata
of Frnace aail Spain to ftsslga her."
The French Minister at the Court of
Madrid waa aecordinglj instructed to seek
TEE 3X1UISIANA PTJECEASE.
for a eession to France of the territory in
queation; but ere the scheme waa carried
out Tallejiand fell frotn power, the Direc-
tory was overthrown, Najjolcon returned
from Kgypt, and, by hia coup d'etat, made
htmaelf master of I'ranee.
Once safely estahlifihed as First Consulj
N'apoleon recalled Talleyrand to hie old
post of Minister of foreign Affaire, and
then negotiations for the retraceesion of
Louisiana went rapidly forward. So
rapidly^ indeed, that on the Ifit of October,
ISOO, at San lldefonso, Charles of Spain
signed a eecret treaty which bound him to
return to i^'apoleon the Louisiana which, in
1763, France had given to Spain.
Talleyrand had triumphed. The Ameri-
cana were now to be shut up within the
limits which nature had traced for them;
their ambition was to be checked, and Euch.
bounds as pleased France and Spain were
to he Bet to their power. All ttus seemed
certain to happen, yet none of it was ever
to come about. How news of the secret
treaty leaked out and came to the knowl-
edge of President Jefferson; how two years.
slipped by before Napoleon reeeiTed the
order on the Spanish officials for the de-
livery of Louisiana; how hifi plans for send-
ing over an armed force to occupy the
province were delayed by the destructioh.
of his army in Saa Domingo and the lack
of transports at home; how daring all this
time not so much as a formal protest waa
entered by our Government, need not be
related. It is enough to know that at this
critical moment the Spanish Intendant at
Is.
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
"New Orleans came to our aid, and, without
authority and in flat violation of the treaty
o£ 1795, took away the right of deposit at
Ifew Orleans and cloaed the fiLssissippi to
our trade and commerce.
As news of this act spread nortljward
during the late autumn of 1802 the people
in Tennessee and Kentucky and in Oliio
(just about to enter the Union as a State)
cried out for war. How, during the next
seesion of Congress, the Federalists took
up the CTj and strove to force the war; how
Jefferson asked for two millions of dollars
■with, which to buy Weet FloTida and New
Orleans, and so acquire the entire east bank
of the Missisaippi River; how the money
was appropriated; how Monroe was sent to
aid Livingston in making the purchase;
how Talleyrand strove to prevent the sale;
Tiow Livin^ton passed over him and ap-
plied to the First Consul; how Napoleon
met the offer to buy West Florida and New
Orleans with, a tender of all Louisiana; how
the price was fixed, and the treaty ratified
by the Senate, is a story too long to be
retold.
Congress having appropriated the money
(S15,000,000) with which to pay for
Louisiana, nothing remained to be done
save to prepare for the formal ctelivery of
the province to the United States.
Quite early in the year, when Napoleon
bad as yet no thought of seiJiiije;^ the prov-
ince, a plan for its government had been
drawn up, and Peter Clement Lanssat sent
out as Colonial Prefect. He reached New
Orleans late in March and promptly iaaned
THE LOUISIANA PCBCHASE.
a proclamation in the name of the French
Republic. He began by denouncing' the
eeparatioc of Louisiaiia from France in
1763 ag the niost Rhameful act ever (?otic
"by a weak and corrupt ffovemin&nt; praised
the love and loyalty which, in Rpite of this
deed, the French of Louisiana had ever
shown toward the mother country; re-
minded them that one of the first acts of
the " mBgnanimouB, juet, and powerful
Government of Bonaparte" was to secure
a retrocession, and promised that all man-
ner of happiness should follow' the v^vf
union of the mother country and her
colony. A few of the French were de-
ligbtedj and gave vent to their pleasure in
long addresses to the Prefect, full of ardent
wishes for the arrival of the expected ex-
pedition and the beginning of French rnle.
By the msBg of the people Lausfiat was
received with eoldneea or alarm. His proc-
lamation, "wrote an eye-witnesa of the
events of the timej
"b&sbecD heard byEomcwilh BQiiuess, aDd byUio
greater part of the iiiliabi tan ta witli tlie enme indifFer-
e-nce B3 the beat of the drtim is listened to wliCti it
vu]c>ut)c«a the escape of 3 alsTe or & bsU &t sTictlqn."
Not a few, recalling Napoleon's declara-
tion. " Inhabitants of St. Domingo, what-
ever may be your colour or your ori^n, you
are all free! " feared that a day might soon
come when a like decree might he pro-
claimed in the streets of New Orleans.
The Spaniiih part of the popidfition were
far from pleased, and no pains were spared
by their rulers to persuade, and, if necea-
THE LOUISIANA PUKCHASE,
sar}\ fnrce them to quit Louieiantt and take
up their nhofie in Cuba. Scarcely had the
Marquia ot Casa Calvo, charged with the
duty of delivering the province to France,
eet foot in New Orleans than officers of the
militia, the clergy, the small planters, the
people about the posts, were required to
eay whether they would or woidd not
remain suhjecta of the crown of Spain, and
more than one who answered nay was made
to euflcr for his tenaetity. The Urau]ine
nuDB, recalling the cloeing of the religious
houses in France in the early days of the
Eevolution, petitioned the King for leave
to depart and find a new home somewhere
else in his dominione. PermiGsion was
given, and on Whitsunday, whon the snnset
gun. boomed from Fort St Charlee. sixteen
Dune. escorted by the Governor-General, by
the Marquis de Caea Calvo, and a great
crowd of eitizensj walked from their con-
vent to a ehip and Bailed away.
N'apoleon^a declaration of war with Great
Britain having prevented the departure of
the troops and General Victor, who was
to have received Louieianfl from Spain,
Laussat found himself without office,
authority, or support, and iiUed his dis-
patches to Minieter Deor&s with deserip-
tions of the city and its government. The
fortifications erected a few years before by
Catojidelet, he said, we^e falling into ruins.
The palisade was gone, or where it still
Ktood was rotten; the towers were crum-
bling, the ditches filling np, the bridges in
decay, and the gates off their hinges and
lying on the ground. Juatiee, he declared.
■^PHE LOriBIANA PURCHASE.
was bought and sold; every offidal, gov-
ernor, iQtendant. judge, collector — all, in
fact, down to the constable, were Tenal,
and in these etatements, broad as they are,
he was borne out by the American Consul
in his diepatcbes to Washington.
In July rumours Tverc current that
Louisiana bad been sold to the United
States. LauBsat indignantly denied them
as the work of Ang"lo-Americans-, till one
day a vessel from Bordeaux brought him
a commission to receive the province from
France and tnm it over to the United
States.
The dayohosen for the first of these cere-
monies, Wednesday, November 30, 1803,
opened dark and lowering. Casa Calvo,
Salcedo, and LausBat, attended by the
clergy, the military officers, and the people,
■met in the Cabildo, where T-iaussat pre-
sented an ordor from the King of Spain
■foT the delivery of I>ouisiana and his au-
thority from Kapoleon to recejve it in the
'name of France. The keys of New Or-
leans were then handed him; Salcedo and
Casa Calvo declared Louisiana and ita de-
pendencies to be the property of France,
and absolved from alle|riaiice to Spain
fill Bubject* of his Christian Majesty who
"wished to 3ive under the authority of
France. This done, the commissioners
went out on the balcony and looked down
on a eea of upturned faces and the Place
d'Armes — not the little fenced park of to-
day, hut a great parade ground that
stretched away from the cathedral to the
levee that ehut out the waters of the Miss-
xiii
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
ifisippi. In the presence of these dig-
nitaries the batintT ol: Hpain, which Actt
from the staff in the centre r,i the Place,
wfis lowered and saluted, and the Tricolour
raised in its stead. Spanish municipal
goTernment was immediatelj abolished, a
Frenoh. city government substituted, and
the sale of Louisiana to the United Statea
formally aTinounced by proclamation. No
French, troops came with Laussat; the
Spanish militia ehowed no willingneeB to
serve under France till the arrival of ths
Americans; just when they wonid come was
nncertain, and during the interval the city^
it was feared, might become the ficcna of
diflorder and crime- Such of our country-
men, therefore, as business or curiosity had
brought to New Orleans, formed a volun-
teer company, and, joined hy many young'
creole&t offered their eervicea to Laussat,
and thenceforth armed bands patrolled the
streets by day and by night.
But it was not in New Orleans alone that
fears for the safety of the oity and province^
were entertained. At Washington the
Spanish Minister had three times protested
against the Bale of Ix)uistana. Napoleon
had not as yet made good the conditions
of retroceesion. Nay, he had flatly violated
one of tliom, for he had pledged himself
never to part with the province, but keep
it ever a dependency of France. That the
protest at Washington mi^ht be followed
by armed resistance to the transfer at New
OVleane seemed so likely to Jefferson that
he ordered part of the militia of Ohio, Ken-
tweky, and Tennessee to be ready to march
THE LOnSJANA PURCHASE.
at fi jnomcnt'^ jiotice, pent troops tn
ItTatfhez, pnthered others at Fart Adnins
Boar the old boundfiry line, and hftde Gov-
ernor Clfiiborne bring si>ine with him from
Mississippi.
The tvay com miapi oners on "behalf of the
TTnitefi Rtatpp wpre W^ C. C Claiborne,
Governor of the Mispisaippi Territory, and
General James "Willcmson. They met at
Port Adnms in December, and at onre set
oni for New- Orleans, a.n(l on the 17th of
the month camped two miles from the city
gate. Visits of ceremony delayed their
entrance till the morning- of December
20th, when the commissionere and the
troops marched throuKh the Tchoupitoulaa
gate and on to the Place d'ATines, where
the ceremony of the transfer to France was
repeated in the hall of the Cabildo, or
Hotel de Ville, ae it now began to be
called.
The credentials of Claiborne and Wilkin-
8on, the treaty of purchase, the powers of
Laussat, and the pro(^h~ttcrhal were read
alond; the deliver^" of Louisiana to the
TJnited States was proclaimed, tbe Iteys of
the city were handed to Claiborne, and all
who chose to become citizens of the United
States were formally absolved from alle-
giance to France. A short speech by Clai-
borne followed befnro tbe commissioners
stepped out on the balconv to wjtne«a the
tranefer of flao;?. The Tricolour at the top
of the staff wa.'? now drawn down, and the
Stars and Stripes at the foot of the pole
raised till the two met in the middle, where
both were saluted by the forts, the veasela
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
at the levee, and the battery on the Place
d'Armes. Our flag was then raised to the
top of the staff, and that of France lowered
and carried away with much ceremony and
placed in the hands of LauBsat.
xvl
THE ROUTE OF LEWIS AND
CLARK.
VOLUME I.
From St. Xxiuls to the Three Forks of the Miuouri
<M8/ li. 1804, 10 July 27, 180B.)
The camp in which the Lewis and Clark
expeditioD passed the winter of 1803-04 was
on the eastern side o£ the Miaaiaaippi, at the
mouth of Wood, now Du Bois Biver, near St.
Louis. It was on Monday, May 14, 1804,
that they left this camp to begin the most
notable exploration in American history.
They were to ascend the MiGaouri and the
Yellowstone, oross the Eocky Mountains,
and descend Lewis's (now Salmon) River,
the Clearwater, and the Columbia to the Pa-
cific coast. In the course of this journey
they were to pass through or by the present
States of MisBoxiTi, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska,
South Dakota, North Daliota, Montana,
Idaho, Waahington, and Oregon. Alto-
gether, between May, 1S04, and the return
to St, Louis in September. 1806, they were
to travel in boats, on horses, and on foot
some 8000 miles.
This was not the first great journey
through the West. In 1536 a Spanish fugi-
tive, Ahar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, had
xvU
THE ItOUTE OF LEWIS AND CLARK
reached the Spanish Fettlernents in Mexico,
after an oyerland journej which began near
the Tnouth of the MissisBippL In 1541
Coronado's extraordinary joiimeyj* from
Mexico to northeastern Kansas, was th&
first exploraticm of the interior of the West.
On the North in 1771-72, Saranel Heame
made his way to the Arctic Ocesn^ and in
1793 Alexander Mactenzief crossed the con-
tinent and reached the Pacific hy "way of
the Fraaer River, Lewis and Clark were the
first to cross the continent mthin the
present limits of the United States and the
leaders of the first great eiploration of the
West.
When the expedition was finally ready to
start it was nearly four in the afternoon,
and the first day's jonrney was a short one-
Camp was made near Cold Water Creek, a
little above Bellefontaine, Miesouri, On
May 21 Captain Lewis, who had been de-
tained at St. Lonis, overtook them at the
little settlement of St. Charles, which bears
the same name to-day, and the expedition
was then finally under way.
The opening chapt&r tells the atoiy of
the journey as far as the mouth of the
Platte River in Nebraska. While ascending
the river through the State of Missouri they
camped, on June 3 (p. 45), on Iforeaii
Creek, near Jefferson City, and on the
10th (p. -18) they reached the countty
of the Ayaunay, or Iowa Indiana, not
*Tllis naTT&tiye, translated by George Parker
Winsliip, ia included Iti the TraU-MakerB'Kerlce.
t See " Mackenzle'a Jouiuals" io the Trail-Hakera.*
Series.
THE EOOTE OF 1.EWI8 AND CLAH^
far from the centre of Miasoiiri. A
more important landmark whb reached
on June 26 (p. 64), when they reached
the mouth of the Kansas Hiv^r and saw
the future site of Kansas City, Missoupj,
As they ascended the MJasouri from this
point their course became more nearly
northerly. Ahovc Kansas City they passed
the sites of Leavenworth, Atchison, and St.
Joseph. The middle of Jnty hrought them
to Nebraska and Iowa, and the chapter
closes at the mouth of the Platte.
The camp described in Chapter II. (p.
11) as some ten miles from the Platte was
on the east «ide of the Miesouri, probably
about ten milea below the cities of Council
Bluffs and Omaha. While the fornier city
is named from the council described in this
chapter (pp. 77-79), the cfraudl was held
several miles above the city on the west
bank of the river. The death of Sergeant
Floyd (p. 90) occxirred near Sioux City,
Iowa.
In late August the explorers entered
South Dakota. The "Mountain of Little
Spirits," described at the beginning of
Chapter IIL (pp. 9.5-90), ia in Clay County,
South Dakota, and hag tept the name of
Spirit Mound. The Yankton Rifer, noted
on page 99, is now the Dakota, and at its
mouth* near which, the council was held
(pp. 100-104). 13 situated the city of
Yankton. A little above Yankton near
Bon Homme Island, which keeps its
nam*, the explorere found the sand
dunes, described and pictured, pages
108-109, which they mifitook for forti-
2ix
THE EOUTE OF LEWIS AND CLAKE.
fications. The " goats," and " little ani-
mals" of page 113j were antelopes and
prairie dogs. The " backbone of a £eb '*
(p. 115) was the reinain& of a giant reptile
ol the Cretaceous period, and the " white
bear " mentioned frequently from this time
on was the grizzly bear. The prairie doga
are also spoken of as " barking squirrels."
In Chapter IV. the esplorera, in their as-
cent through the Dakotaa, Leave the country
of the Teton Sioux for that of the Arikaras.
They passed the mouth of Dog Hiver, which
rises in the Black Hills. The " prairie
eocke " (p, 146) , were prairie chickens, and
th.e "small elk," big-horns or Kooky Moun-
tain Bheep. "Stone Idol Creek" (p. 159)
is now Spring Kiver, in Campbell County,
South Dakota. Passing on into North Da-
kota, on October 31, they reached " Chiss-
hetaw/' now Heart River, which enters the
Missouri near Biamarek, where th.e North-
em Pacific Railroad erosses the river.
The villages of the Mandan Indians then
occupied the site of the future city of Bis-
marck, and it was near them, not far from
the mouth of Big Knife Kiver, that Lewis
and Clark, in early November, 1804, ee-
tablifihed the Trinter camp deaeribed in
Chapter V. They had now travelled 1600
miles from St. Louis.
^ On April 7, 1805, Chapter VII.. (p. 342),
tlie erplorers re-embarked to cwntinne their
journey, taking with them an interpreter,
Chaboneau, his child, and hi£ wife, the faith-
ful Sacagawea, th,e only woman of the party,
whose courage and reaource fulness make a
touching and -vini part of this narrative of
XX
THE ROUTE OF LEWIS AND CLABK.
adventure, hardshipj «nd peril. From the
ilandan Tillages Lewis and Clark sent back
reports which furnished the only news of
the explorers until their return in Septem-
ber, 1806. The finding of the Yellowstone
Kiver, described in the later pages of Chap-
ter VII., was not an original dlEcovery,
since the river was already known to the
French trappers as La Roche Jaune.
In Chapter VII, the "ealta" referred to,
are the alkali of the plains. The journey
through Montana which ia described in this
chapter ie full of incidente, but it is only
necessary here to identify " Porcupine
Eiver" (p. 272) with Poplar River, at
whose mouth ia an Indian agency, and also
to note the diseoveries of Milk and Big Dry
Bivers, which preserve their namea. al-
though the important " MuscleBhell " Eiver
of the expforerB, pages 293-94, has become
the Musselshell.
The erperiences described in the open-
ing pagea of Chapter IX. occurred while the
party were to the westward of the present
town of Carrol!.. Montana. Their firet
glimpse of the Hocky Mountains, on May
3G, 1805 (p. 302), was near Cow Creek,
Montana, The specimens o£ Montana's
natural wonders sketehed on pagea 312-315,
in the acoouuta of the " Cathedral Rocks,"
as they hare sometiines been termed, are to
the e&stward of the town of Opbir, Mon-
tana, where the explorers, two days later,
found the mouth of Maria's River.
In Chapters X. and XI. a more important
discovery ia described, that of the Great
PftUa of the Missouri. The euiYeya and
£3i
THE ROUTE OF LEWIS AND CLAHK.
measurements made by Captain Clark have
been proved accurate of recent years by a
manufacturing company, and the fact im-
parts an added interest to hid map (p. 347).
The bears which thun disturbed the trav-
ellers have now given place to the town of
Great Palls with some 13,000 people.
When the journey was continued, Chap-
ter Xll., the travellers were puzzled by the
crookedness of the MisBonri. Its general
conrse was northward, and they were there^
foie journeying soiith. Their reference to
the " north bank '^ therefore should be un-
derstood aB the west, while the " south
bank '^ is the east. As to Dearborn's
Eiver (p. 393), it may be noted that the
secretary's name was afterward given to
Fort Dearborn, which was the nucleus of
Chicago. In this southward progreea the
party had the main Rocky Mountain Range
on their ri^^ht and the Bi^ Bi^lt Mountains
on their leftj and their route was in part
between Meagher County on the east, and
Lewis and Clark County on the west. On
July &5 they reached the Three Forks of
the Missouri. They were approaching the
mountsins dividing the bead, waters al the
Missouri and the Columbia, and the end of
Volume 1. leaves them at this point seek-
ing a way through these mountain barriers.
R. H.
X3di
Pretace.
In presenting these votnmeB to the puliUc, the
editor owes equally tc him^lf and to others, to
gtS-t« the circumgta.DceB which have preceded th9
pabliuattoD, and to explaia hie own ehare in. com-
pitiug them.
It woA the origliial desi^ of captain. LewiB to
have been himwlf the editor of hie own travels,
and he waa on hia way towards Philadelphia for
that purpose when hie snddeTi death frustrated
tbeee intentions. After a congidemble and iiik-
aTOidable delay, the papers couuected witli the
expedition were deposited with another gentle-
man, who, in order to render the lapee of time as
little injartoua as poeeible, proceeded immediately
to collect and inrestigate all the materials within
hia reach.
Of the incidents of each iay during the expedi-
tion, a mtoQte journal was kept by captain Lewis
or captain Clark, and aometimeB by both, whith
wae afterwarde revifled and enlarged at the differ-
ent perioda of leiaiii* which octtiTred oa the ront*.
These were uareiblly perue^ in conjunction with
captain Clark himself, who wae able irom hie
own recollectioa of the journey, ae well ae from a
constant residence in Louisiana since hia retiim, to
enpply a great ma^ of explanations, and much
additional information with i*gard to part of the
route which has been more recently explored. B*-
eidee tbeae, recooree was hp,d to the manuecript
joornata kept by two of the serjeants, one of
which, the leaat mLBUte and vatuatile, has already
been publiahed. That nothing might be wantuig
PBEPACL.
to the aecHf acy of these details, a verj intelligent
and active member of the pftrtj, Mr. George Shan-
noB, was sent to contribute whatever his memory
iQlght add to thlB accumulated fund of ioforma-
tion.
From these copions materiala the najeative waa
sketched iiearlj ia it« present form, when other
pursuits diverted the attentioii qf the writec, and
. compelled him to traa^tir liis mauuecript. Is Ite
nnfiniated state, with all the doeumenta conriect-ed
with it, to the present editor, to prepare them for
the presH and auperintend the publication. That
he may not Heem to arrogate any thing from the
exertiona of others, h» should therefore state that,
although the whole work was thus Bolimitted to
his entire discretion, he found but little to change,
and that his labour has been principalJj- coafitied
to reTifiing the manuscript, comparing it with the
Original papers, and inserting such additional mab-
ter as appears to have beeu int«ntioiial]j dejerrod
by the writer till the period of a more mature
reriBal, These cireumetances, which would other-
wise be inditilerent to the public, are mentioDed
merely to account for imperfections, which are in
Some degree inseparable from any book of traveU
not written by the traveller. In a work of pure
deBcriptlon indeed, like the present, whert^ the
Incidents themeelvea are the eole objects of attrac-
tion, the part of an editor ie necesaaril^v subordi-
nate, nor can his humble pretenaiuoB aspire be-
yond the merit of rigid adherence to facts aft they
are etated to him. This has been very diligently
attempted, and for this, io its full extent, the edi'
tor deems himself responsible.
The present volumes, it will be perceived, com-
priae Only the narrative of the joarney. Those
parts of the work which relate to the Tarious
iiiv
life of Captain Lewis.,
iloaticello, August 18, 1813.
Sr,— Jn complianrB witt tb« request cpn^eyed in
your letter of May 25, I hare «udearoured to ob-
tain, tbom tbe relatiooB aad friiinds •>( ihs late
governor Lewie, iaformation ol'such iacidente of
hie Ufo aa might be not unacceptable t- those who
may read the narrative uf his ic astern diec'-'reriee.
The ordiiiarj occurrence* of a private life, and
thoBe also while acting in a ea' ordinate sphere in
the arnif, in a time of peace, are not deemed euf^
ficientlf iuteregtiug tn occupy the pubhc atten-
(dott; but £k general aocount oliia par-ntage, with
such smaller iuridenta ae marlied bis earl^ char-
acter *re briefly Tinted ; and to tbese are addL.;, aa
bdog p.cnliucly within my own knowi.Jg«, what-
ever related to the pubhc miaidoii, <f which an
accDUDt w now to be publiBhed, The result of my
inquiries and recollections shall now be ofiered, to
be enlarged or abridged as you may think beat; or
otheFHiw to be iisL-d with t'e materials you may
have i^oilected from other sourcee.
Meriwether LewiB, late gureruor of Louisiana,
was bom on the eighteeuth of August, 1774, near
the town of Chariottefiville, in the county of Albe-
marle, in Mrginia, of one Of the dietdaguished
families of that state, .lohu Lewis, one of his
father's undeB, wae a memher of the Idng'fi coun-
cil, before the revolution. Another of them, Field-
ing Lewis, married a aiater of general Watihington.
Hie father, WilUam Lewia, was the ycjtiBge&E of
flye BOU8 of colonel Eobert Lewis, Of Albemarle,
th&fourtbof whom, Charles, was one of the earl/
xxvii .
LIFE OP CAPTAIN LEWIS.
patriots who atepped forwa.rd in the commence-
meat of the resolution, and commanded one of the
regimeatK first racsad In Virginia, and placed on
continental establishment, Happily ^itvat^d at
home, with a wife and joang familj, and a for-
tune placing him at eaee, he left all to aid in the
liberation of hie country from foreign usurpationB,
then firet unmaeking their nltimate end and aim.
His good sense, integritj-, bravery, enterprise, and
remarkable bodilj powers, marked him as an
officer of great proraiee; but be unfortunately died
early in the revolution. Nicholas Lewis, the aec-
ond of his father's brothers, commaaded a re^-
ment of militia tn the Buccesafhl expedition of
1T76, agatnetthe Cherokee Indiana; n^ho, eedui^ed
fay the agents of the British government to take
up the hatchet against ue, had committed great
haroc on our Southern frontier, by murdering and
Bcarlpin^ helpleea women and children, according
to their ernel and cowardly principles of warfare.
The cbaBtieemeuC they then received closed the
history of their wars, and prepared them for re-
ceiving the elcEDents of civilization, which, Beal-
Dusly inculcated by the present gorernment of the
United States, have rendered them an industrious,
peaceable, and happy people. Ihia member of the
family of Lewises, whose bravery waa so usefblly
proved on this occasion, was cndeftred tO all who
knew him by his Inflexible probity, courteous die'
poaition, benevolent heart, and engaging modeety
and manners. He waa the umpire of all the pri-
vate diSerencoB of hiB county— selected alwaya by
both parties. He waa also the guardian of Meri-
"wether Lewis, of whom we are hotf to speak, and
who had lost his father at an early age. He
continued eome years under the foetvring care of a
tender mother, of the respectable family of Ueri-
xxviii
UTE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
Wethers, of the same county ; and whb remarka-
bte eyeit in iorancj for etitcrpriae, bulduveB, aud
discretion. When only eight jeara of age he habi-
tually went out, in the dead of night, alone with
hiB dogs, into the ibreet to hunt the raccoon and
opoasutn, wliitt, eeeking theif food tit the night,
can then only be tak«n. In this exercise, no Hua-
8pn or circumstance could obstruct his purpose^
plnngiu^ through the winter's snows and frozen
Btreame in pursuit of his object. At thirteen he
waa put to the Latiu echool, and coutiuued at
that until eighteen, when he returned to hie
mother, and entered on the cares of hia farm;
having, as well aa a ji'ounger brother, been li^t by
iiin Ikther with a coinpeteacy for all the correct
aad comfort&ble purpoeee of t^mpurate life. HIb
talent for obserTation, which had led hira to aa
accurate knowledge of the plants and animals of
his own couutry, would have distinguished him as
a farmer; but at the age of twenty, j-ielding to
the ardour of youth, and a pauBJoa tor more
dazzling pursuits, he engag'ed aa a volunteer in the
body of militia which were called out by gfeneral
Waehiugton, on otfcaaion of the discontentB pro-
duced by the exeif* taxew in the weetern pat^a of
the United States; and from that situation h© was
removed tg the regular service as a lieut^aant ia
the line, At twenty-three he was promoted to a
captaincy; aad, always attracting the first atten-
tion where punctuality and fidelity were requisite;
he wflB appointed payraaBter to his regiment.
About thia tiiuB a circumstance occurred which,
leading to the traDsat^tion which is the subject of
this book, will Juatify a recurrence to Itii original
idea, While I residt^ in Pane, John Ledyard, of
Connecticut, arrived there, well known in the
rrnited States for energy of body and mind. He
xxi£
LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
bad accompanied captaJn Cook on hi^ voyage to
the FociSc oceaa; and dUtmguish&d hJmaelT on
that voya-ge by hiB iutrepidity. Being of a roam-
ing diapoaitJon, he was now panting for some new
eaterpriae. His immediate object at Fftria waa to
«nga^ a mercantilf! company in the Oir-trade of
the weBtem coast of America, in which, however,
he failed. I then proposed to him to go bj land
to Kamrvchatlm, cross in eome of the ilEiasiaa hsb-
aeie to Nootlca Sound, fail down iDto the latitude
of the Miasouri, and iwnetrate to, and through,
that to the United States. He eagerly seized the
idea," and only asked to be flsaured of thepermiB-
«>ion of the Kussian gOTemment. 1 int«reHted, in
obtaining that, M. de ^imoalin, minieter pLempo-
tentiary of the empreiis at Paris, but more espe-
cially the baron in Grimm, minieter plenipoten-
tiary of Sase-Gotha, her more apeeia! agent and
corrGBpondeat thepe in matters not immediately
diplomatic. Her permission was obtained, ajid an
asaurauce of protection while the course of the
Toyage should be through her territories. I^-
yard set out from Pariy, and arrived at Kt. Fetera-
burgh after the (;aipreaa iiad left that place to
pass the winter, I think, at Jfoscow. Hia flnancea
Dot perEO-itting him to make nimeceBBary stay At
i3t, Petersburgb, he left it with a paaftport ftom
one of the miui«tt;r«; and at two hundred miles
from KamBchatka, wag obliged to take up biBnin-
ter quartera, He was preparing, in the spring,
to reanme hia iourney, when he was arrested by
an olficer of the etnpreea, who by this time bad
changed her mind, and forbidden hie proceeding.
He was put into a dose carriege, and conveyed
day and night, without ever stopping, till they
reached I'oland; where he was eet don^n and left
to bimself. The fatigue of thia joumef broke
UPE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS,
dowa hie coastitution; and when he returned to
Paris* his bodily strength waa miich impaired.
His mind, howeTer, reraaiued firm, and lie aft«r
thi^ undertook the JQvirnej- to t'gypt. I receiTed a
letter Ecom him, full of aauguiue hopes, dated al
Cairo, the Etteenth of Noveiaber, 1788, the day
before he waa to aet out for the head of the Nile;
on which day, however, he ended his career and
life: abd thue. f^led the first attempt to explore
the western part of oar ^iorth^ni gontinent.
Id 1TU2, I propoeed to the American Philosoph-
ical Society that vra should set on foot a sub-
Bcription to eng-age some competent person to
explore that r^gioa in the opposite direction; that
Is, b^ asceuding the MiBHOUri, crOB&itig the Stoaf
Mountains, Aud de&(!ending the nearest river tothe
FaciSi;. Captaia Lewis h^'mg tbe^D stationed at
ChorlotteBTille, on the recruiting servicej warmljr
Bolicited me to obtain for Mm the execution of
that object. I told him it waa proposed that the
persoD. enjj^aged should t>e attead^d bj- a mngle
cooxpaaioa only, to avoid exciting alarm among
the Indianti, Tbi* did not deter him; but Mr.
Andre JJichaus, a professed botanist, author of
the Flora Boreali- Americana, and of the HiHtoire
dea ClieeneB d'Amerique, oflering hia serTiceBj the^
were accepted. He re«:eiTed hia isAtructioDB, and
when he had reached Kentncky in the proeecution
of hiHi jouraefr he wus overtakeii bj an order ftom
the Minister of France, then at Philadelphia, to
relinquish the espeditioo, aud to pursue elsewhere
the botaoical laQuiries on which he waa employed
by that goTernment: and thus failed the second
attempt for exploring that region.
In ldO<), the act for eetabhshing trading hoqees
with the Indian tribes being about to espire, eooie
.updidGat^oOH of it were recommended to cougresa
xxxi
UFE OP CAPTAIN LEWIS.
by a eonfld^ntial message of Jaaaarj 18tli, and
an estension of ite viewe to the IndianB on the
iliseouri. In order to prepare tie way, ttie mea-
sage pro[)o8ed the stadiug an exploring partf to
ttBj;^ the KfiBaourl to ittt source, to cross th«
Highlands, awd follow the l»e«t water-communica-
tion whicli offered itself from thence to the Pacific
oceaji. Congreaa approved the propoeition, and
TOted a sum of money for carrying it into eiecu-
tion. Captain Lewis, -who had thta been near
two jearift with me as private aecretary, immedi-
ately renewed his eolieitatjone to have the direc-
tion of the party. I had now had opportuaitiea
of knowing him intimately. Of courage un-
daunted; poHseesing a fipmnesB and pereeTerance
of purpofte ■which nothing but inipoBsibilitiee could
divert ft-om its direction ; careful tta a father of
those committed to his charge, y^t st-eady in the
maintenance of order and diBcipliite; iutlmatewith
the Indian character, cuetoms, and prtnciplee;
habituated to the hunting lifb; guarded, by exact
cbeervation of the Tegetablee and animals of hia
Own country, Against losing time in the descrip-
tion of objects already post^essed ; honest, disiQ'
t«reeted, literal, of b- uud underetanding, and a
fidelity to truth so scrupulous, that wha^ver he
Bhould report would tie as certain aa if Been by
onrwlTesj with an these qualifications, b« if ae-
leeted and implanted by nature in one body fbr
this eipresH purpose, I could have no hesitation in
confiding the enterprise to bim. To fill up tho
measure deeir^, he waJLted nothing but a greater
fomiliarity with the technical language of the
natural sciences, and readineefl in theastronoiDicBl
obaecrationa necessary for the geography of hia
roate. To acciuire these lie repaired immediately
to Philadelphia, and placed himself nrder ths
xxxii
_^ jA^h y— jJ l I
IJPE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
tntorage of tbe diBtinguiBhed profeeBore of tbat
place, who with a zeul and emulation, enkindted
by An ard^bt devotion to science, coiDrouQicated
to him freely tte information requisite for the piir-
poaee of the JQuraey. While Jittendjng too, at
Laocaeter, tbe fubricattOD of the arms with whicli
he choae that his men ebould be provided, he bad
the benefit of daity communicatioD ivlth Mr An-
drew Ellicot, wtoae experience in astronomical
obaeryatioD, and practice Of it in the woods,
enabled him to apprise captain Le-wia of the
wants and difficulties he would encounter, and of
the BubetituteB and reeources oBered b; a wood-
land and aniohabited country.
Deeming it neceeaary he should have BOme per-
son with him of Icnowa tompetence to the direc-
tion of the enterprise, in the event of accident to
blmBclf, be proposed WilUam Clark, brother of
general (leorge Sogers Clark, who waa spprored,
and, with that view, receifed a commisHion of
captain^
In April, 1803, a draught of hla instructionB
was sent to captain Lewis, And On the twentieth
of Jtme they were signed in the following' form;
"To Meriwether Lewis, eEquire, captain of tb«
first regiment of infantry of the TJntted States of
America:
"Tour Bituation aa necretary of the president of
the United States, has made you acquainted with
the objects of my confidential meHsage of January
18, 1803, to the legislature; you have seen the
act tbey passed, which, though expressed in gen-
eral terms, waa meant to Honctiou those objects^
and yon are appointed tc carry them into execu-
tion.
"Inatruments for ascertflintng, by celestial Obafir-
Tations, the geography of the coqntry through
xxxiii
LtFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
'"^hlcb yOti "wil! p&e^s, havelieeil &lrcady prOTided,
Light articles for barter and preeentB among the
IndiJUis, arroe for your atteiidarDts, say for l>Dm
ten to twelve men, boats, teatB, and other travel-
ling apparatuB, with ammunition, mediciM, surgi-
cal instrnmentBj and prOTiBiona, you "wiH have
prepared, with euth aide as tht BetretAry at ivac
can yield in Ma department; and from him also
yon Tvilt receive authority to engage among oup
troops, by Tolnntary agreement, the number of
attendants abOTementiDced; over whom you, as
their commanding officer, are inTested with all the
powers tJie lawB give in such a caee.
"As your movementa, while within the limits of
the United States, will he better directed by oce«-
eionalconnnunicationa, adapted to circam^tanceB
as they ariee, they will not "be noticed hejw. What
follows will respect your proceedinga after yonr
departure from the Dnit*d Statue.
"Your mie^OD has been communicated to the-
mlni^tera here fi-om France, Spain, and Great
Britaia, and through them to their govemmeatB;
and BDCh aeeurancee given them aa to its objects,
as we truBt will aatief^ them. The country of
Louisiana having been ceded by Spain to I^ance,
the poftaport you have IVom the minister of
Prance, the repreaentative of the present Bovereign
of tlie country, will be a protection with all its
Babjects; and that from the miniBter of England
will entitle you to the friendly aid of any tradera
of that allegiance with whom you may happen to
meftt.
"The object of yont miseion ia to explore the'
Miaeouri river, and auch printipal streams of it, ae,
by itscourse and communication with the waters of
the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregaji,
Colorado, or any other river, may oflfer the most
JXJtiT
UFE OP CAPTAIN LEWIS.
Jtrect and practicable water - communicatloii
across tie cOntiiieat, for the [lui^OeeB of com-
"Beginning at the month of tLe Miseoarir ;ou
will t&ke obaervations of latitude and longitude,
at all remarkable points on tike river, and es-
pedally at the montiia of rivera, at rapida, at
lelands, and other placea and objett^ distinguiahed
by anch natural marks and cbaractere, of a dqr*
abEe kiad, ae that thej may with certaioty be
recognised hereafter. The courecs of the river be-
tween these points ofobeervation may be supplied
by the compaHa, the log-line, and by time, corrected
by the obgerrationft tbemaelves. The Tariatione
of the needle^ too, in difier«nt places, should ba
noticed^
"The interesting points of the portage between
the heodd of the Mieidouri, aod of the water of-
fering the beet communication with the Facifle
ocean, should alao be fixed by observation; and
the course of that water to the ocean, in the saiuQ
maimer ae that of the Missouri.
"Your observations are to be taken with great
painB and acearacj; to be entered distinctly and
intelligibly for others as well aa yourself; to com-
prehend all the eleiueutfi ne^esaary, with the aid of
the tiaual tables, to fix the latitude and lon^tiidd
of the places at which thpy were taken ; and are
to be rendered to the war-offiee, for the purpose
of having the calculations made concnrrently by
proper personB within the United States. Several
copies of these, aa well aa of your other notce,
Ahould be made at leisure tiiaeu, and put into the
care of the most tmatwOrthy of your attendants
t* gaard, by nmltiplying them agaiust the acci-
deotal loBses to which they will be exposed. A.
further guard would be, that one of these copies
Vol. l.—'2 xrxT
LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
be on the caticular membraDeii of tte paper-birch,
as leas liable to injury from damp than common
paper.
"The commerce which may be carried oa with
the people iahabiting the line you will pursue,
renders a knowledge of those people importaDt.
You will therefore endeavoTir to make yourself
acquainted, as far as a diligent pureuit of your
journey ahaU admit, with the names of the aa-
tioD« and their Dumber^;
"The extent and limits of their poBBessioDB;
"Their relations with other trlhee or DAtiooa^
"Their laagnage, traditione, tnoanments;
"Their ordinary occupationB in agriculture, flah-
ing, hunting^ war, arte, and the implements for
these;
"Their foodj clothing^, and domefitic accommo-
dations:
"The dleeaBes prevalent among them, and the
remedifiB they uee ;
"Moral and pbyeical circnmBtanceB which dis^
tin^isb them ftora the tribes we know j
"Peculiarities in their I&wh, cuBtoms, and dtapo-
ntioiLa;
^'And articlee of commerce they may need or
fbmifih, and to what extent.
'^And, coDBideriag the interest which every na-
tion has in extending and strengthening the au-
thority of rea»oa and justice among the people
arodnd them, it will be uaefkil to acquire what
knowledge you can of the etate of morality, re-
ligion, and ioformatioa among them; aB it may
better enable those who may endeavour to civilise
and instruct them, to adapt their measures to the
existing notions and practices of those On whom
they are to operate,
"Other objects worthy of notice will bfr—
xxxtI
LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
'The soil and (kce of the country, itB growth
and Te|^tabl« productionB) especially thoBe not of
the United States;
"The animals of the country generally, and es-
pecially those not tnown in the United States;
"The remaiDR and aceounta of any which may
be deemed rare or extinct;
"The mineral productionB of every kind, but
more particularly tnetala, lime-etoue, pit-coal, and
saltpetre ; ealiaes and mineral waters, noting th«
temperature of the taut, and each eircumatancee a«
may Indicate theip character;
"Volcanic appearance*?;
"Climate, as characteriBcd by the thermometer,
by the proportion of rainy, cloudy, and clear
days; by lightmng', hail, snow, ice; by the access
a«d recee« of fVoet; by the winds pre-pailing at
diSbrent Beaeons; the datee nt which particular
planta put forth, or Iohc their flower or leaf; times
of appearance of parttcular birds, reptiles or in-
eecta.
"Although yoor route wil\ be alon^ the chaimel
of the Missonri, yet yon will endeavour to inform
yourself, by inquiry, of the charo^ter and ejiteat
of the country watered by ita branchea, and es-
pecially on its southern aide. The North river, or
Hio Bravo, which maa into the gulf of Mexico,
and the North river, or Rio Colorado, which niiia
Into the gulf of California, are understood to be
the principal streamH headiug opposite to the
watera of the MiaBouri, and running eouthwardly.
Whether the dividing grounds between the ilia-
Bonri and them are mountaiuR or flat lands, what
are their distance from the Missouri, the charELCter
of the intermediate Country, and the people in-
habiting it, are worthy of particularinqniry. The
northern waters of the UisRonri are lew to be
xxzyil
LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
Iflquirecl after, beoAQW they hg.ve been ascertauied
to a coDeideralile degree, aod are stiJI in ^eoaree
of aacertaiziiiient by English traders and traTCt
lera ; but if 7011 cau Eeani any thing certain of the
most northern aoui-ce of the Mieeieipi, fijid of iC«
position relatiTcly to the Lake of the WoQdft, it
will te ipteresting to as. Some Mcount too of the
path of the Canadian traders trom the MiBSiBipi,
at the mouth of the OuIbcoeibIu^ to where it
strikes the Mieeouri, and of the soil and riverb in
its coufee, is dbtiirable.
"In all your intercoTLree *ith the natives, treat
them in the moat friendly and conciliatory maoner
which their qwr conduct will admit; allay all
jealonaiea as to the object of your journey ; satiafy
thent ofits innocence; make them acquainted with
the position, eitent, character, peaceable andcom-
mercia! diBpoi^itions of the United States ; of our
wish to be neig-hbourly, friendly, and ueetlll to
them, and of oar diepoaitioDa to a commercial
Intercouree with theoi; confer with them on the
points moat coDvenient ae mutual emporiums, and
the articles of most desirable interchange for them
and us. If J* few of their influential chiefs, ■within
practicable distance, wish to visit ne, arrange
Goch a visit with them, and furnish them with
authority to call on our offlcera on their eotcriiig
the United Statea, to have them conveyed to this
place at the public expense. If any of them Bhonid
wish to have some of their young people brought
Qp with us, and taught such arts aa may be useful
to them, we will receive, iostruct, ftnd take care
of thera. Such a nuBsion, whether of influential
chiet^, or of young people, would give Bome b6-
curity to your own party. Carry with yon some
matter of the kiae-poi; inform those of them with
"(rhom you may be ofits etBcacy an a preservatiTe
xxxviii
TJPE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
from the Bmall-pox, and instnict sod encourage
them tn the nee of it. This may be especiaSI; done
■whereTer you winter.
"As it IB impossible for us to foresee in what
mfl.n.ner jon will be rweived hy tiiose people,
whether ^th boapltality or hostility, bd is it im-
poBBible to preecribe the eiact degree of perae-
wraace with which you are to putatie your jour-
ney. We value too much the lives of citiKens to
offer them to probable destruction. Your Dura-
bers will be sufficieut to secure you against th^
unautborieed opposition of iDdiyiduals.orDf small
parties; but if a euperior force, authorised, or
not authorized, by a nation, should be arrayed
againat your further paasa^, and inflexibly deter-
miued to flpreftt it, you tnust decline its further
pursuit and return, in the lose of youratilvea we
■hould lose also the information you will have
acquired. By returaing safely with that, yoamay
enable ub to renew the eBsay with better calcu-
late means. To your own diacretion, therefore,
moat be left the degree of danger you may risk,
and the point fi-t which yon should decline, only
saying, we wish you to err on the eide of your
Boiety, and to bring back your party safe, even if
It be with l«eB inforinatlou.
"As for up the Missouri aa the white settlementa
extend, an intercourse will probably be found to
ezJBt between them and the Spauiab posta of St.
Louis opposite Cahokla, or St. Genevieve opposite
KaskasWa, From fttill further up the river the
traders may fVirniRh a conveyance for letters. Be-
yond that you may perhaps be able to engage
Indiana to bring lettePB for the government to
Cahokift, or Kaekat^kia, oo promising that they
shall there receive eucli special compensation as
you ehall h&ve stipulated with them. Avajl yoor-
sxxis
UPE OP CAPTAIN LEWra.
Belf or theae means to coitiTnunieate to ns, at
BeaHonable intervala, a copy of your journal, notoe
and observationa of everj kind, putting into
cjpher whatever might do injury if betrayed.
"Shguld you reach the Pacific ocean, inform
yoarstLf of the circumRtancefi wUicli majr decide
whether the furs of those parts may not be col-
lected as advantageously at the head of theMis-
Honri (convenient a^ id sypjio.'sed to the wattre of
the Colorado and Oregan or Columbia} as at
Nootka Sound, or any other point of that coast;
and that tradB be couseciuently conducted tbroiigh
the Missouri and TTnit^d States mure beneficially
than by the cireuni navigation now practised,
"On your arrival on. that coaat, endeavour to
leata if there be any port within your reach fre-
quented by the aea Teasels of any nation, and to
send two of jour trusty i>eople back, by sea, in
such way aa shall appear practicable, with a copy
of your notes; and should you be of opinion that
the return of your party by the way they went
will be irnUlinently dangerous, thea ship the
whole, and return by sea, by the way either of
Cape Horn, or the Cape of Good Hope, as you
shall be able. As you will be without money,
clothea, or provl&iona, yon muat endeavour to obo
the credit of the United States to obtain them;
for which purpose open letters of credit ehail be
furnieEied jrou, authorizing you to draw on the
executive of the United States, or any of it* of-
QaeiB, in any part of the world, on which
draughts can be diepoijed of, and to apply with
our reeomniendations to the eouauls, agents, mer-
chanta, or citizens of any niit'on with which we
have intercourse, a&Buriug them, in our name, that
any aide they may furniKh you eha-U be honoura-
bly repaid, and on demand. Our coneuU, TbomoB
UFB OF CAPTAIN LEWIS,
HewEs, at Batavia, in Jara, ft'illiain Bncbanan,
En the lelee of France and BourboD, and Jabn
Elmslie, at the Cape of Good Hope, n-lll be able to
supply jDur secetiqitiee, bj draugbtd on ub.
"Should you find it ealfe to return by th« Tvay
you go, after eendiiig two of your party round by
eea, or with your whole party, if no eon-veyance
by bett can be found, do so ; making such obserra-
ttona on your return a? may aerre to eupply, co^
rect, or confirm those mad9 on your outward
Journey.
"On reentering the United States and reaching a
place of aaifety, di^^harge any of yonr attendanta
who may desire and deserve it, procuriog Ibr them
immediate payment of all arrears of pay and
clotbtng which may have incurred since their de-
parture, and aesure tbem that they aball be rec-
ommended to the liberality of the legiiilature fbr
the grant of a Boldier'e portion of land ea^b, aa
proposed in my me»aage to congress, and repair
jourBelf, with your papers, to the Beat of govern-
ment.
^'To provide, on the accident of your death,
agaioet anarchy, diBpereioD, and tht conuequeot
danger to your party, and total failure of the en-
terpriae, you are hereby authorized, by any instru-
ment signed and written in yobr own hand, to
name the person among them who ehall succeed
to the command on your deceaee, and by like
ioetrumenta to change the nomination, TrQin tima
to time, as further experience of the ebaractera
ac<!Ompanying yon ahalL point ont superior St-
nefig; and all the po-weto and authorities glvi^ to
yourself are, in the event of your death, tran*
ferred to, and Tested in the eucceseor eo named,
with tUrther power to l^ini and bis succeeaore, iu
like manner to name each hie euccesBor, who, on
x]i
LIFE OF CAPTAlfJ LEWIS.
tbe death of his predeceBRor, aball be laveBt«d witb
all the powers and autboritiea giren to youraelC
Given nnder my hand at the city of Washington,
this twentieth day of June, 1803.
"THOMAS JEFFEKSON.
"Freeident oftbs United States of Aatenc&."
While these things were going on here, the poim-
try of Louieiana, lately ceded by Spaia to France,
had been the subject of negotiation at Taria be-
tween US and this last power; and had ai^tually
bben transtbrred to uh by treatiea executed at
Paris on the thirtieth of April. This inforraation,
receiTed about the first day of July, increased in-
finitely the intereat ■w^ Felt tn the expedition., and
lesBened the apprehensioaH of interruption ibom
other powera. Every thing in thia quarter being
now prepared, captaiu Lewie left Washington on
the fifth of July, 180a, and proceerted to Pitts-
bnrg, T^here Other articles hftd been ordeted to be
provided for him. The men too were to be
e«lected ftom the military Btatione on tbe Ohio.
Delays of preparation, diffleultiea of navigation
down the Ohio, and other untoward obstructions,
retard»j his arrival at Cahokia until the Bea«on
was 60 fibr advanced as to render it prudent to
suspend his entering the Missouri betbre the ice
siiQuld break up in the auccwding spring-.
From thie time his journal, now published, will
give the history of hia joarney to and from the
Pacitic oeean, until hie retura to St. Lonis on the
twenty-third of September, ISOO. Never did a
similar event excit* more joy through the United
states. The hum bleat uf its citizi^nit had taken a
lively interest iu the isisue of thie journey, and
looked forward with impatienee Ibr the ".nformA-
tiOQ it would furnish. Their anxibtios too for the
slij
LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS.
eaibty of tlie corps had been kept Id u ^tate *rf
excitement by Logubrioua rutoours, circulated from,
time to tLDie on uacertauj autfioritieSr aod uocon-
tradictetl by lettere, or other direct inforaiatioiif
from the time they had left the Mandan towns, on
their a.Hcent up the tiver in Ayril of the preceding
year, 1805, until their actual return to St. Looi^,
It waa the loiddle of February, ISO", before
captaia Lewie, with his companion captaia
Clark, reached the city of Washington, where
cODgreaa wob then in eession. That hody granted
to the two chietb and their followers the donation.
of landa which they bod h«ea encouraged to ex-
pect in reward of their toil and dangers, C»ptadiL
Lewis wae bo on after appointed governor of
LouiBiaaa, and captaiii Clark a ^neral of its
miMtia, and agent of the United States for Indian
aflalrs in that department.
A coneid«rflble time interrened before the gov-
eraor'g arrival at St. Loiiib, H^ found the terri-
tory distracted by feuda and contentions amoDf
the officers of the governiuent, and the people
themeeWea divided by these into f^tiona and
partiee. He determined at once to take no aide
■with either; but to use evefy endeayour to cOn-
cihate and harmonise thetn. The even-handed jus-
tice he admimistered to all booq establiHhed a
respect for his perBOn and authority; otid peree-
verance and time wore down animoaitice, and
reunited the citizens again into one family,
Gorernor Lewie bad, ttota early lift, been sub-
ject to hypochondriac aflectioas. It was a consti-
tutional tJispoeLtion in all the nearer brauebes of
the family of his name, and was more immediately
inherited by him from hiB father. They had not,
however, been bo Btrong as to give iiiiuaeineBa to
his family. While he Uved Ti-itJi me in Washiog^ton
xHii
LIFE OP CAPTAIN LEWIS.
I ot served at times eenBilile depresBiona ofniind:
bat knowinE their conatitutional sourcp, I eati-
mat«d th«ir ^^otiree hy what 1 bod eeta tit the
family. During hie western expedition, the coa-
etantexertioD which that required of all thefacul-
tiee of body and nuDd, euapended tbess dietreBeing:
a&Tectioas; but after Iub establishment at St.
Louis iiL sedentary oecupationB, they returned
npon him irith redonblfd Tigoor, and b^gati seii-
onely to alarm his n-iends. Hewas in a paroijsm
of oae prtbe^e, when hie affair* rendered it neces'
Barj for him to go to WashiugtoD. He proceeded
to the Chickasaw Bluffs, where he arrived on the
eiiteenth of September, 1S09, with a view of
continuing his journey theace bj water. Mr.
Neelj, agent of the United States with tte Chickac
tarw Indians, arriving' there t'wo days after, found
him extremelj' iDdisposed, and betraying at timeB
Bome BymptotQB of a deraugement of jnind. The
romours of a war with England, and apprehen-
eions that tie might lose the papers he was bring-
ing- On, among which isere the vOuchera Of hiB
public accounts, and the juurnalfi and papers of
hie weatepQ expedition, induced him here tochange
Me mind, and to take his course hj land through
the Chil^kaBaw country. Although he appeared
somewhat relieved, Mr. Neety kindly determined to
flccompany aad watch OTerbim. Unfortunately,
at their encampment, after having passed the
Tennessee one day's journey, they lost two borses,
which obliging Mr, Keely to halt for their recov'
ery, the governor proceeded, under a promise to
■wait for bim at the house of the first white
iflbabitant on hie road. He etopped. at the
houae of a Mr. Grinder, ivho not being at
home, bis wii^, alarmed at the symptoms of
deraugeoieat ate discovered, gave him up the
sliv
uPe of captain lewis.
Tionse and retired to rest hereelf in an onthonaOt
the ^ovemor'B and Neely'a servants lodging; in
QJiotber. About three o'clock in the night he did
the deed -which plunged tiia Ei-ieads into afflic-
tiofl, and deprived ixU countrj of one of her moat
valued citizens, ivhosB valour and intelligence
would have been now employed in avenging; the
WTongB of bia country, and in emulating by land
tte eptendid deede whkh have honoured her arma
on the ocean. It loat too to tiie nation the benefit
of receiving ftom hi? oivn hand the naTrative ngw
oSered them of his BulTeriDga and EucceBBes, in en-
deavouring to extend for them the boundaries of
Bcie-nce, and to preaent to their knowledge that
vast and fertile country, which their sons are
destined to fill with arts, with eciance, ivithftee-
dom and happiness.
To tbifl melancholy close of the life of one, whom
posterity will declare not to have lived in vain, I
have only to add, that all the facte I have stated
are either knoTrn to myaelf, or eommnnicated by
his family or others, for Whose truth I have no
beeitation to make myself responsible; and I con-
etude with tendering you the oeeuraoees of my
respect and consideration.
TH. JEFFEHSON.
Mr. Paul Allen, Fhiladeiphia.
CHAPTER L
Tbe part; set out oa tbe ezpedttloD and pasa
Wood river. Description of the town of St.
Charles. Oaage Woman river, G-aaconade and
Osage rivera described. Charfliter of the Osage
Indi "-"? ; curioua traditiojiarj accouut af ihtaj
ori^u. The pM'ty proceed aod p««b the MLae
river. The two Cbaritons. The Kaozaa, No-
dawa, Newahaw^ Neeehnabatoaa, Little Nema-
har, each of which are particularlj' described.
They encamp flt the mouth of the river Platte,
A particalar dewriptioD of the Burrounding coun-
try. Tbe various creeks, ba;&, ifilaoda, prairiea.
£e., given in the coarse of the route. . , S5
CHAPTBB EL
Some accoDnt of the Pawnee lodiaon. Coaocil
held with the Otto and MieaouriliidiatiB. Coun-
cil held with another party of theOttoea. Death
of aerieatit Floyd. The party encamp near the
mouth of WhiteBtone river. The character ofthe
MlsHOuri, with the risers that enter it. The Bur-
ronndiiii; country. The various ielanda^ baya,
creeke, &e., given in the course of the expedi-
tion. 71
CHAPTBK HI,
Whimeical instance of superBtition of the Sioux
Indiana. Council held with the SiOUx. Char-
xivii
CONTEJJTS.
acter of that tribe, tbeie mannera, Ac. A ridicn-
loitsinatance of their heroism. ADcieat fortifica-
tions. Quiciirre river de^rib^, Vagt herds of
Buffalo, Account of the Petit Chiea or Little
Dog. Narrow escape of GiMirge Shannon. De-
scription of White river. Surprieing fleetneea of
the antelope. Paaa the river of the Sioux.
Description of the G-rand Le Tour, of Great
Bend. Encamp on the Teton riTer. , , . 95
CHAPTEK IT.
Council held with the Tetons. Their maDnera,
dances, &a. Chayenne river deecribed. Council
held with the Ricara Indiana. Their manners
and habits. Strange instance of Eicara idola-
try. Another instbnc-e. CaniLoit-bal] river. Ar-
rival among the Mandane. Character of the
surrounding couotry, tmd of the creeks, Lelanda,
&e ISO
CHAPTER T.
Council held with the JMandans. A prairie on fire,
and a Binyuldr instance Of preBervation, Peace
eatahliBLud between the Mandane and Ricaras.
The party eucamp for the winter. Indian mode
of catchiAg goats. Beautiful appearance of
northern li^lita. Friendly character of the In-
dians. Some aci^onnt of the Mandane. The
Anafaftwa^-^ and the MlnnetarecB. The party
acquire the couhd&nce of the MandfenH by taking
part in their controversy with the Sioai. He-
ligrion of the Maadaos, and their fliugul&r con-
ception of the terra medicine. Their tradition.
The Sfufltringa of the party from the aeverity of
theaeaBon, Indian ^ame of billiards described.
Character of the Missouri, of the surrounding
country, and of the rivers, flreeks, islands, Ac 173
xlvtii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER TI.
'Hie party increti«e Id the favour ot the Moiidaaa,
t>escriptton of a buffalo dancs. Medicine daoce.
The fortitude with which the Indians bear the
wreritf of the aeaaon. Distreaa of the part^ Tor
want of pruviMons. Tb« great importauce of
the blackamith la procuring it. Depredatioae of
the Sioujc. The bnmag^ paid to the medicine
etone. Summary act of justice among the Min-
netajees. The process by which the Mandana
BJid Bicara« mak^ beads. Character of the Mis-
Bouii, of the surrounding country, and of the
riyerv, creeks, islaoda, &c 207
CHAPTEH Vn.
Indian method of attacking the buffalo On the
ice, An ena me rati on of the preeeats H«nt to tlw
pmident of the United 6t&t«B. TEie party an
TJaited by a Eticara chief. They leave their ea-
campment, and pri>ceed on their joumey. De-
Bcription of the little Ailissouri. ^me account
of the Aeaniboina. Their mode of burying the
dead. Whiteearth river described, tireat ijuaii'
tity of ealt discovered ou its baoks. Yellow-
atone river described. A particular account of
the eountry at the couff uence of the Teitowetone
and Miesoari. DeecriptioD of the Mioaouri, the
surrounding countryj and of the rivera, credka,
islanda, &c. , 3^7
CHAPTEK Tin.
Unnsual appearance of salt. The fbrmldable char-
acter of the white hear. PoKupiae river d»-
Mciibed. Beautiful appearance of th« Qorround-
Ing country. Immense QuantitieB of ^ame.
xlix
CONTENTS.
Milk rivBr deacribed. Eitraordinarr ctaracter
of Bigdry riser. Ac inBtance of unconimoii
tenacity of life in a white bear. Narrow eacape
of one of the party froin that anioial. A Btill
more remarkable inatance. Museleeliell riTer
deBcril^ed. ,...,,. 267
CHAPTER IX.
The party continue their route. Deeeription of
Jaditih river. Indian mode of takioi^ the buf-
&do. Staughter river described. Pbenaiuena
of nature. Of wolU on the banks of the Mia-
BOUli, Tb'Q party encamp on the banks of the
riTer to Eiscertaia which of the Btreome cooBti-
tute the Mieaouri. Captain Lewie leaves the
party to explore the morthem fork, and captain
Clark explores the ftouthem. Tie surrounding
country described in the route of captain I^ewis.
Narrow eflcape of one of his party. - . 297
CHAPTER X,
Hetum of captajn Lewie. Account of captain
Clai-k'6 rfKearchea with bis exploring party.
FerilouH situation of one of biti party. Tansy
riTer deacribed. The party still believing the
Boutbera fork the MiaBOuri, captain Lewia re-
BoiveB to ascend it. Mode of making a place to
deposit provisions, called cache. Captain Lewis
esploree the Bouthern fork. Falls of the Mis-
Boari dlBcovered, w^hieh ascertains the question.
llomantic scenery of the surrounding country.
Narrow escape of captain. Lewis. The main
body under captain Ciark approach "nithin five
miles of the fiiHa, and prepare for making a
portage over the rapids. 328
CONTESTS.
CHAPTER XI.
P^wription and ruiiiantlG appearance of the Mie-
ftoarl at the juQctioQ Qf th« Mmlicirii; riv^r. The
ditUcuIty of traosportiii^ tha baggage at the
fallo. The party employed in tLe conatruction of
aboatof skiDH. The embarroHBrnentB they had
to entountep for want of proper materialB. Dur-
ing the work the party much troubled by white
be^rs. Violent hail-storm, and providential es-
cape orcaptaiD Clark ajid hia party. Deecrip-
tjon of a remartiable fuuatain. Siogular ex-
ploHioc heard (Pom the Black mouutaiod. The
boat found to be ineueScient, and the serious
diaoippoiDtment of the party. Captain Clark
undertakea tO repair the damage by building
cauoea, aad accomplieheB the ta^k. . . . 356
CHAPTER Sn.
The party embarlc on board the canOBS. Deacrip-
tion of Smith's river. Character of the country,
<&£. Dearborae'e river described. Captain
Clark precedeB the party for the purpoae of dis-
covering the Indiana of the Bocky mouDtaine.
Magnificent rocky appearances on the hordera
of the river denonunated the Gatt^H of th-e Eocky
mountaiiiH. Captaiu Clark arrives at the three
forks of the Missouri without overtakiag the
ladiana. The party arrive at the three forks, of
which a particular and intereating deHCription ie
given. ^8S
Voi. I.— 3
LEWIS ANQ. CLARK'S EXPEDI-
TION UP.TtIp MISSOURI.
CHAPTER i..- ,
Tbe part; set oat on ttie espediutni and pass wod tItbt— De-
scriplloQ of Iha ioWlL of 8t, ChdrleB— Osugfi Womnn 'river—
GsswnadH BJid Osage' rivers descrlbBl— i''hara*wr»ff 'U19
OssKQ ludlanB—CurlpUB trndlUtiDarjaccciuat o-r UiBiPOrli^Q'—
Tb* party proceed aua pas tue nine rtver— T}ie two C'lari'
tons — Tlie (tonxiLB, NodaiVfi. NewiibiLVi', Ne^shDabatuDa., UVQh
tfejaatiar, eiujs ot wiiictittre partlcuinr]y i5pi»cr!iH;(i — TLey en-
camp at (be Enoiilb of tlicrl?(irP1s.ttu~ApBTtlcnlari1eHTlpUoii
ol the surrouniliiiK country— The tstJoub treefct, bi-ye, laluidk,
pnJrlea, At;., glwu. In tiu^ ^outei! uf tbn rouu.
Od tlie ^cqniuitiQi] of LouUituia, in tbe year
1S03, the attcDticiD or the ^yerameot of tlie
tlnited StateSj waa early direeted towari^e espior-
ing and improving the new territory. Accord.
ingly ia the eumtner of the same year, an expedi-
tion TTfta planned, by the preiiident for tbe purpose
of discovering the courses and eovirces of the
Mlsaoari, and the moat conrenieot water com-
munication thence to the Pa<;tfic ocean. His pri-
Tate Beeretary captain Meriwether Lewie, and
captain William Clark, both officers of the army
oftbe Uuited Btatee, were aesociated in th« com-
mand of this eat«rprise. After receiving the requi-
site inatrQctions, c&ptain Lewift leil the eeat of
goremmeDt, aad being joiued hy captain Clark
at Louleville, in Kentuclty, proceeded to St. Louia,
where they arrived in the month of December*
Their original intention wa* to pabs the winter at
Lo Charrette, the higheat settlement on the Mi*-
35
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
eoQti. But the Spaniah commaadacit ofthe pror-
ioce, not liaring received an official account of ita
tranefer to the United States, wa^ obliged bj the
general policy of hia government, to prerent
atrangers trOlti passibg through the Bpanleh terri-
tory. They therefore ^calttpfd at the mouth of
Wood Tiy^r, on the &iat^D eide of tb« Mieaiseippi,
out of his jurisdiction, where they paHsed the win-
ter in diecipliinn^ ihe men, and making the ne-
cessary itreiiarationa fur Betting out early in the
SpriQg, th^ore whkh the t&aaioa waa offlcially
annponcfid. The party coniiiiaied of nine young
iii»n_'-from Ke^ntuelcy, fourteen soldiers of the
United States army who rolunteered their aer-
vieea, two French watermen — an interpreter and
hunter— and a black servant be^tonging to captain
Clark~AII tbeae, except the last, were enlisted to
eerre ae privates daring the expedition, and three
eergeant« appointed ft-om amongst them by the
captains. In addition to these were engaged a
corporal and bis Boldicre, and nine watermen to
accompany the expedition as far as the Mandan
nation, iti order to a^blat in carrying the «tore«r
or repelling an attack which was most to be ap-
prehended between Wood river aud that tribe.
The necessary stores were subdivided iuto seven
bales, and one bi>x, contaiuing a small portion of
each article in ease of Eceidect. They conaiB ted of
a great variety of clothing, working utensils,
locks, Binta, powder, ball, and articles of the
greatest uw. To these were added fourteen bales
aud one box of Indian preseatB, distributed in the
Barae manner, and composed of richly laced coats
and other articlee of dresB^ medals, fiage, knives,
and tomahawks for the chteft—om amenta of dif-
ferent kinds, porticularly beads, looking-glasses,
baadkerchiefai paints, and generally such aiticleB
3r>
UP THE MISSOURI,
AS were deemed beat calculated for the tarte of the
Indiana. The party w^ae to embark OD faoat'd o(
tbrw hoats; tbe flret was a keel boat fifty^-five
ttetlDDs, drawicg three feet water, carryiD^ oae
lar^ sguareBail and twenty-two oars, a de«k of
ten feet in the bow, and atern formed b. foreca«tte
and cabin, while the middle wae corered by lock-
(?re, if'hicb mi^bt be raised bo a« to form a breaHt-
Tork in cage of attack. Tiiie w&a aci-unipaDied by
two pedoques or open boate, ooe of eti and the
other of seven oare. Two horaee were at the
Bam^e time to be led along the banks of the river
for the pnrpose of bringing home game, or hant^
ing ib cAst of M!an:ity.
Of the proc€«dinga of this expedition, th* follow-
iag ts ft succinct an^ circumstantial narrative.
All the prepBrationa being completed, we left
our encampment on Monday, May llth, 1S04.
This epot ia at the mouth of Wood river, a email
fitream which empties itself into the MiaBiasippi,
opposite to the entrance of the MiaeOuri. It is
aituated in latitude &S° ^^' l^'t^ north, and
longitude from Greenwich, 89" 57' 45', On both
BideR of the MiesiBsippl the land for two or three
milee ia rich and level, but gradually swella into a
high pleasant conntry, with leaa timber on the
WE^etem than on the eaetem side, but all siie-
ceptible of cultivation. The point which separatee
the two rivers on the northr extends for fifteen or
twenty miles, the greater part of which ie an opea
level plain, in which the people of the neighbour-
hood cultivate what little grain they raiue. Not
being able to set sail before four o'clock P.M., we
did not make more than fbnr milea, and encamped
on the first lel&nd opposite a small cree^k called
Cold Water.
Mstjr IS,— The rain, which had coutinaed yeeter^
87
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
day and last nig^t, ceae«d this mQrning. We then
proceeded, and after paseing two email iRlaniilB
about ten milee further, stopped for the nigiit at
Piper'a landing, oppOBite another ialand. The
wAt«r ia here very rapid and the bauka fallitig in.
We foand that our boat was too heavilj laden in
the at*jrii, in coHsequente of which she ran on logs
three times to-day. It became necesBarj to thruw
the greatest weight on the bow of the boat, a
preca.ution very neceaflary in ascending both the
Missouri and MiSAi^Atppi rivers, in the be<^A of
trhich, there Ue great quantities of conceal^ tim-
ber.
The next momiag vre eet Bail at five o'clock.
At the diataace of a few miles, we pajie«d a re-
markably large coal hill on the north side, called
by the French La Charbonniere, and arrived at
the town of St. Chariea. Here we remained a few
dajK,
St. Cbarlea is a, emtill town oa the north hank
of the AliE^ouri, about twenty-one milea from ita
confluence with the MisBiesippi. It is eituated in a
narrow plain^ eufficiently hijfh to protect it fhiin
the annual riaingH of the rit-ep in the month of
June, and at the foot of a range of small hilla,
which have occa«o^ed ita being cu-Ued Petite Cote,
a name by which it is more known to the French
than by that of St. Charlea, One prindpa! street,
about a mile in length and running parallel with
the river, divideB the town, which ia composed of
nearly one hundred email wooden houses, besides
a fhapel. The tiiha.bitaQtB, abgut four hundred
and fifty in number^ are chiefly desceadaute Iroiu
the Freni:h of Canada; and, iu their niannerH, they
unite all the caretens payety, and the amiable
hospitality of the beet times of France; yet, like
moat of their countrymen in America, tiiej are but
^8
TIP THE MISSOURI.
ni qaalified for tlie rude life of a froDtier; not that
they are withoat telent, for thej? poHsesB much
aatUTB:] genioQ and vifocity- ttor that t-btij are
destitute of enterpriee, for tbetr buntingexcursiouB
are long, laborious, aad hazardous: but their
exertioaa are all deBultorj- ; their induBtry is with-
out eyiiteiu, and without peraeverance. The eur-
rounding country, therefore, though rich, is not,
in general, well coltiTated ; the inhabitants (;hiefiy
QubaiatiDg by huntinf^ and trade with the ladiaDB,
and con&De their culture to gardeolng, ia which
they excel.
Being joined by captain IiewiB^ who had beea
detained by buaine^A at St. Louis, we a^oio Bet
Bai] on Monday, May 2l8t, in the afternoon, but
were prevented by T*-ind and rajn from going more
than about three miles, when we encamped on the
upper point of an island, nearly opposite a creek
which foils in oa the Boath aide.
On the 22d we made about eighteen miles, pass-
ing several atnall fArms On tfao bank of the rirer,
a namber of iftlands, and a large creek on the
Booth Bid«, called Boiibotnme, or (roodmaa's rlrer,
A amall number of emigraote fhitn the TTuited
States have Bettled on the siies of this creek,
which are very fertile. Vie alau passed some high
Eandg, and eni^atnped, on the north side, near a
email creek. Here we met with a camp of Kicka-
poo Indians who had )eft u« at 8t. Charles, with
a. promise of procuring ua some provisionB by the
time we overtook them. They now made uh &
present of four deer, aad we gave them in return
two quarts of whiskey. This tribe reside on the
heada of th-e Kaekaekia and IlUnoia river, on the
other Bide of the MiseiBaippi, but occasionally hunt
on the Miseouri.
May Ji3.—Tyfo miiee &om our camp of la^
hKWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
night, we reached a riy^r emptying Iteelf on the
north aide, called Osage Woman river. It is abont
thirty yards wide, and baa now a aettieTnent of
thirty or forty f^miUea from the United Sta.t«^8.
Ahout £k mile and a half beyond thia is a large
care, od the south BiiJe ftt the foot of cHSb nearly
three hundred ftet high, OYerhaDging the water,
which becomeB very swift at thia place. The cave
is one hundred and twenty fbet widcj forty feet
deep, and twenty high, it is known by the name
qfth«Tavera, among the trodera who have writ-
ten their names on the roct, and painted eotne
Images which commaod tha homage of tbelDdiane
and French. About a mile further we passed a
email creek: colled Tavern creeV, and encamped on
the aouth tide of the river, having gone nine
miles.
Early the next morning vn awend^d a T^ry dif-
ficult rapid, called the Devil's Race tirouod, where
the current eeta for half a mile against some pro-
jecting rocke on the south aide. We were tesa
fortunate in attempting a eecond place of equal
»r difficulty. Passing near the southern shore, the
bank feU In so fast as to oblige ns to cross the
river instantly, between the northern side aud a
sandbar which Is eoDutantly moving and banking
■with the violence of the current. The boat Btruck
on it, and would have upset immediately, if the
men bad not jumped into tba water and held bar,
till the sand washed fVom uiidvr her. We en-
camped on th« south side^ Iiaving ascended ten
miles, and the next day, May 2ri, pa«Bed on the
south side the mouth of Wood river, on the north,
two Hmal) creeks and several islands, and stopped
for the night at the fcntrauce of a ereek on the
north side, called by the French La Charrette, ten
iiiU«a from our laat encaw-piaeiit, and a> little
40
UP THE MiaSOURI.
Abore a «mall village af the eatii« satue. It con-
sists of eeven email houet^K, and fib many pggr
fAmiUe« who havEi Sjted tbeiuHelves hvre for the
otinrciiieQce o£ trade, aoil tbriii tlie last establifih-
ment of whites on the; .Mirjeouri. It rained last
nigbt, yet we found thia moniing that the river
ittd fallen Beveral inc^hes.
M^jr 26, — The wind btiing Farourable we mada
vighteeo milee to-day. AVe passed in the morning
Heveral ielandB, the largeut of which in £ufaJo
ialand. Beparated fVom the southern aide by a
Bmali channel which receives the waters of Buffalo
Creek. On tb-e so-nie aide is Shepherd's cfeek, A
little beyond which we encamped on the northern
aide. The next day we Bailed along & large ielAnd
called Otter inland, on the aorthero eide, extend-
ing nearly ten milea in length, narrow but high in
ftB situation, und one of the moat fertile in the
whole river. Between it and the northern ehore,-'
three amall creeks, one of which baa the same
name with the iBlaiid> empty them^lveQ, On the
■oathero ahore la a creek twenty yards wide,
called Ash creek. In the conree of the day we met '
two canoes loaded with ftira, which had been two
months on their route fiivm the Mabar nation,
residing more than eeven hundred miles up the
riyer— pne large raft from the Pawnees ob the
river Platte, and three othere IVom the Grand
Oeage river. At the diBtance of fifteen milea we
encamped on a willow island, at the entrance of
the river Ga«onade. This river falle into the Mia-
eouri fVom the sOuth, one hundred miles ftom the
Miseieeippi, Its length!^ about one hundred and
fifty miles to a course generally Dortheast through
a hilly eouutry. On its bauke are & number of
saltpetre cavesj and it is believed some minee of
lead in the vicinity. lt« width at the mouth is
41
LEWIS AND CLAEK'a EXPEDITION
one hundred and My-aeTcn ^ards, and its depth
nineteen fbet.
Here -vre halted for the ptarpose of hunting And
drying our proTieioua, and malung the nece^e&ry
celeetial obiservatioDB. This being completed, we
set sail on the 29tb at four o'clock, and at four
milea diistance encamped on the eonth side, above
a email creek, called Deer creek. The nest day,
30tb, we Set out earlj, and at two miles dletant
reached a large cave, on the north, called MoDt-
bniu's tayern, after a French trader of that name,
Jnfft above a creek called after the same peraon.
Be/ond thiB k a large island, and at the distance
of four miles. Rash creek toining in from the
Kontb, at eleven, Big-muddy river on the north,
about fifty jards wide; three milee further, is
Little-mudd; river on the eame side, opposite to
which we encamped at the mouth of Grindatone
creek. The rain which began last night continued
through the day, accompanied with high wind
and Bome bail. The river has been riding fast fOr
two days, and the country around appears iViU of
water. Along the Bides of the river today we
obfteire much timber, the cotton wood, the syca-
more, hiekory, white walnut, some grapeviaee,
and ruBhes — the high weet wind and ruin com-
pelled UA to remaia all the aeit day, May 31. In
the afhernoon a boat came down IVom the Grand
Osage river, bringing a letter from a persoo sent
to the Osage nation on the Arkansaw river, which
mentioned that the letter announcing thecBBSion
of Louisiana waa committed to the flames— that
the Ihdiatts would not believe that the Amerieana
were owners of that country, and disregarded St,
Louis and its eupplies. The party wae occapied
in hunting, in the course of whieb, they caught in
the woods several very large rats. We set Bail
CT THE MISSOURI.
early the next morning, J une let, and at eix miles
dietant poeeed Bear creek, a stream of about
twenty-Bve yards width: but the "wind being
ahpad and the current rapid, we Trere unable to
make more than thirteen mileH to the mouth of
the Osage river] "where we encaniiMKl and rem.a]qed
tte following day. for the parpoBB of making
celestial obHarvations. The Osage river empties
iteelfinto the MiBeotiri, at one hundred and thirty-
three milea distance from the mouth of tha latter
river. Its ^Btfal t^ouxHe is west and west aoutli-
weat through a rich and lerel country. At the
junction the Misaoun i« about eight hundred and
Beveoty-Sve yarde wide, aad tb^ Oeage three hun-
dred and ninety-BBven. The low point of janetioa
lain latitude 38° 81 IG", and at a short distance
from it is a high eoniraaucling position, wheote
■fre enjaywi a delightful prospect of the country.
The Ohiige riTer gives or owes its name to q
nation inhabiting its bankH at a conniderable dia-
taace from this place. Their present name how-
ever> scemB to have originated from the French
tradeni, for hoth among themselTefl and their
neighbours they are tailed the WflsbashaB. They
nnmber between twelve and thirteen hundred war-
riora, and consist of three tribes ; the (ireat Oe^ges
of about fire hundred warriors, living in a village
on the aoath bank of the rivei^-the Little Osages,
of nearly hall' that number, reaidtiig at the difr
tanee of 8Js miles from theiu — and the Arkansaw
band, a colony of Osfiges, of six hundred warriots,
who left tlieiu some years ago, under the com-
mand of a chief culled the Bigfoot, and settled on
the Vermillion river, a hrani'h of the Arkanaaw.
In person the 0«agcB are among the largest and
beet formed Indiana, and are uaid to posaeashne
miUtary capacities ; hut residing as they do-in Til*
4U
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
lagcb, atid having made considerable advance in
agriculture, they seem )esa addicted to war, than
their northern Bejghboura, to wtoiil thfi use of
rifles givcB a great superiority. Among the pecul-
Itiritiet? of thiB ijeople, tliere 1b nothing more re-
markable than the tradition relative to tlieir
ori^^in. According to univerRal belief, the founds
cr of the nntion wns a snail paesing a quiet ei-
I iBtence jilong the banks of the Oaftge, till a high
Lflood Bwept him down to the MiEsouri, and le^
|him exposed on the uhare. The beat of the eun at
[leiigth ri()€ned him iuto a man, but with thai
Ifhan^ of his nature, he hod not for^tten htfl
[native Htati^ en the Osage, towards wliich, heiml^T
' mediately laent hie way. He was liowever sooqi
overtaken by hunger, and jktigTie, when Itappily*
the (jfreat Spirit appeared, and giying him a bow
and arrow, showed him how to kill and cook
deer, and cover hJtneelf with the Hkin, He theo
proceeded to bis original reMdence, but aa he ap-
proached the river, he was met by a beaver, who
inquired haughtily M'ho he vftui, and by what
authority be came to disturb his poHeeeAion. The
Oiiage answered that the river wan bi^ own, for
he had once UvimI on ita borders. As tbey stood
disputing, the daughter of the beaver came, an^^^H
having by her tntreatiea reeontiled her father to-fl
this young stranger, it was proposed that the
Osage should marry the young beavefj and share
with her family the enjoyment of the river. Tbtfll
Osage readily consented, and from this happj^
, anion there BOOD came the village and the nation
Zof the Waebflflha, or Osagee, who have ever since
V| preserved a pioua reverence for their ancestors,
abstaining fVom the chase of the beaver, becauae
in kilting tbat animal, tbey killed a brother of the
Oaage. Of late years, however, sinee the tradtt
44
DP THE MIS80UKI.
with the whitM haa rendered beftver skiBS more'
TBluable, the saoctit; of these maternal relatives
baa vl«ibl; reduced, and the poor animals hare
nearly lost all the privileges of kindred.
On the aftemooa of June 3, we proceeded, and
at tbi-ee mi)e« distant, reached a creek called Cup-
board Freek, from a rock of that appearance Dear
its eDtratice. Two milee further we encamped at
Moreau creek, a stream of twenty yarda width, on
the Houthem Bide. The next niorniiig, we paased
at an early hour, Cedar island on the north, so
called from the abundance of the tree of that
name; near ^hich is a, ^mall creek, rallied Nig^ht-
iogale creek, from a bjrd of that Epeclea, who Eians
for us duriug the night. Beyond Cedar ialand.
are eome othere of a Bmaller extent, and at seven
miles distance a creek flfCeen or twenty yards
wide, entering' fVom the north, and known by the
name of Cedar ci-eek. At seven and a half nkileg
farther we passed on the south eida another
creek, which we called Mast creek, fi-om the cir-""
camstance of our matit beini^ broken by rciDning
nnder a concealed tree; a little above is another
creek OA th6 iefb, one mile beyond ivliich -we ea-
camped on the Boutbemnliore under high projecV
ing: clLff^, The Preach had reported that lead ore
was to be found in thia place, but on examlniiig
the hills, we could diecera no appearance of that
mineral. Along the river on the south, is a low
land covered with luahea, and high nettles, and
near the months of the creeks, supplied with oak,
A8b, and walnut timber. On the north the land i»
riuh and well filtuat«d. We made Beyentwo and a
half miles thia day. The river is fatling slowly.
We continued our ronte the next morning eariy : a
Amall creek called l/ead creek, On th* eOuth; an-
other on the north, known to the French by tlia
45
LEWIS AND CLABK'S ESPBDITIOM"
mame of Little E^ood Womiui'a creek, sAd again
Big Ttocb ereek on the south wertthe oaly Htreama
We passed this moruing. At eleven o'clock -we met
a. raft made of two cajtonH joined together, in
which two Freneli traders were descending, from
eighty leagues up the rirer Kanzas, where thej
had wintered, and caught great quantities of
beaver, but had lost muct of their game bj fires
from the prairii'8. They told ue that the Kanzas
nation i(j oqw hunting buffalo ID the pIftinH, hav-
ing ptiBRed the last winter in this river. Two
milea fiirthpr, we reaehed on the Boutt Little
MftnitOTi erwk, which takes its name from a
strange figure reserabhug the bust of a tn&ii, with
the horna of a stag, painted on a projecting rock,
w^hieh may repreeent some epirit or deitj', N'par
this is a saitdhnr extending BeYer;il mileEi, which
renders the navigation dltl5cult, and a email creek
called Sandcreek on the nouth, where we Gtopped
for dinner, and gathered vn]<\ cresses and tongue
grasa from the itandbar. The rapidiiy ofthe cui^
rents added to our haTing broken our niaet, pre-
vented our going more than twtlve and n. half
mllee. The scouts and hunters whom we always
kept out., report tha.t they have seen fresh tracks
of Indians. The next moriiiu^ we left- our camp,
which was Oil the eotith side, opposite to a large
island in the middle of the river, and at five mtlefl
reachpd a creek on the north Fide, of about t^^enty
yards wide, called Split Eock creek, from a fisntire
in the point of a neighbouring rock. Three milea
beyond this, on the south ia Saline river, it is
aboct thirty yards wide, and haa its name from
the number of salt ]icV«, and Bprings, which ren-
der it* wfttflr brackish ; the river ia very rapid and
the banks ftilling in, After leaving Salioe creek,
"we pBfsed one large iuland and jieveral emaUer
46
TFP THE MISaOUBI.
ones, IiaTiDg made fourteen mileK. TbewaterroK
a foot duriog tbe loet night.
The next day, June T, we paused at four and a
balf miles Big Manitou creek, near which is a
limestone rOck inlaid with flint of TatiOuB coloure,
and embelliBLed, or at least covered with unuautli
paintings of anioials aod iuwriptioDS. We landed
to examine it, but found the place occupied b; a
neat of rattleeoakea, of which we killed three. We
oUo examined aome Eicke and eprings of salt
water, two Of thfee nulea up this ci'eek. We then
proceeded b; eome email willow ialandsr and en-
camped at tbe mouth of Good Woman riTer on the
north. It is about thirty-flve yards wide, and
floid t-o be navigable for boats aeveral leagues.
The hunters, who had hitherto given us only deer,
brought in this evening three bears, and had seen
some indication ofbu&Ulo. We had come fourteen
inile«.
Jasje S, — Wq saw eereral small willow inlands,
and a creek on tbe south, near which are a num-
ber of deer licke; at nine milea diatance we came
to Mine river. This river, which falls into the
Miaeouri from the south, ie said to be navigable
fqr boats eighty or ninety milea, and is about
oeveaty yards wide at it« mouth. It forks about
five or siz leagues ftom the Miaeouri, aud at the
point of junction are some very rich «alt springs;
the west branch in particular^ is so much impreg-
nated, that, far twenty miles, the water is not
palatable: several branches of the Manitou and
Good Wojnan are equally tinctured. The Freacb
report alaoj that lead ore hay been found oa dif-
fereiit parte of the river. We made several eicur-
siona near the river through the low rich country
Oh its banks, and after dinner weut on totheieland
of Mills, where we encamped. We met with a
i7
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
party of three huntera from the Sioux river; thej
iad been out for twelve mootlie, and eoUeetedj
About nine hundred dollars worth of peltrieH and
flire. We agcended this river twelve mjleg.
On the 9th, we eet oat early, and reached a clifl"
of rocks, called the Arrow fiock, nihar to which ia
a prairie called the Prairiea of Arrowss and Arrow
creek, a small stream about eight ^arda wide,
whoee sourct is in the adjoining praitiea on the
^outh. At thie cliff the Miseouri ie coofined within "^H
a bed of two bnndred yards; and about four tuilef^l
to the eoiith-east is a. \arge lick and salt epriog
of great atrength. Aboat three miles further is
Blackbird creek on the north aide, opposite to
which, is an latand and a prairie inclosing a email
lake. Five miles beyond thiK we encamped on the
fiontb eii^e, aller making, in the course of the da7,'-^H
thirteen nules. The land on the north is a hjgli^H
rifh plain. On the south it is also even, of a good '^^
qaality, and riafng from fifty to one hundred (bet.
The next moming, 10th, we parsed Deer creek,4|^|
and at the distance of five milea, the two riyersf^V
called Ijy the French the twp Chamtons, a ctr-
ruption of Thleraton, the first of which ia thirty,
the second seventy yards wide, and enter the Mie-
Bouri together. They are both navigable for--j
boats: the country through which they pa*8 isr
broken, rich, and thickly covered with timber.
The Ayau'way nation, con^sting of three hundred
men, have a village near its head-waters dd the
river De Moinee. Farther on we paesed a. large
island called Cbkot or Stnmp Island, and en-"'
camped on the «outh, after making ten miles. A'
bead wind forced ue to remain there all the nest
day, dnring Tchich we dried the meat Tve had-j
killed, and examined the surrounding country,'
which consists of good land, well watered, and*
48
gOTIRT.
Bnpplied with tiiober; tli^ prairiee aEeo difltr ftom
those eastward of the JlmeiBHippi. Inanmuch as
the latter are grenerally without acij- covering' ex-
cept grass, whilst the former ahouud with ha^el,
grapes and Other fruits, among w^hich is the
Osage plum of a HUperior sise and (luality. Qn the
momliig of the 13th, we pai»eed tkroagh difficult
places in the river, and reached Plum creek on the
south side. At one o'clock, we met two rafts
loaded, tlie one with fursj the other with the
tallow of buSalo^ they were ftom the Sioux
nation, and on their way to St. Louis; hut we
were fortnnate enoogh to engage one of then], &
Mr. DnrioD, who hod lived with that natiou more
than twenty yean<, and was high in their eonfl-
dencBj to accompany ue thither. We made nine
milea. On the 13th, we pasaed at between four
and five miles, a bend of the river, and two creeks
on the north, called the Hound Bend creeks. Be-
tween these two cre^kB is the prairie, in which
oace Btood the anc;ieat village of the MisBouris.
Of this village there remains no ve«tige, nor is
there any thing to recall thia great aTid numerous
nation, except & feeble- remtant of aboat thirtj-
fkmllies. Thej- were driven ftom their originaJ
seats by the i»vaHions of the Baubs and other
Indians ftom the MieRSsippi, who destroyi^ at
thie village two hundred of them in one contest,
and sought rsfuge near the Little Oeage, on the
other side of the river. The encroachment of thfe
same enemieg forced, about thirty yeftrs ainW,
both thette nations from the bants of the Miasonri,
A. ftw retired with the Osage, and the remainder
Ibund an asylum on the river Platte, amone the
Ottoee, who are themselvee declining. Opposite
the plain there waa an island and a French fortj
but there is now no appearance of either, the snc-
Vol. 1,-4 i9
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITION
oeBetTe inundations having pr&bably waahed thei
Uw^y, 93 the 'wjlluw island which ia in the tatat
tiDD described b; Do Fratz, 1b small and of recentl
foriDUtion. Fire milts from this place is thQ:|
mouth of ijrand Biver, wliere we encamped. Thlftl
river rollowa a course nearly south, or 80uth>|
«aet, and is between eighty and li hundred yard»J
'wide n'here it enters the AiiBsouri, near a deCighi*!
fill aad rich plaia, A racoon, a bear, and hoi
deer were obtained to-day. We proceeded at eh
o'clock the next morning. The current was sQ'l
rapid and the banke on the nurth falling in soj
conetantly, that we were obliged to approach tlw,
sandbars on the aoutb. These were moving coi^J
idQQ^Uy, and fornied the TForgt passage ire he
Been, and which we surmounted with much, dii
CTilty. We met a trajlintf raft, from the Pawne
nation on the river Platte, and attempted uneue-l
ce«ri\illy to engage one of their party to retnm-l
with UB. At the distfiiiee of eight miles, we cantfrl
to some high cliffs, called the Snake bluffs, iioi
the number of that animal In the neighbourhood,!
and Lmmedjately above these blufi^, Snake creel
about eighteen yards wide, on which we ei
eamped. One of our hunters, a half tndias,J
brought us an awouQt of his havingto day pae^J
a small lake, near which a number of deer wer
ftedlng, and in the pond he heard a snake mal
a guttural noise like a turkey, He fired hiej
but the noise became louder. He addc^, that bel
has heard the Indians mention tbid epeciee ot\
6na.ke, and this story is conflrmed by a Frencl!-]
man of our party. All the next day, the river I
log very highj the sandbars were so rolling and
numerous, and the current bo strong, that we
were unable to atem it even with oars added tog
our sails ; thiB obliged us to go nearer the b£
50
UP THE mesoDEi.
which were falling in, ao that we could not mak<^
thoagb the boat was occaeioaailj towed, mor<
thaD fourtwo tuilee. We pa«6«d several ielaude
and one creek oa the eoath &idv, aad encauip&J on
the north oppoeite & beautiful plain, wliieh es-
tends OS far back aa the <lfBa^ river, and BOma
miles ap the MiaHOuri. In EW)tit of our encamp-
ment &re the remains of on old Tillage ciT tb9
little Osage, situated at some distance from the
river, and at the foot of & emull hill. About three-
mJleB above them, io view of our tamp is the idtii'
ation of the old village of the Xliuaouriu aft-er they
fled from the Sauks. The inroads of the same
tribe compelled the Liittle OaagB to retire from thB
Uie^ouri afew yeara ago, and establiAh them^elv^fl
near the (:tri;at Osageu. The river, whieh ia here
about one mile wide, had riaea in the niurulug,
but fell towards eveuing:. Early this iooriiiii&
■Tune Kith, Tre joined the cajnp of our hunters,
who had provided two deer aud two "heflj, and
then pae^^ing on island and a i^rairie ou th« north-
covered with a. 6p«ie« of timothy, made our way
through bad Baudbara and a, swilt current, to aa
escampment for the evening, on the north aide, at
ten miles diatnnee. The timber which we ei-
amined to^Jay vraa not sulfitientlj strong- for
oars; the mosquitoes and ticlis are ejit-eedingly
trooblesomi^, On the ITth, we set out early, and
having come to a coBremeiit place at one mUs
distance, for procuring timber and making oanv
we oceapied oureelvea in that way on this and tha-
foHowing day. The country on the north of tho
river is rich and covei^ with tim.ber; amou^
which we procured the ash for oare. At tw*
nuJeB it cbaogee into eKteneive prairies, and at
seven or eight miles distance becomes higher aud
waving. The prairie and high landB on the sooth
51
LE^IS ANT> CLARK'S EXPEDITION
. Commeiii« more LDatnediatelf on the rLrer; tti
["whole i« well ivatered «nd provided with gaii
■uch aa deer, elk, and bear. Tbe huuterH brought '
in B. fat hortie which waa probably loat by eom^
war party — this being the craBsing place for the
SaukH, Ayauwaye, and Sioiix, in thtir excuraiona
against the Oea^.
■Juve -J 9, the oara being flnighed, we proceeds
under a geutle breeze hy two large and some]
smallerielaDdH. The BaudbarsoreDumerouBaTid i
bad. that at one placewe were forced toclearawc
I the driftwood in order to pass : the water too we
NBo rapid that we were under the neceaeity of toi
ing the boat for half a mili; round a point of rQcke
on the Bouth Bid&. We paHsed two creeks, oae
j «alLed TIgec creek on the aorth, twcaty-five yards
wide at the extremity of a large island called
['panther Island ; the other Tabo creek on the
eouth, fifteen yards wide. Along the shores are
gooBeberrie« and raspberries in great abundance.
At the distance of wventeeu and a half milee we
encamped on the aouth, near a lake abgut two
miles from the river aud Bevetal in circumference;
and much n^ueated by deer and all kindfl of
fbwls. On the north the land \& higher and better
calculated for farms than, that on the south, whtch
aaceuds more gradually, but m still rlLh ai
pleasant. The moequitoea and other aoimaU ai
■lo troublesome that moequito biere or nets wer
dietrlbuted to the party. The nest raorniag
passed a lar^ island, oppoHite to which on tt
uorth is a Idrge and beautiful prairie, called Kauk '
prairie, the land being fine and well timbered on
both sides the rjv^r, P^ilicauH w^ere bul'u to-day.
We made six and three tiuarter mile^, and en-
camped at the lower point of a small island, along
the north Hide of which we proceeded the nest,
b2
DP THE MISSOTTRT.
daj, Jnne Slat, bat not without danger in cons^
qacDCt? of the eands anij th?- rapidity of the "waJ-er
which rose three inchea lofit night. Behind an-
other ii^land come in from the eouth two ereeka,
talEed Ean, Beau, or Cleitr Water ereeka; on the
north, is a very remarkable bfnd, Trhere the high
lands approach the river, and form an acute angle
at the head of a large island jiroduc^ by a nar-'
row channel through the point of the hend. W&
paaeed eevertit other iBlondE, and encamped at
seven and a hali' miles on the bouth.
22d.— The tivep roae durinj^ the DJ^ht four
tnche^. The water is very rapid and crowded
with concealed ttml>er We parsed (wo lar^
jislande and an exten^ve prairie on the Houth, be-
^nnlng with a rich low land, and riaing to the
difltance of aeventy or eighty fbet of rollini^ clear
totmtry. The thermotneter at three o'clock P. M.
waa at 87°. After coming ten and a half mile*
we encamped on the eowth, opposite a large creek
caUed Fire Trairie river.
2Sd. — The wind was against nn thla morning,
and hecame bo violent that we made only thre©
aod a half miles, and wert' obliged to lie to during-
the day at a small island. This is separated fWim
the northern side by a narrow channel iffhieh can-
not be passed bj boats, being choked by treea
and drifted wood. Directly oppoaite on the south,
is a high commanding position, more than seventy
feet above high water mark, and oveflooking the
river which ia here of but little w^idth; this spot
has many advantages for a fort, and trading
house with the iDdians.* The river Ml eight
iQcheB laet nigbt. *
■Tbe VcAied sui«d built In septcubcT, isoa, a iDittofy and
fort at tbls gpoc. wblcb te very coDTeDlent tor truUng wiCa Uia
OaaffeBi Ajauwaya. and Sajizas.
53
LEWIS AND CLAHK'S EXPEDITION
in tbe plains for tbe bufialo which our hunter
hare aeeo for the Sret time.
On the 29ch, we set out late in the afternoon;^
and having passed a sandbar, near which the
boat vras. almc^t loat, and a ^a,tge inland on tha
north, we encamped at seven and a quarter milefl
oa the eaine g-ide in the low lands, where the
ruBhes are bo thick that it la troublesome to walk
through them. Early the next morning, 30th, wo
reached, at hre mileB diatanee, the mouth or<
rlrep coming in from the north, and called by tb
French, Petite Riviere Platte, or Little Shallo-*'
river; it is about eixtj- jards wide at its mouth,
A fefT of tbe party who aecended informed ua,
that tbe landa on both uidits are good, and that
there are several flille well calculated for mills ; the
wind waa from the aouth weet, and the weather
oppressively warm, the thermometer standing at
9fl' above at three o'clock P. M. One mile be-^^
yond this Ih a, small creek on the eoutb, at Qrd^l
miles ttow. wbtcb we CDcamped on the eame side,
opposite the lower point of an island called Dia-
mond island. The land on the north between the
Little Shallow river and the MiaSOUri is QOt good
and subject to overflow — on the eoutb it ia higher
and better timbered.
JuJy 1st, — We proeeeded nlong the north aide of
Diamond island, where a Ejmall ci-eek called Biflcuit
creek emptier itself. One and a half mlleB above
the inland ia a large sandbar in the middle of tbe
river, beyond which we stopped to refresh the
men, who Buffwed very much jrom the heat, 3«re
tVB ob&erved gi'eat quantities of grapee and rasp-
berries. Between one and two miles further are
three iBiands and a ereek on the eouth known by
the French name of Keiaore. The main curreat
which, ie now on the south side of the largest of.
\jp THE Missonai.
the three ifilanda, ran three ;?ars, as we were
told, ua the north, and there wa« then no a|i-
pearance of the two emaller islands. At the dis-
tance of four and a half mlleB we reached the
lower point of a cluBter of small JBlanda, tyrd
large and two small, called IsIbh des TarcH or
Field Islaudfl. Paccauo trees were tbw day eeeo,
and large quantities of df«r and turkies on the
banks. We bad advanced twelve miles.
Jufy 2d. — We left our encampment, oppoaite to
which iA a high and beautifiil prairie an the south-
em edde, and pa«eed up the south of the islands,
which are high meadows, and a creek on th«
north called Pare creek. Here for half an hour the
river became covered with drift wood, which ren-
dered the navig'atdon dangerons, and was proba-
bly caused by the giving way Of sOmc sandbar,
which had detained the wood. AA«r making five
intleB we paaeed a Btreani on the south called
Torky creek, near a sandbar, where we could
acarcel; stem the current with twenty oars, and
all the polee wehad. On the north at about two
miles fUrttei* ia a large island ealled b; the In-
dians, Wau-car-da-war-card-da, or the Bear Medi-
cine lalaad. Here we landed and replaced our
mast, which had been broken three days ago, by
running against a tree, overhanging the river.
Thence we proceeded, and after night atopped on
the north side, above the Island, having come
eleven and a half mileB. Opposite our camp ie a
valley, iu which wa« situated an old village of the
Kanza!^, between two high points of land, and oa
the bank of the river. About a mile in the rear of
the village wan a email tbrtj buitt by the French
OB an elevation. There are now no traces of the
village, but the sitnation of the fort may be retog-
tilEed by eome remains of chinmies, aad the gen-
57
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
f^ral outline of the fortificatdon, as well ae by the
fine spring which supplied it with water. The
party, who were stfttioiied here, were probably
cot off by the ludiane, as there are ng awounts of
them.
Jjily flf/,— A gentle breeae from the Hoath carried
ne eleven aTid a quarter milea thie daj-f past two
lElandg, one a «mall wLLlow island, the other
lar^, and called bj the French Isle dee Yache», or
Cow ialand. At the head of this ialand, on the
northero ehore, is a large pond contiiimng bearer,
and fbwlB of diSerent kinda. After paaaiag a bad
Aaodbar, we stopped on the south aide at aa old
trading hnuse, which is now deserted, and half a
mile beyond it encamped on the south. The land
is flae aAonK the rivera, and Kome distance back.
We obnerved the block walaut and oak, among
the timber ; and the honey-Buekie and the buck's-
eyCj with the nuts on them,
TheTnorningortbe 4 th July waa announced by
the discharge of our gun. At one mile we reached
the mouth of a bayeau or creek, coming from »
large lake on the north eide, which appears aa if
it had once been the bed at the river, to which it
ruuB parallel for several miles. The water of it ia
clear and supplied by a umall creek and several
eprin^B, and the miinber of goslingji wliich we aaw
oa it, induced na to call it the Gosliag lake. It is
about three-quarters of a mile wide, and eeren or
eight miles loug. One of our men wae bitten by a
snake, but a poultice ofbark and gunpowder was
sufficient to ctire the wound. At ten and a quar-
ter milea we reached a creek ou the south about
twelve yardu wide «iid coming from an extensive
prairie, which approached the borders ol the
river. To thitt creek, which had no name, we gave
that of Fourth of July creek; above it ie a high
58
i
mound, where three Indian paths centre, and fi-om
which ie a Ttry exwnaire prospect. After fliteea
milea Bail we came to on the oorth a little above
a creek on the Bouthern aide, about thirty yards
wide, which we called Independence ercck, la
honour of the dftj, which we could Celebrate only
hy S.U ei-ening gun, and an additional gill gf
whiiskej to tbe m«D,
The next day, uth, we croBsed orer to the sonth
and came along the baoh of an p^tenoire and
beautiful prairie, interaperaed with copaes of tim-
ber, and watered by IndtpendeiLL* trefck. On this
bank formerly atood the second vitlage of the
KaDsae ; li-oai the remains it must har^ been on(»
a large town. We paHeed eeveraj, bad eandbars,
And a email creek to the BDuth, which we called
Tellow Ochre creek, from a bank of that mineral
A little abo-ve it. The river continuee to fall. On
the ehoree are great qnautitie^ of eummer and f&W
grapee, berrieiei and wild roeetj. j>eer is not so
abundant ae UHual, but there are numerous traeka
of elk around us. We encamped at ten miles dia-
tance on the aouth aide under a high bank, oppo-
site to which was a low land covered with tall
mehee, and some timber.
Jnlv S.— We uet sail, and at one mile passed a
aaudbarj three mjlsH further an island, a prairie to
the north, at the dietance of four mileo, called
Beevey'B prairie, after a man who was killed
there ; at which pla^e the river ii* couflaed to a
Very narrow channel, and by a §andbar from the
flouth. Four milee beyond is another sandbar
terminated by a amall willow ieland, and forming
a very cousiderable bend in the river towards the
north. The eand of the bar ia light, intermixed
with email pebbles and some pit coal. The rivef
Talla slowly, and, owing either to the muddinese of
59
LEWIS ANB CLARK'S EXPEDITION
ite water, or the extreme heat of the weather, tha
men perspire profueely. We encamped on the
Bdath having made twelve miles. The bird called
whip-poor-will sat on the boat for some tjine.
Id the momittg, July 7th, the rapidity of the
water obliged ua to draw the boat along with
Topes. At BIS and three quarter miles, we came to
a sandbar, at a pomt opposite a fine rich prairie .
on the north, called St. Michael's. The prairies ■
thiB neighbourhood have the appearance of
tinct farme, divid4»d by Darrow stripH of woodJ^l
land, which follow the bordera of the small runi
leading to the river. Above thia, about araile, ia
a eliff of yellow elay on the north. At fonr o'clock
we parsed a narrow part of the channel, where
the water is confloed within a bed of two hundred
jards wide, the cnrrent running directly against ^_
the eoQthem bank with no sand on the north td^f
confine it or break ite force. We made fourteen^"
milee, and halted on the north, after which we
had a Tiotent gust about seven oclotk. One of
the buntere narw in a pond to the north which w*
passed yesterday a number of ypung sH^ane, WtfJ
saw a large rat, and killed a wolf. Another
our men bad a stroke of the eua; he wae bled,
and took a preparation of nitre which relieved,
him considerably.
Jnlr S. — We Bet out early, and soon passed
small creek on the north, which we called Ord>
way's treek, from our sergoatit of tlmt name who
had been aent on shore witb. the horBee, asd weot
np it. On the eame aide are three small iBlandB,
one of which is the Little Nodawa, and a large
islAjid called the Great Sodawa extending more
than five miles, and containing seven or eight
tliQuaaiid acrea of high good laad, rarely overa]
flowed, and one of the largeet ialaods of the
60
UP THE MIBSOCfil,
■onri. It IB separated from the northern shore by
& Hiaall tbatltiel of from forty-five to eighty yards
wide, up which we paasud, and found near the
weBtem exl^remitj cf the ielaad the moath of the
river Nodawa. Thie rirer purBuee searly a south-
ern coDree, ifl navigable for boats to some dis-
tance, and about Beventy yards wide above the
DLoDth, thodgh not go wid« immediate]; there, aa
th» mud ftom the Missouri contracts it« channel.
At twelve and a quarter toiler, we encamped on
the north side, near the head of Nodawa island,
and opposite a emaller one in the middle of the
river. Five of the men were thia day aick with
violent headaehes. The river continuee to fell.
Ju^f 9£i.^Wepa«Bed the ialandoppoaitetowhich
we last night eocaniped, and saw near the head of
it a creek fallinK in A-om a pond on the north, to
which we gave the name of Pike pond, from the
nnmbera of that animal which Bonie of our party
eawA-om the shore. The wind ehaog^ed at eig^ht
from N. E. to S, W, and brought rain. At eii
mile» we pa^eed the mouth of Mon-ter's creek on
the south, and two miles abo^e a few cabinB,
where one of our party had encamped with some
Frenchmen about two years ago. Further on we
passed an island on the north, opposite some
cGSg On the eautb side, near "which Loup Or Wolf
river falU into the Missouri. This river is about
aLxty yards wide, it heads near the aame sources
OB the Kansas, and is navigable for boats, at
Bome difitance up. At fourteen milee we encamped
on the south side.
Tnmda^y 10th.— Vfe proceeded on by a prairie on
the upper aide of Wolf river, and at four miles
paeeed a creek flfteeu yarde wide on the south,
called Pape'a ereek after a Spaniard of that name,
who killed himeelf there. At six milea we dined on
61
I/EWIS AKD CLARK'S EXPEDITION
an iBland called bj the French Isle de Salomoa, or
BolomoD's iBlaod, opposite to whiub on the Bouth
IB a beautiflil ptain covered with graee, intermiied
with wild rye and a lind of wild potato. After
making ten miles we stopped for the nig^ht on thd-
northern Bide, oppoaife acliff of yellow claj. The
riv«r han celther risen nor fblien to day. On the
north the low tond la yery exteaBJve, and covered
with vinea; on the south, the hills approach nearer
the river, and back of them commence the plains.
There are a great man; gOHlinge alosg the banks.
Wednesday 21th. — After three miles eailiog we
catoe to o- willow ieland oq the north eide, behind
which entcre a creek «aU(;d by the Indians Tarkio.
Above this creek on the north the low lands are
subject to overflow, and flirther back the under-
growth of vines parti<i^blai-lyr is so abundant that
they can scarcely be pn«s«d. Three miles iVom thft
Tarkio we encamped on b, l^rge sand inland on the
north, immediatelj opposite the river Nemahaw,
Tbnrsday J^E//.— We remained here to-day for
the pnrpose of refreshing the party, and inakln;
lunar obBerrations. The Nemahawemptiea itself
into the Miasouri iVom the south, and is eightj
yards wide at the confluence, which i« in lat.
39° 55' 56'. Captain Clark ascended it in the
periogue about two miles to the mouth of a small
creek on the lower side. On going ashore be
found in the level plain several artificial mounds
or graves, and on the adjoining hills others of a
larger ei*e. This appearance Ipdieates safflciently
the former population of this country, the mounds
being certainly intended as tombs \ the Indians of
the AlisBOuri still preaerving the custom of inter--
ring the dead on high ground. From the top of
the highest mound a delightful prospect presented
itwlf— the level and eitensive mewiows watered
62
UP THE MISSOCBI.
by the N«mahaW] and ealiyeaed by the Ibw treea
aad flhrube Bkirtiiig the bordera of tbe river and
ItB tributary etreama— the lowland of the MiaBouri
covered with undulating grasH, nearly five feet
high, gradually Haing into a M^O&d plain, where
rich w«edB and Rowera are interi<p«rHed with
copsea of the Osage plum ; fUrther back are seen
email groves of trees; an abundance of grapeB; the
wild cherry of the Miesouri, reaemblin^ our own,
but larger, and growing on a Btnn.ll bueh ; and the
thokecherrj, wtilch we observed for the first time.
Some of the grapea gathered to-day are nearly
ripQ. Op the SQuth of the Nemaha^tr, and about &
quarter of a mile from ita mouth, is a rlifl* of free-
Btone, in which are various iuBcriptions and marks
made by the ladiaaa. The Band Uland where we
are encamped, ia covered with the two species of
willow, brood and narrow leaf.
Juij 13th. — We proceeded at sunriBe with a fkir
wind fi-om the eoutb, and at two miles, paased
the mouth of a email river on the north, called
Big Tarkio. A channel from the bed of the Mia-
souri once ran into tEii» rlvur, and formed an
island called St. Joseph >, but the thannel is now
filled up, and the island Sa added to the northern
sborc, Further on to the south, w ^tuated an
extenaiye plain, covered with a grass reBembliog
timothy in ite generaE appearance, except the aeed,
which IB like flax-eeed, and alao a number of
grape-TinCB. At twelve miles, we passed an island
Ob the north, above which is a large sandbar
covered with willows: and at twenty and a half
nules, stopped on a large gaudbar, is the Diiddle
of the river oppOBite a high handsome prairie,
which est*nds to the hilla four or five miles dia-
tant, though near the bank the land is low, and
flobject to be overflowed. TbiB day was exceed-
63
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
inglj fine and pleaaaat, a storm of wind and rain
from north northeast, laet ni^ht, baring cooled
the air.
JuJj 14. — We had some hard flhowera of r^n
before seven o'clock, irhen T^e set out. We had
juat reached the end of the eand iglAiid, and w«D
the opposite baiik» fitUiug Id, and so lined with
timber that -we could not approach it without
43ang«r, whea a sudden Bquall, from the north-
east, etruck the boat on the starboard quarter,
and wOnId have certainly dashed her to pieces on
the sand iRland, if the party had not leaped inti?
the river, aod with the aid of the anchor and
cable kept her off; the waveB dashing over her for
the space of forty minotea ; after which, the river
b«^ame alrooBt inBtantaneouely calm and smooth.
Th& two periogueH were ahead, in a eituatioD
nearly eimilar, but fortunately no damage "was
done to the boats or the loadLog. The wind har-
ing ehifted to the southeast, we came at the dis-
tance of two mile^, to an island on the north,
where we dined. One mile above, on theaame aide
of the river, ie a email fectory, where a merchant
of St. Louis traded with the Ottoee and Pawnees
two years ago. Near thie 18 an eiten^ive lowland,
part of which is overflowed occaBionally, the rest
is rich and well timbered. The wind again
changed to northweet by north. At Bcven and a
half miles, we reached the lower point of a large
island, on the north side. A small distance above
this point ie^ a river, eall^ by the Maha Indjaos
NiHhuabbatona. This la a cDnsiderable creek,
nearly as large ae the Mine river, and runs paral-
lel to the MiBsouri the greater part of ita course,
being fifty yards wide at the mouth. In the
prairiea or glades, we Ba"w wild-timotby, lambs-
qnarter, cucklebenies, and on the edges of the
64
THE MISaOtlRI.
riTer, BumiDer-grapes, plntos, and firoDeebeiTiee.
We alao eaw to-day, for the first time, »ome elk,
at which eome of the party shot, hut at too great
a distance. We encamped on the north aide of the
island, a little above Njsknahhatona, having made
niae miles. The river f^ll a little.
Jul;^ iS, — A thict fog prerented pTjr leaving
the eucampmeiit before seven. At about faac
milee, we reacliecl the extremity of the large ialaod,
and croBeing to the south, at the diataoce of
seven miles, arrived at the Little Nemaha, a small
river from the aouth, fbrty yarda Wide a little
above ita mouth, but contracting, as do almost
all the waters emptying into the Mieijoori, at its
eonfueace. At nine and three-quarter miles, we
eocamped on a woody point, on thesoath. Along
the southern bank, ie a rich lowland covered with
peavjne, and rich weeds, and watered by BmaU
streaniB rising' in the adjoining prairiea. They
too, are rich, and though with abuudance of
grass, have no timber except what growg near the
water : interspersed through both are grape-vines,
plums of two kinds, two species of wild -cherries,
haeelnutH, and gooseberries. On the south there
i8 one unbrolcen plain; on the north the river is
Bkirtad with eome timber, behind which the plaia
extendi four or five miles to the tills, whieh aeem
to have little wood.
JuJy J(J.— We eontinued our route between a
large island opposite to our last night's encamp-
ment, and an esteneive prairie on the south.
About sis miles, w<? came to another large island,
called Fairsnn island, on the e&me eide; above
which i* a epijt, where about t^venty aerea of the
hill have fkllen into the river. Near thie, is a cliff
of sandstone for two miles, which ie much f>e-
Quented by birds. At this place the river is abont
Vol. I.— 5 65
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
one mile wide, but not d«ep; »b the timber, or
sawyera, may be seen, scattered across tbe whole
of ite bottom, At twenty Tniles dietancej we saw
on the HOtitb, an ieland caAleA by the French,
riele Chance, or Bald island, opposite' to a large
prairie, which we called Baldpated prairie, from a
rldffe of naked bills which bpund it, running par-
allel wjth the river aa tkr as we could see, and
fi-om three to six milea diatance. To tbe Houth
the hilla touch the river. We encamped a quarter
of a mile beyond thJB, in a point of wnods on the
north aide. The riTtc cOnttDues to fall.
Taemls-j, J\i!j 17,— ^» remained here this day,
In order to make obeenratioua and correct tbe
chronometer, which raa dowa od Sunday. The
latitude wb found to be 40 27 5j^'. The ob-
servation of the time proved oup chronometer too
slow, by 6' 51^". The highlands bear from our
camp, north 25° went, up the river. Captain
LewiB rode up the qountry, and eaw the NUh-
nohbatona, about ten or twelve milee from its
mouth, at a place not more than three hundred
yarda from the Miaeouri, and a little above our
camp. It then passes near the foot of the Bald-
hillB, and ia at least sii feet below the level of the
JpfiMouri, On its banks are the oak, walnut, and
mulberry. The Gommoa current of tbe MisHonri,
taken with the log, is 50 fathoms in 40", at BOme
places, and even 20".
Wcdneaday, Jufy 3ff.— The morning waa ftitr,
and a gentle wind ftom fioutheaet by Aoutb,
carried ue along between the prairie on the north,
and Bald ialand to the eouth; opposite the mid-
dle of which, tbe NiiihaahbatoDa approaches the
nearest to the Miaeouri. The current here ran
fifty ftithoma in 41', At thirteen and a half mites,
yi« reached an ieland on the north, near to which
66
UP THE MlSSOnHI.
f
the bank? overflow; while od the aoath, the hilli
project over the river and form high clifia. At
ooe point a part of the clifT, nearly three-quarters
of a mile ia leogth, and about two hundred fbet
in height, has fallen into the river. It is composed
chieS.y of sandstoDA int^rciixed With. On iruD orS
of bad quality ; near the bottom ia a soil slnUy
etone with pebbles. We p^sned several b&d eand-
bars ia the course of the day, and made ei^bteea
miles, aad encamped oa the south, oppoBite to tba
lower point of the Oven ialandB. The country
around ia generally divided into praiiieBr with Ilt>
tie timber, except oa low points, islands, and near
creelu)) a-nd tL&t conaiB-ting of cottOQwopd, mol-
beiry, elm, and syvamore. The river iailn fa«t.
An ladiandogcame to the bank; be appeared to
have beeo lost and waa nearly starved : we gave
him aome food, lint he would not follow us.
Thursday, Jufy 19, — The Uvea islanda are small,
and two in namber; one near the south shore, th4
other in the middle of tbe river. Opposite to tbent
is the prairie, called Terrien'e Oven, from a trader
of that name. At four and a half mike, wa
reached some high clitfa of a yellow earth, on the
flOHth, near which are two beautiful ruas of water,
rising in the Adjacent prairies, and one of them,
with a (leer-lick, about two hundred yards from
its mouth. In thle neighbourhocid we obeerred
eome iron ore in the bank. At two and a balf
miles above the rnuB, a lar^ portion of the bill,
for ne&Tij three-quartere of a mile, has fiillen into
the river. We encamped on the western extremity
of an ieland, in the middle of the riTer, having
made ten and three-quarter miles. The river falls
a little. The eandbarK which we passed to-day^
are more nnmeroua, aod the rolling Bands more
i^quentand dangerous, than any we have seen;
67
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
theee obstacleB increasing as we approa^^h the
river Platte. The MiBaoari here ia "vrider alao than
below, where tht timb4;r on the banks resists the
current; while here the prairies which appros-cbf
are more easily washed and under mined. The
hunters have brought for the last Tew daya, no
quadruped, hut deer: great quantities of young
giM5Be are seen to-day : one of them brought cala-
mue, which he had gatiiered oppojsite our encamp-
meat, and a large quantity of eweet-flag.
Fridaj', Jaiy 20. — There waa a. hea-vy dew last
night, and this morning was fuggy ajid cool. We
poBsed at about three miles distance, a small wil-
low iBland to the north, and a creek on the south,
about twenty-five yarda wide, called by the
French, L'Edu l)a\ Pleure, Or the Weeping Water,
&nd emptying itself just aboTe a chff of browa
clay. Thence we made two and a half miles to
another iBland; three miles farther to a third : bIz
miles beyond which is a fourth iBland ; at the
head of which we eneamped on the eouthem
ehore; in all eighteen mileB. The pa.rt-y, who
walked on the uhore to-day, found the plains to
the tiouth, rich, but ranch parched with IVequeat
£iee, and with no timber, ej^cepc the Bcattering
trees about the eotirvea of the nina, which are
numerouB and Sac. On the north, i,; a uitnilar
prairie country. The river (.'ontinnejj to fall. A
large yellow wolf was this d.»y kilkd. For a
mqnth past the party hav? been troubled with
bifea, and oc<?ai<ionalIy with the dysentery. These
biles were larg-- tumours which lirohe out under
the arms, on i:Iie legn, and, gvncially, in the parts
moatespufled to actiODj which fiooietimee became
too painful to pcraiit the men to work. After re-
inaiELng aoiue days, they disaplVeared without any
assistance, except a poultice o!" the bark of tiie
tJ8
THE MISS0T7EI.
dm, or of IndisD ineaL TUti disorder, which we
ascribe to tbe muddin^etj of tbB river water, haa
not affected the geoer&l health of the partj-, which
ie quite as good, il' not better, than that of the
B&m» number of men in any other situatiou.
^iatapJaj-, Jaiy 'JT. — tt'e had a breeze from the
HDutbeOEt, by the 4^d of which we paeaed, at
abuut ten na\a&, a willow iHlund un The south,
near high laadis covered with timljer, at the bant,
and formed of limestone with cemented shells: on.
the opposite side ia a had sandbar, aud the laud
near it ia qut tJiroiiyh at high "vrater, by email
chaaaelB forming a uuinh^T uf ielandEs. Tbe wind
Inlled at eeven o'clock, and w«i reat^'hed, in the
rain, the mouth of the great river P3att«f at the
distance of fourteen milea. The highlands whielt
had accompanied iib^ on the eouth, for the laat
eight or ten loiles, Btopped at ahout three quarter*
of a mile from the entrance of the Platte. Cap-
tains Lewis and Clark aecended the river in a peri-
ogue, for about one mite, and found the current
very rapid ; rolling over eandBj and divided into a
numbi^r ofchanuda; none of wliich ai^deepsr than
five or eix ffeet. One of our Frenchmen, who spent
two wintevB on it, says that it spreads much
more at some distance from the mouth; that its
depth ie generally not more than five or eis *eet ;
that there are many araali iGlanda scattered
through it, and that fl"om its rapidity and the
quantity of ita saniJ, it cannot be navigated hy
boats or perioguea, though the Indians pass it in.
email flat caaoee mttdi: of hides. That the ^aliue^
or Salt river, wJiich in acme eeaHons ia too brack-
ish to he drank, falls into it from the eouth about
thirty miles up, and a Uttle above it Ellthorn
river from the north, running nearly parallel with
the Misaouri. The river ia, in fact, much mora
^0
LEWIS AND CLAHK'a ESTEDITION
rapid than the MlBBoari, the bed of which it fllla
-witb moving Banda, and driree the (Current on the
northern ahore, on which it ie coQBtantly en-
croachiag. At itd junctioit the I'latto is ahout six
hundr^ yards wide, apd tiie same numherof mile*
trom the MiBsiaeippi. With much difficulty we
worked round the sandbars near the mouth, and
came to above the pointj having made fifteen
mllea. A number of evolves -rrere «eea and beard
aronnd uk in the evening.
Jaly 22.—Th-9 next niorpiBg we set eai], and
having found at the distance often miles from the
Platte, a hij^b and shaded situation on the north,
ve encamped there, intending to make the requiT
site observatLone, and to Bend for the neig'bbour-
Ing tribes, for the purpose of making known the
recent change in the ggverament, and the wish qf
th« United Ijtates to cultivate tLeij" itiendsMp.
TIP THE MISSOURL
CHAPTER 11.
Beme Account of tbe Pawn«i tndtans— C«UBdl bm vritb tbe
OLto imd MlsuuJi IndJunB— Council beld wttli aDDtber p&rcf
Ol LbC Otioes — DV^Oi of gerg^DC Flojd--Tbe parts engajup
aefir the mouUi ol Wtill^aUne rlvar— TLu ^^LurotUir uf tbft
Missouri, with, the rivers that enter lt--The ■lUTWundlnj
i^iLiaEj-j'Tbe various ialandB, bafs^ creeks, Ac, ^ven In Q14
mine fli Ui« expedition.
Our camp is b^ obeeryatioD in latitude 41' 3'
11'. Immediately behind it lb a plodii about five
miles widej one half covered with wood^ the other
drj aad elevated. The low grounds ob the south
near the jiinction of the two rirere, are rich, but
eubjett to be overflowed. Farther np, tbe bank^
are h]g;her, and oppodte our camp the &rBt tuUa
approach the river, aad are covered with timber^
such aB oak^ waltiut, aud elm. The iDtermediata
eountry i« watered by the Papilloa, or Butterfly
creek, of about eig'hteen ^arde ivide, and three
mjlea from the Platte ; on the north are high open
plains aad prairie«, and at nine milea Aotd ths
Platte, the Moaquito creek, aud two or three
email willow islande. We stayed here eeveral
days, during which we dried our proviHtons^ made
new oara, and prepared our debpatclieb and luapa
of the country we bad paseed, for the president
of the United States, to whom we intend to aend
them by a perio^e from this place. The huutera
have foand g:ame acarce in this neighbourhood;
they have seen deer, turkeys, and ^rouH<! ; we have
alao an abundance of ripe grapeB; and one of our
men caught a white catfish, the eyes of which
were HBiall, and its tail resera-bling that ofadol-
71
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S ESPEWTION
phin. The present season is that in which the
Indiana go out itito the prairies to htint the buf-
falo; but ae we di«cov«red eonie hunter'ii trairkg,
and observed t!ie plsinis on fire in tlie direction of
th^ir villages, vrs hoiied thiit ttey might have re-
turned to gathiir the green Indian corn, aiid
[.therefore deepatehed two men to the Ottoee or
Pawnee Tillages with a preeent oi'toliai^co, and an
invitation to the cliii-'ft to visit us. They returned
after two duy« al>8eiice. Their &rst course "wae
through an open (>ruirie to the Bouth, in which
they i;roa*ied Butterfly creek. They then reached a
small beautiflil river, called Come de Cerf, or Elk-
torn river, about one hundred yards wide, with
cleac water and a gravelly chantiel. Itempti^ a
little below the Ottoe villag« into the Platte,
wMcb they uros^ed, aad arrived at the town'
about forty-Qve miles fbom our camp. They
found no Indians there, though they saw Bome
fresh tracks of a email party. The Ottoea were
one* a powerfiil nation, and lived about twenty
miles above the Platte, on the southern bank of
the Missouri, Being reduced, they migrated to the
neighbourhood of the Fawuees, under whose pro-
tection they now live. Their village ita on the ■
south side of the Platte, about thirty imleBftom
its mouth; aud their number ih two hundred men,
including about thirty fkmiliea of Miseoiiri Indiana,
"whg are incorporated Tvith them. Five league*
above them, an the same side of the river, r&aideB
the nation of i'awneeu. Thii^ people were among
the most numeroue of the Miseoori Indiana, but
have g^rodually been dispersed and broken, and
even since the year ITHT, have ondergone BOme
Be naible changes. Theynon* eonsLst of four bands;
the firut is the one juat mentioned, of about five
hundred men, to whom of late y^are have been
72
UP TEE MISSODKI.
added the second band, who art trailed republleoa
Pawneea, from tieir baving lived on the repub-
lican branch of the river Kan?fle, whence they
emigrate to join the prindpal baud of I^awneea;
the republican Pawaees amount to nearly two
hundred and fifty men. The third, are the faw-
neee LoTips, or Wolf Pawnfcte, who reside on the
Wolf fork of the Platte, ahout ninety miles from
the piiudpal Pawneee, aod number two buoiired
and eighty men. The fourth band orlgtcally re-
sided on the Kanzaa and Arkansaw, but in their
wara with the Osages, they were ho often deffeated,
that they at last retired tu their present poeition
on the Hed riTer, where they form a tribe of four
hundred men. All these tribes live in Tillages, and
raise corn; but during the intervala of culture rove
in the plains in quest of buETiilo.
Beyond them on the rirer, and westward of the
Block tnouataiflft, are the KaninavieschjConaiating
of about four hundred men. They are supposed
to have emigrated originally from the Pawnees
nation ; but they have degenerated from the im-
provemente of the parent tribe, end no longer live
in Tillages, bat rove through the plaice.
Still further to the westward, are several tribes,
who wander and hunt on the sources of the river
Flatt«, and thence to Bock Mountain. These
tribes, of which little more ia known than the
oamea and the population, are fir^t, the Staitaa,
or ICite Indians, a small tribe of one hundred men.
They haTe acquired the name of Kites, from their
flying; that is, their being always on horseback;
and the gmallneBs of their numbers is to be at-
tributed to their es.treme feroeity; they ore the
most warlike of all the we^teru Iiidiaua; they
never yield in battle; they never spare their ene-
toieei and tha retaliation of thia barbarity has
73
LEWIS AiND CLAUK'S ESFEDITION
Ajtboat ^xtingiiiebed the Datidii. Then com« tba
Wetapahato, and Kiawa tribes, associated to-
£etli«r, and ^.laouatmg to two buDdred m«a; the
Caetahaoa, of three hundred men, to wbicii are to
"be added the Cataia of aeventy-five men, and the
Botami. These wandering tribes, are conjectured
to be the retanaiitH of the Great Padouca nation,
who occupied the couatry between the upper parte
of tbe liver Flatte, and tbe lirer KaDstte. Tbey
were visited by Bourgemont, io 1124, and then
lived on the Kanzaa river. The Beats, which lie
dcflcribes as their residence-, are now occupied by
the Kanzas nation^ aud of the Padoiica«, there
does not now exiet even the name.
Juiy 2T, — HaTiog completed tbe object of our
Bta^] we Bet sail, witb a pleasant breeze from tbo
N. W, The two horaea awam over to the Boutbem
shore, along which we went, passing by an island,
at thr«e and a haJfmilee, formed bj a pond, fed
'by sprmga: three miles further is a large saiid
Island, IB tiie middle of the river; tbe land on the
south being high, and covered with timber ; that
on the north, a high prairie, At ten and a half
miles from our encampment, we saw and exam-
ined a curious collection of graves or mounds, on
the south side of tbe river. Not fkr from a low
piece oi" land and a pond, is a tract of about two
hundred acree in eircomference, which ie covered
with mounds of dlflerent heights, Bhapee, and
fliiee : some of sand, and some of both earth and
sand ; the largest being nearest the river. These
mounds indicate the position of the ancient village
of the Ottoes, before tiiey retired to tbe protection
of the Pawnees. After making fifteen miles, we
encamped on the south, on the bank of a high
handsome prairie, with lofty cottonwood in
groves, near tbe river.
71
THE MSSOmtt.
July 28. — At am mile, tbie moFDiDg- we readied
a bluff, on the north, beiii^ the firet hightauds,
which approach the river ou that side, Bince we
left the Nodawa. Above tbk, is an ieland and a
creek, about fifteen yards vride, \rhich, as it baa
no Qflffiei we called lodiao Knob ci^ek, from a
namber of rQuod kaobe bare of timber, on tba
tighlaDda, to the north. A little below the blufl*,
on the northj ia the epot where the Ajauwaj
Indiana formerly lived. They were a branch ofthe
Ottoes, and emigrated from, thia place to the river
DeemoineB. At tea and three-quarter miles, we
eneamped on the north, oppoBite an inlaud, ia the
middle of the river. The land, generally, on the
north, coneiatH of high prairie and hilla^ with tim-
ber: on the fionth, low and tovered witheotton-
wopd. Our hunter brought to ub In the evening,
a Miaaoarl Indian, whqm he had found, witb
two othere, dreHsing an elk; they were peribctly
^endly, g^ave htm. aome of the meat, and one of
them agreed to accompany him to the boat. He
ifl One of the fbw reoiaiiiiDg Misecuria, who live
with the Ottoee: he belongs to a small party,
whose camp ie four miles ftom the river; and he
eaye, that the body of the aation ie now hunting
buffalo in the plains; he appeared quite aprig'htly,
and hie language reaeinbled that of the Osage,
patijculariy in hie calling a chief, iuca. We Bent
him back with one of our party next mOming,
Sud(Jrj, July Sa, with an invitation to theln-
diaaej to meet ub above on the river, and then pro-
ceeded, Wb Hoon came to a northern bentl in the
rivec, which rune within twenty yards of Indian
Knob creek, the water of which i& five feet higher
than that ofthe MleBouri. In les^ tban two miles,
we paseed Boyer'e cr«ek on the north, of twenty-
five yaj^B width. We stopped to dine under a
75
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
ebtide, near the bighlaod on the Houth, and caught
Beveral largQ catftehj one of them nearly white,
and all very fat. Above this Mgbland, we ob-
served the traces of a great hurricane, which
passed the river obhqnely from X. W. to 8. E.
and topfc up large trees, some of which perftctly
sound, and four feet Id diameter, were snapped oF
near the grouud, W^ made tun miles to a wood
OD the north, where we encamped. Tbi? MiEBOuri
1b much more crooked, since we paaaed the rirer
Platte, though generally speaking, not ao rapid;
more of prairie, with leae- timher, and cottonwood
Id the low grounds, and oak, black walnut, hick-
ory, and etni.
Jalf' 30. — We went early in the morning, three
and aqnarter milea, aod encamped on the eouth,
in order to wait for the Ottoes. The land here
coDHists ofa plain, above the tlghwater level, the
BPil of which is :fertile, and covered with a gra^K
ftom Qve to eight l^t high, int^rsperged with
copBes of lar^ plums, and a curcant, like thoee of
the United States. It atso furuisheH two upeciea of
hofteysuekle; one growing to a kind of shrub^
common about narrodshurgh (Kentuefcjj, the
other is not BO high: the fiowere grow in clusters,
are Bbort, and of a light pink colour; the Uavea
too, are diatinct, and do not surround the stalk,
SfS do those of the cooiiuon houejijutkle of the
United States. Back of this plain, is a woody
ridge about seventy feet above it, at the end of
which we formed our -camp. This ridge separates
the lower from a higher prairie, of a good quality,
with grasK, often or twelve incbe^i in Iiti^ilht, and
extending back about a miie, tfl another elevation,
of eighty or ninety feet, bejOnd which is one con-
tinued plain. Near our camp, we eujoy frOm the
bluSs B. mo.at beaatil\il view of the river, aodth*
76
UP THE MiaaouRr.
adjoiniag coaatrj. At a distance, varyiiig ftom
four tfO ten mileH, and of a height between eeventy
and three hnndred feet, two purallel ran^s of
highland atlbt^B & fiRAsbgt td the MisBOuli, ^vhlcb.
enriches the low pounds between them. In its
■winding cpurse, it nourishes the wiESow islands,
the scattered cottoaw^aod, elm, Hycamore, lynn,
and asli, and the Rrorea are interepereed with
hickory, walnut, coffeenut, and oak,
Jul}- SI.— The meridian altitnde of this day
made the latitude of our camp 41' 18 1^', The
hQnters supplied uh with deer, turkeys, geese, and
beaver; ooe of ttie lost waaca.ught alire, and in n
Terj eliort time waa perffectly tamed. Catfish are
Tery abundant in the river, and we have also aeen
a baffalo fliih. One of our men brought in yeater-
day ftn Animal eaHed, by the PawnecB, chOcat^
tooeh, and, by the French, blaireau, or badger.
The ev^ningr ie cool, yet the mo^uitoee are etJU
very troubleaome.
W« waited with much aniiety the return of
oor meBBenger to the Ottoes. The men whom we
dgapatched to our last eDcanipment, returned
without having seen any appearance of its having
been vialted. Oar hprgea too had strayed ; but we
were eo fartunate aB to recover them at the dia-
tance of twelve mile». Our appreheDBions were at
length relieved by the arrival of a party of about
fourteen Ottoe and Miseoari Indians, who eame at
ennBet, on the second df Anguatj Accompanied by
a Frenchman, who resided among tliem, and in-
terpreted for UB. Captains Lewie and Clark- went
out to meet them, end told them that we would
hold a council in the morning, In the mean time
we Bent them Bome roasted meat, pork, flonr, and
meal; in return for which they aiade us a present
of watermelons. We learnt that our man Liberie
77
LEWIS AXD CLAEK'S EXPEDITIOX
had Bet oat from tbeir camp a da; before tbem ;
we were in hopcB that he had fatigued hia horae,
or lost himBelf in the woods, and wonld booh r&
tdru; but 'WC n-ever eaw him Bgaia.
Ajjgast 3, — The n*it morning the Indiana, with
ttielr BIX chiefH, were all aaeembled under an awu-
ing, rormed with the mainsail, in presence of all
our party, paraded for the occasion. A speech,
wflfl then made, announcing to them the change
in the government, Our prOmisfea Of prOttCtitin, and
advice as to their fliture conduct. All the six
chieft replied to our speech, each in tie turn, ac-
cording to rank : they expreeeed thejr joy at the
change in the gaverBiasnt; their Lopea that we
would recommend them to their Rwat father (the
president), that they might obtaia trade and
neceeHariee ; they wanted arms ae well for himting
as for defence, and ejsked our mediation betweea
"them and the Mabae, with whom they are bow at
war. Wepromified to do bo, and wiahed eome of
them to Sfcompany uh to that nation, which they
declined, for fear of being kilted lay them. We then
proc(!eded to dJistribiite niir presentB. The grand
duefof the nation not heingof the party, we sent
him a fag, a medal, and Bome oraam«Dte for
clothing. To the fiix <:hiefB who were present, we
gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoe
chief, and one Missouri chief; a medal of the third
grade to two infbrior chiefe of each nation: the
castomary mode of recognidng a chief, being to
place a medal round hie neck, wtiich 1b couBidered
among hie tribe as a proof of hie cooelderatloa
abroad. Each of theee medala was accompanied
bj a present of paint, garters, and clotli orna^
meats of dress ; and to this we abided a canister
of powder, a bottle of whiskey, and a few presenta
to the whole, which appeared to ma^ke them per-
78
UP THE M^SOUBI.
ftctly Bfttisfied. The air-gTin too waa fired, and
oetoniHlied them greatly. The abaent grand chief
was an Ottoe, named Weahruehbah, which, in
English, degenerates into Little Thief. Tte two
principal chieftaiua preaent were, Sbongotongo,
or Big Horee; and Wethea, or HoBpitalityf alao
ShoBpiBcan, or White Horse^ an Ottoe; theflrat an
Ottoe, tbc second a MlBsouri. The incideiite just
related, induced ua to give to thja place the name
of the Council-bluff; the Bjtnation of it ie exceed-
ingly favourable for a fort and trading factory, as
the soil is well calculated for bricks, and there ib
an abundance of wood in the neighbourhood; and
the air being pure and healthy. It is also central
to the chief ceeortB of the Indlane: one day's
Journey to the Otto«s; one and a half to the great
Pawnees; two days IVgm the Mahaa; two and a
quarter ftom the PawneeH Loups village; con-
Tenient to the hunting- grounda of the Sious; and
t-wenty-flTe days jouriifly to i^anta Pee.
The ceremoniea of the couneil being concluded,
we Bet Bail in the aflernoon, and encamped at the
distance of five mile^, on the south side, where we
fbund the moequitoea very troublefiotue.
Aagvst 4. — A violent wind, accompanied by
rain, purified and cooled the atmoBphere last
night; we proceeded early, and reached a very
naci-ow part of the river, where the channel is
confined within a space of two hundred yardsj by
a sand point on the north, and a bend on the
Bonth ; tb« hanks in the neighbourhood wanhtug
away, the trees (klling in, and the channel filled
with buried logs. Abore this ie a trading houae,
on the eouth, where one of our party passed two
yeara, trading with the Mahaa, At nearly four
mileBr is a creek on the south, emptying opposite
a large iBland of eand ; between this creek and our
7Q
Iwt night'e eneampmeiit, the river has changed
its bed, and eacroaclied on the southern shore.
About two JuileB further, is another creek on the
Bouth, which, like the former, m the outlet of three
ponds, commuiiicfltmg with each other, and form-
ing 61 small lake, whith is f^ bj atreamB from the
lijghlands. At fifteen miles, we encamped on the
eoath. The bills on both side« of the river are
nearly twelve or flfteea miles from each other;
those of the north coDtalniii^ ^ome timber, wiule
the Mils of the south are without any covering,
ezcept Bome scattering wood in the ravines, and
near where the creeks pa^s into the billH, rich
plarioa and prairies occupying the interia^i^tQ
Bpace, and portlallf covered, near the water, with
Cottonwood, Tb&re has been a grtat deal of
pumice-etone on the shore to-day.
August 5,— We set out early, and, by meanfl of
our oara, m^£ tfrenty and. a half milee., thongh
the river was crowded with sandbarH. On both
eidee the prairies extend along the river ; the bauka
being covered with great quaatitiee of grapee, of
which three dUEerent Bpedes are now ripe; one
large and resembling the parple grape. We bad
Bouie rain this morniHg, attended by high wind;
but geueraUy speaking, have remarked that thun-
der Btorma are le^ frequent than in the Atiaotic
staitee, at thla BeaeoD. Bnakes too are leee fre-
quent, though we kiiled one to-day of the ehapo
and siae of the rattleenake, but of a lighter colour.
We fixed our camp on the north side. In the
evening, Captain Clark, in pursuing some game,
in an e^i^tern direction, found himeelf at the di-S*
tance of three hundred and seventy yards from the
camp, at a poiut of the river whence we bad come
twelve Toiles. When the water is high, this penin-
Bula is overflowed, and judging from the cimtom-
8U
UP THE MISSOTTBI.
id notorious chan^B in the river, a f^w
T^ar^ will be sufficiewt fco force the main current
of the river acrQBa, and leave th? ^reat bend dry.
The whole lowlund between the jjaralle! range of
hiUs seems formed of mud or ooze of the river, at
some former period, mixed Kith sand aod clQj.
The eand uf the neighbouriDg banka Eu;cumulat«Q
with the aid of that hrougUt down the Btream,
and forma Handbars, projecting into tbe river;
these drive the channel to the opposite banksv the
loose texture of which it undermineB, and at
length deMerta its andent bed for a tiew and
shorter po^sa^; it is thue that tlie baoke of the
Misscmri are conatantly falling, and ths river
changing ita bed.
August fi. — In the morning, after a violent atorm
of wind and rain from \. \V. we paaaed a large
island ta the north. la the channel separating it
from the shore, a crwfc called Soldier's river
entcra; the ii^land kept it from our view^, butpqe
of OQT men who had seen it, representa it aa about
forty yarda wide at its mouth. At five niilea, wb
came to a bend of the river towarda the north, a
sandbar, rtinmng in ftom the bouth, bad turtted
ita courae so a» to leave the old channel quite
dry. We agaia saw the same appearance at our
encampment, twenty aad a half miles diatant on
the north aide. Here the channel of the river had
encroached uouth, and tlie old bed was -without
water, except a few ponds. The sandbars are
still very nnnieroue.
Aagust T. — We had another storm from, the N-
W. in the course of the last evwoiug; in the morn-
ing we proteedenl, having the wind from the north,
and encamped on the northern shore, having
rowed seventeen miles. The river ia here encum-
bered with sandbars, bat no islands, except two
Vol. I,— ti 81
omall oaea, called Detachment islands, and formed
on the uouth eJde \ty a small Btream.
We deepatcted four mea back to the Ottoee vil-
lage in quBRt of our man, Liberte, and to appre-
hend one of the aoldiers, who left ua on the 4th,
Duder pretence Of tecovering a knife Tvh.ich he bad
dropped a short dietance behind, and who we f^ar
hRBd«Berted. We aUo B«Dt small presentB to the
Ottoea aod MiBsourie, and requested that the;
would join n& at the Maha village, where a peace
might be concluiied between them,
Aaffust S.— At two miles distance, tMa tnOrning
we came to a part of the river, where there was
concealed titnb«r difficult to pasw. The wind was
fVom the N. W. and we proceeded in safety. At
six miles, a river emptieB on the northern aide,
called by the Sioax IndianSj Eaneahwadepon, or
Stone river; and by the French, Petite Riviere dee
Sioux, or Little Sioux river. At its confluence it
ia eighty yarde wide. Our interpreter, Mr, DiirioD,
who has been to the eourcea of it, and knowe the
adjuining country, says that it riBes within about
nine milee of the river DeBmoines; that within
fifteen leagues of that riyer it pasees through a
large lalte nearly sixty miles in circumference, and
divided into two parts by rocks which approach
each other very closely: its width is various: it
contains many ielaodB, and ie known by the name
of the Lacd'EBprit: it is near the Dog-plains, and
within four days mareh of the MahuB. The coun-
try watered by it, is open and undulating, and
may be visited in boats up the river for some dis-
tance. The Desmoinee, he adds, is about eighty
yards wide where tJie Little Sioux river ap-
proaches it : it is ehoaly, and one of ite principal
branehes ia called Cat river. Two milee beyond
this river is a long island which we called I'elican
83
TIP THE MISSOCEI.
Idaod, fVom the nuiiiberB of that aniinal whicb
were feeding on it: one of these being killed, wt
ponred into his bag five gallons of water. An elk,
too, waa Kbot, and we huid again to remark tbat
snakes are rare in this part of the Misaouii. A
meridian altitude aear the Little Sioux river made
the latitude 41' 42' 34*. We encamped on the
north, having: come sixteen mile*.
August 0. — A thick fog detained us until past
B6ren o'clock, aftec which Tve proceeded ivith a
gentle breese ftom the Boutheuat. Aft^r pa^^tng
two eandbfire we reached, at seven and a half
mileB, a point of highland on the left, near which
the river haa farced itself a cbaonel across a
peninanla, leaving on the right a circuit oftweive
or eighteen, niilea, which Ih. ilow recogniEed hy the
ponds and ielands it coDtains. At seTenteen and
a half mileg, we reached a potat on the Dorth,
where we encamped. The hills are at a great die-
tancB from the river for the laet eevera] days; the
land on both aidea low, and covered with eotton-
wood and abundance of grape vinea. An elk was
Been to-daj-, a turkej- aUo shot, and near our
camp ia a beaver dea; the motiquitoe? have been
more troobleeome than ever for the two last days.
AvgUBt 10.—A.t, two and a half milea, we came
to a place, called Coupee a Jacques, where the
river has found a new bed, and abridged a cireuit
of Several milea : at twelve and a half miles, a cliff
ofjeliow stone on the left. Thisja the first Mgh-
laod uear ttie river above the Council-bluff. AAer
paeeing a number of sandbars we reached a wil-
low island at the diatanee of twenty-two and a
half milea, which we were enabled to do with our
oats and a wind from the H. W. and encamped on
the north eide.
August 11, — Aiter a violent wind from the N. W.
83
LEWIS AND CLABK'S ESPEDITI(yS
attended with raia, we a&iled alang the right of
the island. At nearly five miles, we halted gn the
Boath BJde for the purpojje of eiamiulag a epot
where odb of the great chiefs of the Mahae named
Blackbird, who died about four years ago of the
Binali-pox, w'SLR buried. A hill of j-ellow Boft eand-
Htone risea from the river in hluffs of Tarions
)ieig;hta, till it ends in a knoll about thrte hun-
dred feet above th? w^a.ter ; on the tpp of thie &
mound, of twelve feet dianiet«r at the base and
His feet high, in raieed over the body of the de-
ceased king; a pale of about eig^ht ftet high ia
fixed in the centre; on which we placed a white
flag, bordered With red, blue, and white. The
Blackbird eeems to have been a personage of ^reat
cousideratioQ ; for ever since bia death be is sup-
plied with proviBioiiB, from time to time, hy the
BuperBtitioQB regard of the Mahaa. We deecended
to the river and passed a email creek on the
soutk., called, by the Mahaa, Wancandipeethe,
(Great Spirit is bad. J Near thia creek and the
adfoLaing hills the Maha^ had a yillage, and lo&t
four hundred of their nation by the dreadful
malady which destroyed the Blackbird. The me-
ridian altitude made the latitude 42' 1 3j_Y
north. We encamped, at seventeen miles distance,
on the north eide in a bend of the river. Duriog
our day's course it has been crooked ; we observed
a number of pla<:ea in it where tlie old cbanQel ia
filled up, or gradually beooming covered with wil-
low and Cottonwood; great numberB of herons
are observed to-day, and the moequitoea annoy ua
very much.
Augnfft J2, — A gentle breeze fVora the soiitt,
carried ue along about ten niiW, when we Btopped
to take a meridian altitude, and sent a man
acroEn to our pl4ice of observation: yealerday he
8-t
UP THE MIB80UEI.
stepped nine hundred and fieventj-rour yards, and
the distance we had come round, was eighteen
miles and three-quartern. The river ie wider and
Ehallqwer thaq u«u&l. Four milee bejond this
bend a bluffhegios, and continuea aereral mileB;
on the south it risea froia the water at different
heights, from twenty to one hundred and fifty
feet, and higber as it recedes on the rirer: it coa-
Biste of yellow and brown clay^ "with soft eand-
etone imbedded in it. and is coTered ivith timber,
among which may be obBerred Bome red cedar:
the landa on the opposite Ride are low and Bubject
to inundation, but contain -willowa, cottonwood,
and many gropes. A prairie-wolf came near the
banli (Lud barked at us; we attempted unsuccess-
fully to take him. This part of the river abgitDde-
in b«ayer. We encaniped on a Hand-inlaud in a
bead to the north, having made twenty milee and
a quarter.
AuguEt. 13. — Set out at daylight with a breeze
ttam the southeast, and passed sereral sandbars.
Between ten and eleven miles, we came to a spot
qu the south, where a Mr. Mackay had a trading
eatabliahment in the year 1795 and ITSMJ, which
he called Fart Charles. At fourteen milee, we
reat^hed a creek on the south, on which the Mahaa
reside, and at «event*eo mileu and a quarter,
formed a camp ou a J^andbar, to the south Bide of
the rJTer, opposite the lower point of a large
island. From this place Berg^ant Ordway and
four men were detached to the Maha village with
a flag and a preaent, in order to induce them to
come and hold a council with ua. They returned
at t'welve o'clock the next day, August 14. After
crossing a prairie covered with high grass, they
reached the Maha creek, along which they pro-
ceeded to itfi three forks, which joia near the ril-
85
LEWIS AND CLAEE'S EXPEDITION
lag«: they cross^ the north branch and wentj
along the Hoath ; the walk was rery fatiguing', asJ
they were forced to break their way through.^
graea, eundowem and tbistleB, all above ten fbet
high, and intf rsperecd Trith wild pea. Five milee I
from our camp they reached the position of the
ancient Maiia viUage; it hod once consisted of
three hundred cabiua, but wrs burnt phout four
years ago, eoon after the emallpox bad destroyed
four hundred men, and a proportaon of women ^-
and children. On a hill, in the rear of the village, fl
are the graveB Of the nation ; to the eouth of
which runs the fork of the Maba creek r this they
crossed inhere it ^pag about ten yards Tridp, eqd ^|
followed its courBo to the Missouri, pauBlng along (
a ridge uf hill for oae and a half milej and a long
pond between that and the Mieaouri; they then
recroftsed the Maha creek, and arrived at the
camp, havijig seen no tracks of Indiana nor any
fngn of recent cnltivation.
In the moming 15tb, Home tuea were sent to
examine the canse of a large Binoke fi-om the.
northeaat, and which seemed to indicate that
some Indiang were near; but they found that a
small party, who had lately passed that w&y, had
left aome trees huruing, and that the wind from
tliat quarter blew the emoke directly towarda ue:
Our camp lies about three milea northeaat Grom
the old Maha village, and ia in latitude ia° 13'
41". The aocountB we have had of the effecte of
the emanpoK on that nation are moat distressing;
it i« not known in what way it was first com-
municated to them, thongh probably by somewar
party. They had been a milltai'y aad powerful
people; but when theae warriors saw their
Btrength wauting before a malady whieh they
could not resist, their frenzy was extreme; they
86
UP THE MISSODBI.
bnmt their village, and maay of tb^m pat to
death their wives and qhildren, to save them from
BD cruel aa afflietioD, and tbat aU might ^ to-
gether to some bettfip country.
On the iGth, we still wait^ for the Indiana: a
party had gone out j'estecday to the Maha cretk,
which wa*i dammed up bj the beaver between the
camp and the village ; a second ~went to-day.
They made a. Mud of drag- with email willows and
bark, and awept the creek: the first campaoj
hrought three hundred and eighteen, the aecand
npwardA of eight hundred^ coneiating of pike, bass,
flah reaembling^ salmon, trout, redhoi^e, baffaCo,
one rodcfiahr one flatbafk, perch, catfish, a email
BpecieB of perch called, oa the Ohio, BilverQeh, a
ehrimp of the same eize, shape and flavour of
those about New OrleanB, and the lower part of
the MiBsiBBippi. We aleo foand very fat muBcles;
and On the fiver aa well aa the creek, are difierent
kinds of ducke and plover. The wind, which in the
m.ormng had been ftom the uorthweet, shifted
round in tbe eveoiDs to the Boutheaat, and as
GEaal we had a breeze;, which cooled the air and
retieved ua ft-om the moequitoeBj who generally
give ua great trouble.
Friday 17. — The wind continued from the sOoth-
efte-t, and the m-gmlng was fair. We obserro
about UB a grass rewmbUug wheat, ejtcept that
the grain \a like rye, also some eimilar to both
rye and barley^ and a kind of timothy, the seed
of which branches from the main Htock, and ia
niore like a flaxseed than a timothy. In tha
evening, one of the party Bent to the Otfcoea, re-
turned with the iaforcifttion that the rest were
coming ou with the dunerter : they had also caught
Liberte, hut, by a trick, he made his escape : they
■were bringing three of the chiefs in order to en-
87
LEWIS A.ND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
gB.ge oar osaiataace in making peiiite: with the
Mahas. This nation having left their Tillage, that
deeiraljle purpo&e cannqt be eS'wted ; but iu crder
ta bring in nnj ndghbouring tiibes, we t^et the
BnrrouiKliiii^ prairies ou fire. ThEe ie the tuatom-
ary signal made by tracers to apprise the Indiana
of their arrival: it is alfto aswi between diffet-etit
nationa lis flQ indication of any event which they
have previously agreed to announce in that way ;
aad as hood tm it ia seen coll«;tfi the neighbouring
tribuH, uuieea they apprehend that it is made by
their enemica.
August 18. — In the afternoon the party orriTed
frith the Indiaog, coneiKtiug of the Little Thief and
the Big Horee, whom we had seen on the third,
together with six other chieftj and a French in-
terpreter. We met them under a shade, oud after
they had flnished a repast with which we supplied
them, we inquired into the origin of the war be-
tween them and the Mabaa, which they related
with great fraakneee. It seems that two of the
Missoufjs went to the Mahas to Btefll boreeH, but
were detected ant] tdlled ; the OttoeB and Misi^onriB
thought themeelvcB bouDd to avengo their com-
paaions, and the whole nationu were at last
obliged to share in the dispute ; they a*« also in
fear of a war from the Pawnees, whose village
they eutcrod thie suraiuer, while the inhabitants
were hunting, and etole their com. This ingenn-
ous confession did not make us the lesa deBtrouB
of negotiating a peace for them; but no Indiana
have as yet been attracted hy our Are. The eveo-
ing "waa closed by a dance ; and the next day,
Au^st 1&, the chiefs and warrigrij. being as-
seiubled at ten o'clock, we explained the speech
WE had already sent from the Conacil-bluffs, and
renewtJii our advice. They all replied in turn, and
88
UP THE MISSOUfU.
tli6 presents -were then diatri'buted : we exchanged
the amall medal ^ve had formerly gJ^en to thij Big
Horse for one of tie same aize with that of Little
Thief: we also gave a amall medal to u third
chief, and a kind of certificate or letter of ac-
knoTvledfjment to fl^e of the warriors expressive
of our fcLTour and their good iBtentiona: one of
them, difiRatieded, returned ns the certlficftt«; hot
the chief, fearf^il of our being' offended^ bcg'ged that
itmightJbe reBtored to him; this we declined, and
rebuked them severely for having in view mere
traffic instead of peace with their neighbours.
This displeased them at first; but they at length
all petitioned that it should he given to the war-
rior, who then eame forward aud made an apol-
ogy to ua; WB then delivered it to the chief to b«
given to the moet worthy, and he bestowed it on
the eame warrior, whoae name was Great Bine
Gyea. Afler a mure enhstantial present of Bmoll
articles and tobauro, the council was ended with
a dram to the Indians, In the evening we ex-
bibited different otijects of eurioaity, and particu-
larly the alrgun, whicb gave them great surpriee.
Thoefc people are almost naked, having no cover-
ingf eicept a sort of breechcloth round the middle,
with a loose blanket or bufialo robe paint«d,
thrown over them. The nauDee of theee warriors,
besides those already mentioned, were £arkapaha,
(or Crow's head) and Kenaeawa for Black Cat)
MlBsourie; and Sananona (or Iron I^yes) Nee-
waunja (or Big OxJ Sta,geauuja (or Big Blue
Eyes) and Wasaehaco (or Brave Man) all
Ottoes. Theee t'lvo tribes epeak. very nearly
the Bame language : they all begged oa to give
them whiskey.
The next morningf August 20, the Indiana
mounted their horees and left us, having received
89
LEWIS AND CLATtK'S EXPEDITION
a canister of wMekey at parting. We tLen set
B&il, and alter passing two iHlands od the Dorth,
came to on that etde uocler Bome bluffe; the fir&G
iiflar the river since we left the Ayauwa village.
Here w« had the miBfortune to loee onp of
our sergeants, Charles Floyd, He was yesterday
eeized with a hiliouB colic, and all our care and
attention were laefleetual to relieve liim : a little
before his death, he eaid to captain Clark, "I am
going to leave you," hia strength failed him as he
added, "I want you to wxit* me a lett«r;" but he
died with a coiapoBure wliich juBtified tbe high
opinion we had rormed of his firmneBS and good-
conduct. He waa turied on the top of the bluff,
with the honours due to a brave soldier ; and the
pla<^« of hia inttrmetit marked by a cedar poet, an
which hia name and the day of lug death were in*
scribed. About p. mile beyond thia place, to which
we gave hia name, is a Bmall river about thirty
yardB wide, on the north, which we called Floyd's
river, where we encami>ed. We had a breCBe from
the ftoutheaet, and made thirteen miles.
Aagust 21. — Tbe Hame breeze IVom the eouth-
east carried vn by a email willow creefe on tbfrj
north, about one mile and a half above Floyd'S; '
river. Here began a range of bluOs which con-
tinued till near the mouth of the great Sioux river^^
three mileB beyond Floyd's. Thia river cornea in
(rom the north, and is about one hundred and tea
yards wide. Mr. Durion, our 8ioU5 jntevpreter,
who \a well acquainted with It, Bays that it ia
navigable upwanJa of two hundred miles to tbe
f^lle, and even beyond them; that itB Bources are
near those of the St. Tetera. He al^ aaye, that
beloTT the falls a creek falla in from the east^ffArd,
after passing through giifia of red ropk; of this the
IndiouB make their pipes; and the necesdty of
90
UP THE MISSOUHI.
procuring that article, has iDtrodaced a sort of
law of nations, by whicli the banks of tlie creek
are Bacred^ aod even tribee at war meet without
liOBtility at these gnarriea, whkh paaaeaB i^ right
of asylum. Thus ws find even among eavagiw
cerfcaia prinLiples deemed sacred, bj whicll the
rigours of their mepcilesB syetcm of wapfhre are
mitig'atfd. A eeaee of 4;omiQon danger, wht;re
stronger ties are wanting, pvea all the binding
force of more solemn obligations. The importance
of preaerving the known and settled nilee of war-
fare among' civiliaed nationa, in all their integrity,
becomes atrikiugiy eTident; dnce even eavagee,
with their fbw precarious wants, cannot eidBt in
a Btate of peace or war where tbie faith ie once
Tiolated. The wind became southerly, and blew
with such violence that "we took, a reef in our eail ;
it alao blew the sand from the bare in «iich qnas-
titieSr tba.t we couLd not see the ebaune] at any
djatauce ahead. At four and a quarter miles, we
came to two willow iHlanda, beyond which are
ecTaral eandbara; and at twelve miles, a spot
where the Mabas once had & village, now no
longer existing. We again passed a number of
eandbare, ^od encamped on the eouth; baring
come twenty-four and three-quarter mileB. The
country throagh wbjeh we passed has the same
nniform appearance ever since we left the river
Platte: rich low-grOunds near the river, succeeded
by undulating prairies, with timber near the
waters. Some woNes were seen to-day oq the
eaudbeaclies to the south ; we also procured an ex-
cellent fruit, rflsemhling a red currant, growing on
a ijhrub like the privy, and about the height of a
wild plum.
August 22. — About three miles distance we
Join^ th^ men who had been sent from the Maha
91
LEWIS AJJD CLA.BK'3 ESPEDTTION
Tillage with onr horeee, and who brought uh two
deer. The biuffs or hille which reach the river a.t
this plflce, on the south, cuntuia alam^ CQppwOB,
cobalt which bad the appearance of BcrftiBioglaas,
pyritefi, and eaiidstone, the two flrat very pure.
Above this bluff cornea in a email creek on the
south, which we call Rologe creek, Seven mile«
^bove is another clifT, dd the same side, of alum
roqk^ of a dark bruwn colour, containing io its
creviceB great q^uaDtitiea of cobalt^ cemented «helle,
aad red earth. From this the river bend« to the
eftHtward, and approaches the Sioux river n'ithin
three or four miles. We aailed the greater part of
the day, and made tlinete^li miles to our camp on
the north side. Tlte aandbars are oh ubusI numer-
oub: tbere ar« also considerable tracea of elk; but
noae are yet Been. Captain Lewis ia proving the
quality of some of the substances in the first cli^
waa coneiderably injured by the fumes aud taste
of the Cobalt, and took some §troiig medicine to
T«Ueye him from its eSect^. The appearance of
these mluera-l ^ubetanws enable us to account for
dieordera of the Htomach, with which the party
had been affected bihcb they left the river Sioux.
We had beta in the habit of dipping up the water
of the river inadvertently and making use of ifc,
till, on examination, the sicknesH was thought, to
proceed ftom a ^uin covering the surface of the
water along the eoutbern shore, and which, as
we now diecovered, proceedtMl from theee bluSa.
The men had been ordered, before we reached the
bluffa, to agitate the water, so aa to dihperse tho
eeum, aud take the water, not at the eurfaee, but
&t some depth. The coneequeQce 'wa^, that these
disordera ceased ; the bites too wiilch had afflicted
the men, were not observed beyond the Sioux
river. In order to supply the place of aergeant
UP THE MTSSOTJEI.
rioyd, ws permitted the men to name three per-
Bona, and I'aLrick Ga^B having the greatest aaio-
l«r of votes was made a sergeant,
August 33. — We aet out earlyj and at fonr milea
eamt to a Bniall run between cli& of yellow and
blae earth : tbe wind, however, soon changed, and
blew BO bard fVoni the west, that we proceeded
very elowlj-; the fine sand from the bar being
driven in such clouds, that we could scarcely aee.
Three and a quarter miles beyond this run, we
came to a willow it^Iand, and a aaud inland oppo-
aite, and encamped on the south side, at ten and
a quarter milee, On the north ejde la an esteneivB
and delightful prairie, which we called BuflklO'
prairie, from our having here killed the flr^t buf-
ftilo. Two elk swam the river to-day and were
flred at, bat escaped : a deer was killed from the
boat; one beaver was killed; and aeveral prairie
wolves were seen.
August S-t.—^i began to rain Ia«t night, and
continued this muruiug: we proceeded, however,
two and a ctuarter miles, to the commeacement of
abiuffof blueclay, about one hundred and eighty,
or one hundred and ninety feet on the south side:
it Heems to have been lately on fire* and even now
the ground w, »o warm that we cannot keep our
haiid» in It at aoy depth : there are strong ap-
pearances of coal, and also great quantities of
cobalt, or a crystallized sub^tanee resembling it.
There is a fruit now ripe which looks like a cur-
rant, except that it i» double the sis*, and grows
On a bush like a privy, the eize of a dameon, and
of a dellciouB flavour ; ita Indian name means rab-
bit-berries. We then paa&ed, at the distance of
about Heven miles, the mouth of a creek on tbe
north side, called by an Indian name, meaning
WhitCHtone river. The beautiful prairie of yes-
PS
LEWIS AND CLABK'8 EXPEDITION
ixtiay, has changed into one of greater height^
and Terj smooth and extenaiTe. We encamped
on the BOath rade, at ten and a quarter milea,
and fonnd onraelves mach annoyed by the
mosqnitoee.
VP THE mseoDEi.
CHAPTER III.
WhluMcSl Instance at supeTaiiMon ot tbe Sioux tntliaiis— Oaniw
cU be)d wlLh the H-Joui— Cbajvcter of that tribe, tbeir mB.D-
uers, A«.— A naiculoiu issuute oC Uioir lit^rolain— Aacieat
lortillcationH— Oultuire river descrlheil— VuL herfl* ot Buffalo
— AccouDt of tbe FeUt Chlenor Little Ddk— Nuroif <«cBpa of
Goorjie BtannoD — DeMrtpUPD or Whlw river— SarprlBlag
fleeta-esB «t ibe Antelope— E'aaa [be ilTer of tbe Sli>ux— De-
sciiptlDn at the Qmid Le Tour, orQieaC Band— Bncacap on
tbe Tftlon rlYBr.
.ingast 25. — CsptainB Lewis and Clark, with
ten taea, went to eee ao object deemed verj extra-
ordinary among all the neighbounng Indiana.
They droppM down to the mouth of Whiteatone
river, about thirty yards wide, where they left the
boat, and at the distance of two hundred yards,
ascended a Tialng' ground, Itom which a plain ex-
tended iteelf aB far as the eye could discern. Aiter
walking four mileB, tbey crossed the creek where
it 16 twenty-three yards wide, and waters an ei-
teneire valley. The heat was so oppressive that
we were obliged to send back our dog to the
cre«k, ae he wag unable to b«ar the fatigue; and
it was not till aft«r four hours march that we
reached the object of our viait. This was a large
mound in the midst of the plain about N. 20'
W. from the mouth of WhiteBtone river, from
which it 3a nine miles distant. The base Of the
mound is a regulnr parallelogram, the longest side
betttg about three huodred yards, tbe abortereiity
or BeTeuty : ftom the longeBt side it rises with a
oteep ascent from the north and BOuth to the
height of Blrty-flve or seventy ffeetj leaving on the
top a level [flain of twelve feet in breadth and
95
LBWia AND CLABK'8 EXPEDITION
ninety in leng1;3i. The north and south eitremltlee
are connected by two oval borders whicli sieTve an
ii6w b-fts^s, ttiiA divid'C the whcilc side into three
Bteep bnt regular gradations from the plaJn. The
ontly thing ch«racte7ietic id thi« hill is ite es^treme
Rymmetryi and this, together with ite being
totally detached from the uther hills which are at
the distance of eight or nine mileB, would induee a,
belief that it wae artifieial; but, as the earth and
the loose pebbles whicU compoee It, are arranged
exactly lite the steep grounde on the borders of
the creek, we concluded fbom tbla similurity of
testure that it might be natural. But the Indians
have made it a great article of their superstition :
it iM called the mountain of Little People, or littla
Spirits, And they believe that it is the abode of
little devils, ld, the human form, of about eightesa
iuohcB high and with remarkably large heada;
they are armed with sharp arrowjt, with wbich
they are very skilful, and are always on tha
watch to kill those who should have the hardi-
hood to approach their rfesidenee. The traditioa
is, that many have suffered from these little evil
spirits, aud among otbtr«, three Maha Indiana 1^11
a sacrifice to them a few years since. This has in-
spired all the neighbouring aations, Sioos, Mahas,
and OttoeSj with eueh terror, that no considera-
tdoa could tempt them, to viedt the hill. We saw
none of these wicked little spirits ; nor any place
for thenij except some small holes scattered over
the top: we were happy enough to escape their
vengeance, though we retaaLned Bonie time on the
mound to enjoy the delightfUl proepeet of the
plain, which spreads itaelf out till the eye reata
upon the .N. W. lulls at a great distance, and
those of the N, E. stJU farther off, enhvened by
large herds of bufl'alQ feeding at a dietance. The
90
TJP THE MISSOURI.
soil of tbeee plains ie exc«ediagly Soe; there Ib,
howeveT, no timber except on the MiBaonri ; all the
wood of the WMteatone river not being aufficient
to cover thicltl/ one hundred atfea. The plain
coucitrj wbicl) surrounds thi« mound hoe con-
trihoted not ft little to its bad repntatiqit: the
wind driving from every directioii over the level
ground obliges the insects to seek shelter on its
leeward Bide, or be driven against ub by the wind.
The femall birds, who^ food thej are, report of
course in great numbera in qu^st of subsistence;
and the Indians al^^^ys ^eeni to diwov«r on un-
usual aesemblage ofbirds as produced by some
Bupernatural cauee : amon^ them we observed the
brown martin employed in looking for ineectB, and
BO gentle that they did not fly until we got within
&i few feet of theniv We have also distinguished
among the nomeroua birds of the plain, the black-
bird, the wreo or prairie bird, and a Bpecies of
lark about the eiee of a partrid^, with a short
toil. The exeeesive teat and thirst forced us from
the hill, about one o'clockj to the nearest water^
wiiich we found in the creek, at three miles dis-
tance, and remained an hour and a half. We then
went down the creek, through a lowla^d about
one mile in width, and eroased it three times, to
the spot where we first rea(;hed it io the morning.
Here we gathered eome delifioue pluinsj grapea
ELQd hiue currants, ajid atterwarda arrived at the
mouth of the river about eunset. To this plaC6
the course from the mound is S, twenty miles,
E. nine miles; we there resumed our periogue,
and on reafihing our eacampm«nt of last uight set
the prairiea on fire, to warn the S^ioux of our ap-
proach. In the mean time, the boat under ser-
geant Prjor had proceeded in the afternoon one
mil e, to a bluff of blue clay on the south, and
Vol. I.-7 ^7
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION'
after pasBliig a aandbar and tw sand ielanda
fixed their camp at the distance of aix milea oa the
«iiDth. In the evening Home rain fell. We had
killed a duck and several bird^ : iu the boat, they
had caught some large catflsh.
SuDclsj', Auffust, ^6".— We rejoin^ the boat at
nine o'clock before ahe set out, and then paseiag
hy an iHland, and under a i^IifT on the Bouth,
nearly two milee is extent Bnd cotnpoHed of white
and blue eartb, encamped at nine milea distance,
On a B^ndbar towards the north. Oppamte to
this, on the south, is & small cret^k called Petit
Arc or Little Bow, aod a abort distance above it,
aQ old yllla^ of the eame name. Tbin village, of
ivhich nothing remaiae but the mound of earth
about four feet high anrroanding it, waa bnilt by
a Maha chief named Little Bow, Tvho being dia>
pleaeed with Blackbird, the late king, seceded
with two hundred followers and settled at tblB
Spot, which is now abandoned, as the two Til-
lages have rennited since the death of Blackbird,
We have great quantities ofgrapcB, and ptuma of
three kinds; two of a yellow colour, and diatin-
gnish^ by one of the species being longer than the
other; and a third round and red: all have an
ezcelleat Qavour, particularly those of the yellow
kind.
A ugust ^7.— The morning star appeared much
larger than uaual. A gentle breeze from the
fcoutheast carried us by Home lar^ aandbars, on
both sides and in the middle of the river, to a
bluffj on the south side, at seven sud a half miles
distant: thia blulT iB of white clay or chalk, under
which \a much atone, like lime, incrusted with a
clear eubetance, auppoaed to be cobalt, and eome
dark ore. Above this bluff we aet the prairie on
fire, to invite the Sioux. Alter twelve and a half
08
UP THU MiaeOUHT.
mllesj we bad paeeed eereral other sandbam, and
now reacted the mouth of a river called by the
Prencli Jftcquea (Jfl-men river) or YanktoiLr from
the tribe which inhabita ite hanks. It i^ tlbout
ninetj jards wide at the conflucace; the country
which it waters ie rich prairie, with little timber :
ItbecomeB deeper and wider above its mouth, and
may be navigated a great dietance ; as ite sourtt*
rise near those of Bt. Peter's, of th6 MiseiNeippi,
and the red riTsr of lake Winnipeg. Ar iw^ came
to the mouth of the riTer, an Indian Bwam to the
boat; and, on our landing, we were met by tmo
others, who informed oa tliat a large body of
Sionx were encamped near ub: they accompanied
three of oui- men, with an in-ritation to meet ng
at> a spot above the river: the third Indian r^
miuned with ve: he is » Maba boy, and aajs that
hie aatiou hare gone to the Pawnees to make
peace with them. At fourteen milBn, we encamped
on a sandbar to the north. The air was cool, the
evening pleasant, the wind from the aouth«aet,
and light. The river haa fkllen gradually, and is
now low.
Tuendsj, 5Stfi.— We passed, with a etiff bp&eae
from the BOQthr eeveral Bandbare. On the south
ie a prairie which rieee gradually from the water
to the height of a blnfl" which !*, at four miles
dietance, of a whitiah coloar, and about seventy
or eighty feet high. Farther on is another bEuff,
of ft browniBh colour, on the north side; and at
the diBtanc? of eight and a half miles is the be-
ginning of Calumet bluff, on the south aide, nnder
which we formed our tamp, in a beautiful plain,
to \raXt the arrival of the Sioux. At the flrst bluff
the young Indian left ue and joined their camp.
Before reaching Calumet hloffone of the periogueB
lan upon a log in the river^ and waa rendered an-
fit fbr eervtce; so tbat all our loading was pat
into the second periogue. On. both sidee of the
river are Que prairieti, with cotton wood ; and near
the blaS' there ie more tiiuljer ta the points and
Talieya than we have been accustomed to aet,
Wednesday, 30th. We had a violeot etorm of
wind and rain laat evening; aad were engaged
during the day in repairiag the perioguea, and
other neceesarj qccnpatione; when, at four o'clock
in the al^emoon, eer^ant Pryor and his party
arrived on the uppuidte side, attended hy five
thiefli, and about eeventy men and boj-s. We sent
a boat for them, and the; joiocd ui», as did also
Mr, Dnrion, the son of our interpreter, who hap-
pened to be trading with the Sious at tbiB time,
He returned with sergeant Fryor to the Indiana,
with a present of tobacco, cora, and a few ketr
tles; and told tbem that we would upeak to thdr
chiefa itt the morning. Bergeaot Pryor reported,
that on reaching their village, which i.a at twelve
miles distance from our camp, he was met by a
party with a, bufiklo robe, oa which they deeired
to carry their >-tflitorB : an honour which they de-
c!in«l, infoFraiDE the Indians that they were not
the commanders of the boats : as a great mark of
resp>ect, they were then presented with a fat dog,
already coolced^ of which they partook heartily,
and found it well flavoured. The camps of the
Sioux are of a conical form, covered with buBklo
roheB, painted with variouB flgnrea and coioura,
with an ap)erture in the top for the HRioke to paaa
through. The lodges contain from ten to fifteen
perBona, and the inte]'ior arrangement ia compact
and handsome, each lodge having a pla«a for
cooking detached from it.
Avffust JOf/;.— Thursday. The fog was so thick
that ive could not see the Iniiiau eaaip on the
lUU
MISSOURI.
Jposite side,' btit it cleared off about eight
o'cioct. We prepH^ a speech, and somp preeeDte,
Bod thea sent for tOe'tfhiefB and warriorB, wbom
we received, at twelve o''!lo?k, under a large oak
tree, near to which the flag cf the United States
.was flying:. Captain Lewwy delivered a speech,
with tha usual advice and couusel ibr their lliture
conduct. We then a-cknou'ledgeJ' their, chiefs, by
^ving to the graiid chief a flag, s, niu'dal, a certi-
ficate, with a string' of wampum; to whlji we
added a cliiefn coat; that ie, a richly ia^'cd -nai.
fdi-m of the Tnired Stntee artillery corps, and &
cocked hat and rc-d [feather. One «?cond chief oifd
three inferior one»4 "n-ere made or recognieed by
medals, aud a t^uit^hle pr^Heiit of tobacco, and
articles of clothing. IVe tiken Bmoked the pipe of
peace, and the chiefw retired to a bower, formed of
bnshes, by their young men, where they divided
amcag ea«h other the preHenta, and emoked and
eat, and held aeouiicil on the anawer which they
were to make us to-morrow. The youag people
Gxercieed their bowa and airowH in Hhooting at
marks for beads, which we distributed to the best
markamen; and in the evening the whole party
daneed until a late hour, and in the course of their
amuMemeut we threw among them eome knivesj
tobacco, belle, tape, and binding, with which they
were much pleaded. Their muaical inRtruments
were the drum, and a BOrt of little bag made of
buffalo hide, dreKyed white, with small shot or
pebbles in it, and a bunch of hair tied to tt. This
produces a sort of rattling muaic, with which the
party was annoyed by four musicians during the
couocil this morniag.
August 31.— 1r the nioruing, after breaki^t, the
chieft met, and eat down in a row, with pipes of
ceace, highly ornamented, and all pointed to-
101
LEWIS AND CLABKS ESBEDITION
warda tbe eents iateoded for CAptbiina Lewis and
Clark. When tbey arrived ^od were Beated, the
g:rand cliief, whoae ladtaja name> Weucliaj is, in
Englif^b, Shake Hand,aDci, in French, is called La
Liberateui- (the deliverec) roae, &ud apokt: at eoma
length, approvipg. v4iat we had eaid, and promis-,
jng to follow; oqr edyice:
"I eee-beJbre me," BaJd he, ''my great fktlier'a
two sane. .You aee rae, and the rehit ofoarchiefii
and .TTtiJricirB. We are very poor ; we have aeither
P&Wfep^or ball, nop kiiives; atitl our women and
jchildt^n at the village have ho clotheu. I wish
4Jl4t as uiy broth^r^ have given m« a flag a4ld Bt
'medal, they would give eomethiEg to thoBe poor
people, or let them atop aud trade with the first
boat which coinea up the river. 1 will bsiug chiefs
of the rawnees and Mahaa together, and make
peace bctTveen them ; but it is better that I should
do it than my great father's bobb, for thej will
listen to me more readily. I will aleo take some
chiefs to your country in the Bpring; but before
that time 1 cannot leave home. I went tbrnierly
to the Eoglieh, and they gave me a nwwlal and
Bome clothes : ~wben I Went to the Spanish they
gave me a medal, but nothing to keep it from my
skin; but now you give me a medal and clothes.
But etill we are poor; and I wUh. brothers, yon
would give ua something for our eijuawa."
When he sat down, Slahtoree, or White Crane,
rose;
"I have listened," eaid he, "to what onr father's
wordft were yesterday ; apd I am. to-day, glad to
eee how you have dre&sed our old chief. 1 am a
young man, and do not wish to take mnch: my
fathers have made me a chief: 1 hud much sense
before, but now I thinli I have more than ever.
What the old chiei'has declared I wiil conhrm, and
102
do iphat*Ter he and you please: but I "wiah t^at
you wauld tafce pity on ub, for we are very
poor."
Another chief', called Pawnawnealipahbe, then
Bald:
"I am a yontig man, afid know bnf little : I can-
not epeat ■well; but I have listened to what ypo
tiave told the old chiefj and will do whatever you
agree."
The same aentimenta were then repeated by
A weawechac h e.
We were surpnged at finding that the first of
tlieB« titles means "Struck by the Pawnee," and
was occeeioDfld by spme hlqw which the chief h«d
received in battle, from one of the Pawnee tribe.
The second is, in Eng-lieh, "Half Man/' which
seems a Bing^ular name for a warrior, tdll it was
explained to have Itfl origin, probably, in the
modeaty of the chief; who, on being' told of hia
eiploitH, wonld say, "I am no warrior ; I am only
ba[f a man." The other chiefa epoke Tery little;
but after tbey bad flnlahed, one of the warrJora
delivered a speech, in which he declared he would
Bupport them. They promised to make peace with
the Ottoet^ and MisfioariB^ the Only nations with
whom they are at war. All these harangues con-
cluded by deecribing the distr^e of the nation :
they begged na to have pity on them : to send
them traders: that they wanted powder and ballj
and seemed anxious that we should supply them
with home of their great fathers milk, the name
by which they distinguish aid-ent apirits. We thea
gave some tobacco to each of the chiefa, and a
<Krtificate to two of the warriors who attended
the chief, We prevailed on Mr. Duriou to remain
here, and accompany as many of the Sious cihiefa
as he could collect, down to the seat of govern-
lUS
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
ment. We also gave hia eon a flag, eome clotheB,
and proviaioDB, with directiona to bring about a
peace between the eurruunding tribeB, and to ton-
rey some of thoir chi^fb to see t!ie preaident. In
tie evening they left us, and encamped on the op.
posite hank, accompanied by the two DuriODB.
During the eveuiug and nigit we had much rain,
and observed that the river riHea & little. The
Indians, who have juet left nsj are the Yanktona,
a tribe of the great nation of Sionx. These Yank-
tons. Are about two handred men. in number ; and
inliahlt the Jiwquea, Desmoines, and i:^ioux rivers.
In peraoQ they are stout, well proportioned, and
have a certain air of dignitir and boIdneBH. In
their dresa they differ nothing iVom the other
bands of the nation whom we Baw, and will de-
«(irlbt afterwards : they ttm fond of decorations,
and uee paint, and porcupine quilU, and fhathers.
Some of them wore a kind of necklace of white
bear's clawe, three ioches long, and closely struag
together round their necke. They have only a
ftw fowhng pieces, being generally armed with
bows and arrows^ in which, however, they do not
appear b» expert as the more nortJiem Indiana.
"What struck us most ivas an In^tHuttpn, peculiar
to them, and to the Kite Indiaas, further to the
westwardr fVom whom it 'm eaid to have been
copied. It is an association of the moot active
and brave yonng men, who are bound to each
other by attachment, seeuped by a tow, never to
retreat before any danger, or give way to their
eDemics. In war they go forward without shelter-
ing themBclves behind trees, or aiding their natu-
ral valour by any artifice. Thia punctiliouH deter-
mination, not to be turned fi-om their courBe, ber
come heroic, or ridiculous, a short ume einee,
when the Yanktona were croASing the Missouri On
104
UP THE MI8S0TTHI.
the ice. A tole laj immediately in their course,
wluch might easily liave been ayoided, by gtiiD^
rouDd. ThiEt the foreman of the band diflduin^Ml
to do; but went straij^ht forward, and waa loHt.
The others would have followed hi^ eitample, but
were forcibly prevented by the reet of the tribe.
Tbese young men mt, and eocump, and dance to-
gether, diiitiiict atom the reet of the uatloD: they
are generally about thirty or thirty-five years
old; and such ia the deftreuue paid to courage^
that their seats in council are superior to those of
the chieft, and their persons more respected. Bnt,
as may be supjiOBed^ such indiscreet bravery "wjll
BOOQ dlmlniBh the numbers of thoae who practiee
it; BO that the baud is now reduced to four war-
liorSj who were among our visitors. These were
the remaina of twenty-two, who composed the
society not long agt>; but, in a battle with the
£ite Indiana, of the Black MountoiDB, eighteen of
them were killed, and thew four were dragged
fyom the field by their companions.
Whilst these Indiana remained with us we made
very minute iuQ^utrieB relative to their situatioii
and aumbere, and trade, and manners. This we
did very satisl^torily, by meflna of two difierent
int-erpreteriS ; and from their accounts, joined to
our laterviewB with other bands of the sama
nation, and much intelligence acquired eince, we
were enabled to understand, with aomo acMJuracy,
the condition of the Sioqi, hitherto eo httle
knOivn.
The Sioux, or Dacorta Indians, originally settled
on the Missisaippi, and called by Carver, Made-
weeians, are now subdivided Into tribes, as follow:
First, the YanktouB: this tribe inhabits the
Sioux, Desmoines, and Jacques rivers, and number
about two hundred warriors.
105
Second, the Tetons of the burnt woods. Thi>
tribe numberB about three hundred meQ, who rove
on both eidee of the Miesouri, the Wliit^, and
Teton rivere.
Third, the TetonB OkandandaB, a tribe coneiet-
ing or abont one hundred And fifty men, 'Who in-
habit both Hides of the Miaeourl below the
Chftyerme rirer.
Fourth, Tetone Minnakenoszo, a nation inhabit-
ing "both sides of the Misaouri, above the Cbavenne
river^ and containing about two hundred and
fifty men.
Fift,h, Tetone Sfl.one : theat inhabit both eidee oF
the Misaouri btlow the Warreoonne river, and cOD-
Hiat of about tliree hundred men.
Sixth, Yanktons of the Plaina, or Big Devilaj
who rove on the heads of the Sioux, Jacquea, and
Uei riTer ; the moBt numeroue of all the tribee,
and namber about live hundred men.
Seventh, Wahpatone; a nation residing on the
St. Peter's, just abpve the month gf that river,
and unmberiDg t'n'O imndred men,
Eig-hth, MindaTvarcarton, or proper Dacorta or
Sioux Indiana. These poeseee the origioat seat of
the Sioai, and are properly so denominated _
They fOve on both sidca of the MisaiBsapp], abouli
the falls of St. Anthony, and conaiert of three him-
dred men.
Ninth, the Wahpatoota, or Leaf Beds. This
nation inhabita both eidee of the river St. Peter's,
below Tellow wood riverj amonnting to abont one
hnndred and fifty men.
Tenth, Sistoftoone; thia nation numbers two
hundred men, and reside »t the head of the Bt.
Peter'B, Of these several tribes, more pardcnlar
notice ■will be taken hereafter.
Saturday, Septewber 1, 1S04. — We proceeded
106
tluK morning under a light eouttiem breeze, and
pA«i9(^ the Calwmet biutfsi thesB are composed of
a yeUowish red, and browQisli clay as Irncd aa
cliatk, which it much reiieniblt;^, and are one hun-
dred and seventy, or one hundred and eighty feet
high. At thia place the hills on each eid* come to
the verge of the river, thoee on. the Bouth being
high«r than on the north. OjipoBLte the bliifis i^ a.
large island covered with timber; aboTe which the
bighlande form a cliff over the river oa the north
side, called White Bear cliff; an a.DiiiLal of that
kind hting; killed in one of the holes in it, which
are numiirouii and apparentl.r dtep. At nix mileB
we came to a large saud inland covered with cot^
tonw'ood ; the wind wa^ hjgh, and the weather
raiay and cloudy during the day. We made fifteen
miles to a pltw^e on the north eide, at the lower
point of a large ifiEaHd called EonhommCj or Good-
man's ii^land. The country on both eides has the
same character of prairies, with no ticiber ; with
occftaional lowlands coTered with Cottonwood,
elm, And oak; our buutere had killed an elk vid
a bearer: the catfish too are in great abundance.
September 2. — It rained lost night, and this
morning we had a high wind from the h\ W.
We went three miles to the lower pact of aa au-
cient fortification on the aouth side, and passed
the head of Bonhomme island, which is large and
well timbered: after this the wiad became so vio-
lent, attended by a cold rain, that we were com-
pelled to land at tbur mileB on the northern aide,
under a high bluff of yellow elayj about one hun-
dred and ten ieet in height. Dot hUQters supplied
U8 with four elk^ and we had grapes and plums
on the banks : we aleo saw the beargraee and rue,
on the aide of the bluffe. At this place there are
highlanda on both aides of the river which become
107
LEWIS AND CLARE'S EXPEDITION
Taavt level at «otne dutance back, and contain but
ftw Btreams of water. On the aouthern bajik,
during this day, the grounds have not been bo
elevated. Captain Clark croBsed the riv«r to ex-
amine the reoiaiiu of the fortilication we had juat
passed.
ThiB intereating' object ia on the south side of the
MiaeQUri, C{]pOHite the Upper eitremity of Bon-
homme inland, and in a low level plain, tlie bills
being three milee frpm the river. Jt begins by a
wall composed of earth, rising immediately fVom
tbe baok of the river and runniag In a direct
course S. 70 , W. ninety-eix yards; the base of
this wall or mound ia aeventy-five feet, and its
height about elg'ht. It then diverges in a coursB
H. S4° W, and cuntinuea at the same height and
depth to the distance of iilty-three yards, the
angle being formed by a eloping deBcetit ; at the
junction of these two ia an appearance of a horn-
work of tbe same height with the first angle: the
aatne wall then pursuea a course N. G9° W. for
three hundred j-ards: near ite western extremity
i^ an opening pr gateway at right anglea to the
wall, and projecting inwards; tins gateway is
defended by two nearly seuiidrcular wallB placed
before it^ lower than the large walls ; and from the
gateway there BeemB to have been a covered way
tonununicating With the interval bet\veen thesa
two walls: westward of the gate, the waU be-
comes much larger, being about one hundred and
five fbet at Ite base, and twelve feet high : at the
end of this high ground the wall eKteuds for fifty-
sii yards on a couree N. 3:^"' W; it then turns
N. 23' W. for seventy-three yards: these two walla
Beam, to have had a double or covered ivaj;th.ey
are from ten to fifteen feet eight inches in height,
and itom sere&ty-Qve to one hundr^ and live ieet
108
OP THE MieSOUBI.
in widtb at tbe baae; the deeceut inwards being
steep, whilst outwards it forms a surt of glacis.
At the difltance of seventy-three yards, the wall
ends abruptly at a lar^ hollow plaice miith lower
than the general la^el oftiie plain, and from which
is BQiDQ indication of a coTered way to the water.
The Bpaee between them is occupied by several
mounds scattered protnuwruously through the
gorji^e, in the centre of which is a deep round hole.
From the extremity of the iaat wall, in a eourae
N. 32" W. IB ft diBtancB of ninety-six yards over
the low ground, where the wall recpmoiRncea and
crosses the plain in a courao N. 81° W, for eighteen
hundred and thirty yards to the bank of the Mie-
flouri. In this course its height ia about eight
ffeet, till it enter*, at the distance of fire hundred
and thirty-tliree yards, a deep cirentar pond of
seventy-thrw yards diameter; ailer which it is
^adually lower, towards the river: jt touches the
river at a muddy bar, which beara every mark of
being an encpoachment of the water, for a con-
iiiderable distance ; and a little above the junction.
is a small circular r-edoubt. Along the banlt of the
river, and at eleven hundred yards distance, in a
straight line from thia wall, is a second, about six
feet high, and of considerable width: it rises
abruptly from the banh of the Missouri, at a point
where the river bends, and goes straight forward^
forming an acute angle with the laBt wall, tit) it
enters the river again, not far from the niownds
juet described, towards wMeh it k obviously tend-
ing. At the bend the Missouri is five hundred
yards wide; the ground on the opposite side high-
lands, or low hills on the bank; and wiiere the
river pasaee between this fort and Eonhomme
island,, all the distance from the bend, it ia COn-
Htantly washing the banks into the stream., a.
IQ9
large Bandbank bein^ already talieo IVom t}]9
shore neac the wall. During- the whole course of
this wall, or glacisj it is covered with treea, aruong^
which are many large cotton tte*B, two or three
feet in diameter. Imraediatelj opposite the cita-
del, or the part most strongly fortified, on Bou-
homme island, is a Rmall worli in a circular form,
with a wall BurroundiDg it, about six fmt in
height. The yoonE willowe along the water,
joined to the gfiieral appearance o-f the two
shores, induce a belief tliat the bank of the island
IB eiicroaching, and the Missouri indemDifies iteelf
bj washing away the baee of the fortiflcation.
The citadel contains about twenty acres, bat the
parts l^etween the long walla must emhrofte nearlj-
flTe hundred acres.
Theae are the- first reinAiils of the kind which "we
have had an opportunity of examining^; but our
French inte-rpreters assure ue, that there are great
numbers of them on the Platte, the Kanaaa, the
Jaeques, &c., and some of our party eay, that
they ohaerved two of those fortresFwa on the upper '
aide of the Petit Arc treek, notferft-om ita mouth;
that the wall wae about six tfeet high, and the
Bldee of the angles one hundred yards in length.
September 3. — The mormng was cold, and tb&i
wind flrom the northwest. We poeeed at Bunriae,
three large Bandhare, and at the distance of teu
miles reached a small creekj about twelve yards
■wide, coming in froiu the north, above a ivhite
bluff; thiB creek has obtained the name of Plum
creek, from the Dumber of that IVuit which are ia
the neighbourhood, and of a delightAjJ quality.
Five miles farther, we encamped un the south
near the edge of a plain ; the river is wide, and
covered with sand bar* to-dayr the banks are high
and of a whi-tish colour; the timber scarce, but on
110
UP THE MISSOURI.
abundance of grapBH. Beaver hguse? tQO hO-TQ
been observed in great numberB on tlie river, but
none of the aniauiU tbeciBelveB.
Sept£rnher4. — We Bet otit earty, with a very cold
wiud from S. S. E. and at one mile and a hal^
reached a email creelc, caiied Wliiteiime cr<%k, on
the equtb aide. JuHt above tliu ie a ciilT, cQvered
with c^;dar trees, and at three milea & creek,
fiolled W'hJtepaitit creek, of about thirty yards
wide: on the game aide, aQ<3 at four and a lialf
miles distance ftom the Whitepaint creekj is the
SApid ri¥er, dt, as it in called by tlie I'reiidi, la
Bivere qui Court; thia river emptiea into the Mia-
eouri, ia a course S. W. by W. and is oue huadred
aad fifty-two yards wide, and four feet de«p at the
confluence. It riseB in the Black mountains, and
passes throaj^h a hilly couatry, with a. poor Hoil.
Ca{]taia Clark afteended three miles to a l>eautirnl
plain, on the upper side, where the Pawneee onc»
ii*d R village; he fonnd that the river widened
above its mouth, and much divided by sande and
Ifllanda, which, joined to the great rapidity of the
current, makea the navigation very difficult, even
for «mall boats. Like the I'latteitB wateifl are of
a itght colour; like that river too it throws out
into the MisBOuri great quantitiea of sand, coarser
even than that of the Platte, which ftirm Band-
bare and ahoala near its mouth.
We encampi^ just above it, on the BOutk, haTing
made only eight miles, aa the wind BhifCed to the
fcuutb^ and blew i^o hard that in tbo course of the
day we broke our mast: we saw some deer, a
number of gee^e, and shot a turkey and a duck:
the place in which we hatted is a fine low-ground,
with much timber, Buch as red cedar, Loueylocust,
oak, arrowwood, elm and coCeeutit.
September i*, Wednesdaj"^. — The wind was again
111
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
liigh from the aaufh. At five milea, we came to a
lar^ tHland, called Pawnee iBland, in the middle of
the river; And stopped to breakfast at & email
creek oa the north, which bs-e the Dam« or Gpfl-t
creek, at eight and a half milea. Near the mouth
otihia creek the Leaver had made a dam ocroBB bo
BB to forni A large pond, in which they built their
bouaee. Above this ieland the river Ponc^ara fliUs
intci the Mieaouri itom. the eoath, and is thirty
jarda wide at the entrance. Two men whom we
despatched to the village of the same name, re-
turoed with Informatloa that they had found tt
on the lower side of the creek; but ab thia is the
hunting ee-ason, the town waa so completely de-
serted that they had killed a baSalo in the Tillage
itself. Thie tribe of I'oncarne, who are ^eaid to
have once xnimbered four hundred men, are now
reduced to about filty, and have aaeociabed for
mutual protection with the Mahoa, who are about
two hundred in number. Theae two natione are
allied by a similarity of miafortuue; they were
onc« both numerOuB, both raided in village, and
cultivated Indian corn ; their common enemiea, the
Bioux and umail-pox, drov^ theoi frQva their
towDB, which they vipit only occaaioiially fbrthe
pnrpoees of trade; and they now wander over the
plains on the sources of the Wolf and Quicurre
rivere. Between the Pawnee ialand and Goat
creek on the norths is acliff of blue earth, under
which are several mineral epringB, inipregnated
with salts: near this we observed a number of
goatfl, from which the creek derives its name. At
three and a half luiles from the creek, we came to
a large islaad on the south, along which we
paseed to the head of it, and encamped about four
o'clock. Here we replaced the meat we had lost,
with a new one O'f cedar: some buclu and an elk
112
)
CP THE mSSOTJRT.
■were procnred to-day, and a black tailed deer wa*
Been neitr the Poticftra's village.
Thnrsda^Y, September 6,— There was a storm
thlB mDrniog from the N. W. a^ad though it moder-
ated, the wind was etill high, and the weather
very cold; the numher of eandbars too, added to
the rapidity of the cnrrent, obliged us to have
i-ecOnrBfe to the towline : with all our exertione we
did not make more than eight aad a half mileH,
and epcamped qn the north, after poasing high
cliffs of soft, hliie, aad red coloured stone, on the
aouthera share. We saw some ^ate^ and great
nnmbere of buffalo, in addition to which ths
hunterfi furnifthod uh with ellt, deer, turtles, geese,
Jmd one befliYer: a large catfish too was caught in
the evening. The ground near the camp was a
low prairie, wittiout timber, though juat below ia
a grove of cottoDwood.
Friday, September T'.— The morning was very-
cold and the wind aonthea^t. At five and a half
mileR, we reached and encamped ftt the foot of a
round mountain, on the south, having passed two
small lelande, This mountain, which ie about
three bundriKl f^t at the hose, formB a voue at the
top^ reBembling a dome at b, distance, and eeventy
feet or more above the anrroDiidinf^higrhtands. Ab
we descended ftom thia dome, we arrived at a
spot, on the gradual descent of the hill, nearly
four ncree in e-stent, and covered with small holes;
these are the reaidenct; of a little animal, callul by
the French, petit chicn (little dog) who eit erect
neap the mouth, and make a whistling noise, but
when alarmed take refuge in their holes. In order
to bring them out, "we poured into oae of the holes
five barrels of water without filling it, but we.
diEilodged and caught th« owner. Alter digging
down another of the holea for sii ftet, we found.
Vol. 1.— a 113
LEWIS AND CLABK'S EXPEDITION
on running a pole into it, that we had not yet
dag: lia3f way to the bottom; w* dUcovtred, bow-
erer, two froga in the hole, ajid near it we killed
a dark rattlesoake, which had swallowed a small
prairie dog: we were also informed, though we
never witneesed the fact, that a. sort oflizard, and
a Bnakg, Uve habituallj' with these animale-. The
petit cliiea are jngtlj named, as thej re^mble a
email dog in some particulars, though thej haTe
alBO eome poiate of eimilartty to theHquirrel. The
head reeemtleB the equirrel in every respect, except
that the ear is flhorter, the tail lilte that of the
grdund-bqiiirrel, the tce-noOs ai^ long, tht fhr is
fine, aad the long hair is gray.
Ss-turday, September S. — The wind stiU con-
tinaed from the southeast, but moderately. At
Beven miles we reached a house on the north aide,
colled the Pawnee house, where a trader, named
Tmdeau, wintered in the year 1796-7: behind
this, hills, much higher than ueual, appear to the
north, about eight miles ofT. Before reaching this
houBe, we came by three email islands, oa the
north Bide, and a small creek on the eouth^ and
after teaving it, reached another, at the end of
BsventeeiL milee, on which we encamped, and called
it Boat island : we here nnw herda of buSalu, and
some elk^ deer, turkie», beaver, a ciquirrel, and a
prairie dog. The party on the north represent the
conntry through which they paaaed, as poor, rug-
ged, and hilly, with the appearance of having
been lately burnt by the Indians ; the broken hills,
Indeed, approach the river on both aidea, though
each is bordered by & strip of woodland near the
water.
Sandsy, September 9.^We coasted along the
island on which we had encamped, and then
paaaed three sand and willow islande, and a oum'
114
CP THE MSSOUBL
ber of smaller eaudlnsTe. The river is shallow,
and joined by two email ereeke froin the north,
and (-ne from tlie aouth. In the plaine, to the
Bonth, are great numbere of buffiilo, in herds of
neatljf Ave hundred; all the copses of timbet flf>
pear to contain elk or deer. We encamped on a
B3,ndbar, on the aouthem ^hore, at the distance of
foiirbet^D and a quarter miles.
September 10, Monday, — The nest day we made
twenty miles. Tte inornrtig was clondyand ctitrk,
but a light breese from the southeast carried ne
paat tfrO alnall ialaadH on the south, and one on
the north; till, at t!ie distance often and a half
miles, we reachinJ an i^Eand, ejctending for two
miles in the middle of the riyer, coTered with red
cedar, from whii^h it derives ita name of Cedar
ialand. Just below this it^land, on a hilt, to the
south, ia tha backbone of a fish, fortj-flre feet
long, tapering towards the tail, nnd in a perfect
state of petrification, fragmentB of which w^ere
collected and sent to ^VaI;hiIl^0Q. On both sides
of the river ara higli dark-<'t>1oured bluQe. About
B mile and a half from the isiund, on the eoutliern
shore, the party on that si<3e discovered a larg^
and very strong' impregnated, spring of 'water;
and another, not so Btrongty impregnated, half a
mile up the hiti, Thn.'c ■npl^n beyond Cedar island
i» a large island on the north, and a number of
eandbarci. .-Vfter which ia another, about a mile
in length, lyin^ in the middle of the river, and
separated by a small channel, at its extremity,
from another above it, on which w^e encamped,
Thew two ietanda are tialled JJud islands. The
river ia sballow during thia daj'H course, and is
foiling a little. The elk and bufialo are in great
abundance, but the deer have become scarce.
September 2 1, TufstlAy.—Kt six and a half milea
115
LEWIS AXD CLAEKS EXPEDITION
vre passed the upper estremlty of an inland on the
eauth; four niil^B beyond whieli le another an th«
fiame aide of tlitj river; and about a quarter of a
mile distant we visited a large Tillage of the bark-
Ing-equirrtl. It "wfla sittiattd Ou a gtn tie declivity,
and covered a space of nine hundred and Beventy
jards long, and eight liuHdred .v^rda wide; we
killed four of them. We then resumed our couree,
■and during five and a half miles paused two
islandB on the north, nnd then encamped at the
distance of eLste«D milH3a, on the aouth ^de of the
river, and juat above a Bmaii run. The inoroing
tad been elondj^ but in tlie afternoon it began
raining, with a high nurthwvBt wind, whii;h con-
tinued during the greaur part of the night. The
country seen to-day coneiat^ of narrow BtripB of
lowland, rising into iineyen grounda, which are
succeeded, at the distance of three milee, by rich
and level plains, but without any timber, The
river itself is wide, and erowdud with eandbarB.
Elk, deer, Bquii't'eiSj ci iwUean, and a very large
porcupine, were oar game this day; some foxes
too were seen, but not taught.
In the morning we observed a man riding on
horseback down towards the boat, and we were
much pleased to find tbat it was* (ieqrge Shannon,
one oi' our party, for whoae safety we had been
very uneasy. Our tv.o lionsee having dtra^-ed
from ui on the 2tHh of August, he was sent to
search for ttiem. j\fter he bad found them be at-
tempted to rejoin Ub, but seeing eunie otbertrHcks,
which muHt have been those of Indiana, and which
he mistook for our own, he eoucladed that we
were ahead, and had been for sixteen dayu fol-
lowing the bank of the river above ua. During
the fii'st four days he exhaui^tt'd his bullets, and
WSUi then nearly Starred, beiug obh^L-d to nnbaiiit,
DP THE MISeOUKI.
for twelT* dajB, on a ffew grftpea, and a rabUt
whivb he killed by making- une oi' a hard piece of
stick for a ball. One of hia horsee gave oat, and
was left, behind ; the other he kept as a laat re-
Murce for food, Despairing of overtafcing ue. He
was returning down the river, in hopea of meeting
aome other boat ; and irae on the point of killing
bj^ boree, "wbea he was bo fortanate an to join ua.
We/Jnesdas', Septen)fipr J5.— The day was dark
and cloudy; the wind from the northwest. At a
short distance we reached an island in ihe middle
of the river, "vrhich i« covered ivith timber, a rure
object now. VVe with great difficoHyw^eroenabled
to vtm^le tbroagh the aaodbant, the wat«r t>eiag
very rapid and Bhaliow, eo that we were several
hoiira in making a laile. Several timee the boat
wheeled on the bar, and the men were obliged to
jump out and prevent her from upeetting^; at
OtherB, after making a way Tap one channel, the
sboalnegs of the water forced ns back to seek the
deep channel. We advanced only four miles to
the whole day and encamped on the eouth. Along
both sides of the river are high grounds; on tiia
■outhern side particnlarly, they form dark bttiffii,
in which may he observed slate and coal inter-
mixed. We eaw also several vUIagee of barkjng-
^qolrrels; great numbers of grouse, and three
fbxee.
September 13, Thursday. — We made twelve miteB
to-day through a number of sandbarB, which
make it difficult to find the proper channel. The
hills on each gide are high, and separated froni
the river by a narrow plain on its borders. On the
north, the^e lowlands are covered in part with
timber, and great quantities of grapes, which are
now ripe: on the eouth we found plenty of plums,
hut they are not yet ripe; and near the dark
117
LEWIS AND
:pedition
blaSs, a run tainted with a!um fljid copperas; tha
aoiithern aide being more i«t.rongly impregnat*!!!
witli miueralE tbau the northern. Lardt night Tour
beaver M'ere caught in the trapH; a porcupine waa
ehot as it was upon s, eottoutree, feeding on. its
Ifeavee and hranchfls. We encamped on the north
Bide, opposite to a small wi!]ow island. At night
the mosquitoes were very troubleBqme, thpughthe
weather waa cold and rajjiy and the wind frock
the northweBt.
I-'iiday, September 14. — At two rnilee wereafihed
B. round island on the northern Bide; at abont
fire, a run on the south; two aild a, half iliilts
further, s. small ore«k ; and at nine mile^ encamped
near the mouth of a creek, on the st^me sidt. Th«
eandtiare are very numerousj and render the river
wide and Hhaliow, and obliged the crew to get
into the water and drag the boat over the bara
Several timea. During the whole daj^ we inarched
EloDg the Boutiiern ehure, and at some diRtaoee
into the ittterior, to find an ancient volrano which
we beard at Bl, Charlea was somewhere in this
neighbourhood ; but we could not diecern the
elighteat appettrance of any thing volcanic. In the
course of their eearth the partj shot a buck-goat
and a hare. The hills, particularly on the south,
continue high, but the tiniber js qonflued to the
islauda and banks of the river. W^ had oceaalon
here to obuerve the rapid undermining of tJie&e
hilla by tte Missouri: the first attacks seem to be
on the hills which overhang the river j aa aoon aa
tlie violence of the current deetroya tiie grass at
the foot of them, the whole texture appearB loos-
ened, and the ground dis^olvea and taises with the
water: the muddy mixture in then Ibrued over
the low-grouiids, which it covers sometimes to
the depth oi' three inchea, and gradually deetroya
iia
DP THE MISSOITHI.
the herbage; after which it can ofler no peBiBtanw
to the -n-ater, and becomes at Iflat covered with']
sand.
SaturdHy, September 16,— W^ pasged, at an
early hour, the creek near oar la^ oight'a en-
campment; and at two mi!e» distance reached the
month of White river, coming in from the eooth.H
We ascended a sliort distance, and sent a aergeant*!
and aDotibtr mad to examine it higher up. Thla |
riTer has a bed of about three hundred yards,
tbongh the wat^r ie confined to one hundred and
Mty: in the moath i^ a sand ieland, and Bereral'"
Bandbara. The current is regular and swift, with'
eandbara protecting fl-om the points. It diSers
very mttch ftorn the Piatt*, and Qnicurre, in
throwing out, comparatively, tittle Band, but Of
general character is lite that of the Mlseoari.
TbJH reeerablance was eoufirmed by the Burgsaat,
who ascended about twelve miles ; at which dis-
tance it was abont the same width as near the
month, and the course, which was generally west,
had been interrupted by islands and eaadbars.
The tiniher con§iBted chiefly of elm ; they eaiv pine
burrs, and stieks of birch were seen floatiug down
the river; they had also met with goatB, aucb as
we have heretofore seen; great quantities of buf-
falo, near to which were wolves, some deer, and
villages of barking-ftquirrela. At the cOnfl.uence of
White river with the MisHouri is an excellent poai-
tion Ibr a towu ; the land rising by three gradual
ascents, and the neighbourhood furniBhing more
timber than is usual in thia country . After pasa-
ing high darli blaifs on both sides, we reached the
loivei" point of an idand towards the south, at the
distance of sit miles. The Island bears an abun-
dance of grapes, and is covered wjtb red cedar: it
also contains a number of rabbita. At the end of
119
LE^TS AND CLASK^S EXPEDITION
this iiilaDd, Tcliich ie Hmall, a □arrq'n' ch^QD'el
eeparates it from a large aaad island, which we
paeacHl, and encamped^ eight iiiileB on the; nurth,
nnder a liigli point of land oiiiioalte a large creek
^to the Bouth, on wMcli we obaerve an uoueual
quantity of tiinber. Tte wind -w&s from the
northweat this afleruoon, and tigt, the -weather
cold, and its dreariness increased ^3y the howliiigB
of a number of wolves arouud uh.
September J6, SuniJaj: — Eariy this morniDg,
Eitaving reached a convenient apot on the south
aid*, and at one mile and a C)^u.arter distance, we
encamped ju^t aliove a amatl creek, which we
called Coryua, having kJU^ an suimal of tLst
geuus ooar it. Pindlng- that we could not pro-
ceed over fh^ sandbars, b.b fast as we desired,
while the boat was ho heavily loaded, ■vve eon.-
[iCluded not. to Mild ba<!k, (lb we originally ia-
I tended, our third perioguer but to detain the sol-
l4ierB uutil spring, and in th« mean tioie lighten
the boat by loading the periogue: this operation,
[■added to that of drying all our wet articles, de-
Itained ua during the day. (vur camp ie in a
'beautiful plaio, iivith timber thinly scattered for
three-quarteia of a mile, aud consisting chiefly of
elai, eottopwood, some a^li of an indifferent qual-
. ity,. and a couaiderablv quantity ot'a Huiall species
1 of white oak: this tree seldom riaes higher thaji
I thirty feet, and branches very much; the bark is-
trough, thiek and of a light eolour; tlie leaves
iSniaU, deeply indented, aad of a pale green; the
cup winch eoiitaiuB the acorn is fringed on the
edgeH, atid embracer it about oue half; the acorn
itself, wliich ijrowe in great profueion, is of an
excellent flavour, and has none of tlie ronf^hnese
which, most other ilcoras pos.se.s8; they aj'e bCW
lulling, and liai-e probably attracted the number
120
TIP THE MISSOUEI.
of deer which we aaw on this place, as all tlie
animals we have Been areibuJ of that food. Tiie
^ound having been retenWj burnt by tlj« Indians,
is covei^ with younj^ ^reeli (i;'''^S'^r '^^''■d. ill the
seighbotirb-ood are givat quaiitiLiL.''t« of &ae plums.
We killed a ll;w de<;r for ihv sa:ke of thtir sldiiB,
■which we wanted to cover the perJOHuee, the meat
being too poor for food: the told seoHoii coming
on, a flonne) ahirt was given to each man, and
fVeeh powder to thoef! who had exhausted their ■
supply,
Moudn-j, September JP.— Whilst some of the-
party were engaged in the earae way aa yeater-:
day, others were employed in esamioing the aur-
routidinf^ country. About a quarter oi' a mile
behind our camjji and at an elevatioil of twenty
fwt above it, a plain extendi nearly three miles
parallel to the river, aud about a mile biick to the
lulls, towards which it gradually osceode. Here
■we saw a grove of plum-trees loaded with fruit,
now ripe, and differing in nothing from those of
the Atlantic states, except that the tree is snLallef'i.
ajid more thickly set. The ^ound of the plain iar
occupied by the burrows of multitaiiee of harking i
Bquirrela, who entice hither the woives nf a buulU
kind, hawks, and polecats, all of which aninialB
yre aaw, and presumed that thej fed on the Bqnir-
Wl. This plain ia intereeftted nearly in its AvhoJe
extent by deep ravines and steep irregular rising .
grounds fi-otn ooe to two hundred feet. On as-
cending the range of hilla which border the plain,
we saw a second high level plain stretching to the
Houth U8 far an the eye eould reach. To the weat*
ward, a high range of hills about twenty nlilea
distant ruua nearly north and Houth, but nut to
any great extent, a* their rise a«d terminatiou in
embraced by one view, and they seemed covered
121
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
■with a verdure Bimilar to that of the plaiDB. The
same view extended over the irregular hilU ■whioh
border the northern side of the Miaeouri: all
around the tountry had been recently burnt, and
a young green graae about fuur inches hi^h cov-
ered the ground, which was enlivened by herde of
antelopes and buffalo; the last of whi<!h were in
(tuch multitudes, that we cannot exaggerate in
Baying that at a single glance ~we sa^v three thoU'
sand of them before ub. Of all the animals we had
Been the antelope BeemB to possess the most won-
derful fleetneBti: 8hy and tiinoroue they generally
repoBe only on the ridges, which command a view
of all the approaches of an enemy : the acnteness
<^r their gight digtltigiiishcs the most dietant datk-
ger, the delicate sensibility of their smell defeatti
the preeautione of concealment, aad wheq alarmed
their rapid career seems more like the flight of
birda than the movementB of an earthly being.
After many unancccBaful attempta, captain Lewis
at last, by wiading around the ridges, approached
a party of seven, which were on an eminence,
towards which the wind wne unfortunately blow-
ing. The only male of the party frequently en-
circled the Bummit of the hill, as if to announce
any danger to the females, who formed a group
at the top. Although they did not Bee captain
Lewia, the emell altirmed them, and they fledTrheo
he was at the distance of two hundred yards; he
immediately ran to the spot where they bad been,
a ravine concealed them fVom him, but the next
moment they appeared on a Becond ridge at the
distance of three miles. He doubted whether it
could be the eame, but their number and the ei-
treme rapidity with which they continued their
course, convinced him that they must have gone
with a Hpeed equal to that of the most dietin-
122
UP THE MISSOURI.
igniiibed racehorse. Among our acqoiettioiie t^
' da; was a mule-deer, a magpie, the ciuinnion deet,
ftnd buffalo : captain Lewia abo saw a hare, and
killed a rattleanake near the hurrowa of the bark-
ing equirret^n
Taeeifiiy, September IS, — Having every tiling ia
readiness we proceeded, with the boat much light-
ened, but the wind being tVom the N'. W. we made
but Uttle way. At one mile we reached an island
in the middl« of the river, nearly a mile in length,
and covered ivith red cedar; at its eitreoiitj" a
email creek cumee in from the north ; we then met
some sandljare, and the wind being very high and
ahead, we eii«ainped on the south, having made
oul; seven miles. la addition to the cominaa
deer, which ivere in great abundance, w^e saw
goats, elk, buffalo, the black tailed dwr^ tha
large wolves too ore very numeroue, and have
long hair with coar&e fur, and are of a light
colour, A small species of wolf about the size of
B gray foe was al^o killed, and proved to be the
ADima] which we had hitherto mistaken for a fox:
there are also many porcupines, rabbits, and
barking Bquirrela in the nejghbpurbood.
September 19.— Vie this day enjoyed a cool clear
morning, and a wind fi'um the sontheast. Vi'b
reached at three mileH a bluff on the souths and
four milea further, the lower point of Prospect
ialaud, about two and a half miles in length ; op-
posite to this are tigh bluffs, about eighty feet
above the water, beyond whi+ih are beautiful
plains gradually rialug tm they recede from the
river: these are watered by three Btreama which
empty near each other : the first ia about thirty-
five yards wide, the ground on its eidee high and
rich, with BOme ttniber; the second about tw'elve
yards wide, but with leas timber; the third ia
12a
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
neartjoftbe Bamesiie, and contaJne mor« water,
but it scatters ita waters pv^r the large timbered
pLaiD, and empties itself into the riv^r at three
places. These rivers are called by the Frencli Lea
troiB rivieree dee Siouij the three Sious rivers ; and
ae the Sioux generally cross the Mii^ouri at this
plsc«, it ie called the Sioux paaa of the three rivers.
These streaniH have the same right of asylnm,
though in a less degree thaa PipeHtone creek al-
ready mentLoned.
Two miles fVom the Island we paased a creek
fifteen yards witlp; eight miles further, another
twenty yards Wide; three miles beyond which, is a,
third of eighteen yards width, all on the soutii
Bide: the second whieh parses through a high
plain we called Elm ereelL; to the third we gave
the name of Kight creek, having reached it late at
night. About a mile beyond this i» a Bmall island
on the north side of the river, and is called Lowep
island, as it ia situated at the commencement of
what ie known by the name of the Grand Detour, .
or CTieat Bend of the Mlasourl. Opposite Iba creek
on the south abont ten yards wide, which waters
a plain where there are great Qiiinbera of the
priekly pear, which name wo gave to the creek.
We entamped on the south, opposite the upper
extremity of the Island, having made an excellent
day's sail of tweiity-eii and a quarter milee. Our
game this day coiisi&ted chiefly of deer, of these
four were black tails, one a buck with two maia
prongs of hornB on each aide and forked equally.
Iiarge herds of hu^lo, elk and goat«j were also
Bsen.
Thursday, September 30.— Fifldiqg we had
reached the Big Bend, we despatched two men
with oar only horse across the neck, to hunt there
and wait onr arrival at the flret creek beyond it.
124
TIP THE MISSODBL
We tbeo set out with Mr wet^tb«r and the wind
from S. E. to laake tbe circuit of tbe bend, Near
the lower iblaud the Baadbara are numerous, and
the river ghalluw, At uine and a half milts is a
sacil island, OD the «outberii side. About ten
mileH bcjoud it ia a small ieland oa the Bouth,
opposite tu u emci'll creek on th? north. This
idand, which !b near tbe N. W, eiitremity of the
bend, la called ii^olltary iulatid. At about eleven
milee Hirtber, we eDcamped on a sandbar, having
made twenty-aeven and a half milea. Captain
Clark, who earlj' tbia morning had crof<sed the
neck of the bend, joined ua in the evening. At the
narrowest part, the gorge k composed oThigh and
irregular hjlle of about one hundred and eighty
or one hundred and ninety feet in elevation; from
this (iescenda an uubrokeu plain over the whole of
the bend, and the countfj ia separated from it bj-
this ridge. Great numbera of bnffalo, elk, and
goa-ta are w.andering over theee plaiim,. accom-
panied by groase and larks. Captain Clark saw
a hare also, on. the Great Bend. Of the goata
killed to-da^j one ib a female, differing JVom the
male in being smaller in Biae; Ita horna too are
Smaller and atraighter, having Ubt short prong,
aad no black about the neck: none of these goats
tave any beard, bat are delicately formed, and
very Ijeautiful.
FiitJuy, September 21. — Between one and two
o'clock the eergeant on guard alarmed uh, by cry-
ing that the «andbar on which we lay was sink-
ing'; we jemped up, and found that both above
and below our camp the sand vroM undermined
and falling in very fast: we had scarcely got into
tliG boats and puHhid otf, when the bank under
which they had been lying, fell iuj and would cer-
tajjiy have sunk the two periogueu if they had
1^5 ■
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
Temained ihero. By th& time we reached the op'
posite Bhore the ground of our encampment eunk
BO. We fanaed a Becond camp for the rest ol" the
jht, and at daylight prcjcwded on to the gorge
Or throat of the Great Bend, where we break-
fasted, A man, whom we had despatched to Bt*p
off the diHtftnce across the bend, made it two
thousand yarde; the circuit is thirty miles. Dur-
ing the whole course, the land of the bend ie low,
Trith occasional liluifa; that on the opposite side,
liigh prairie groaud, and long ridgee of dark
bluflTu. After breakfest, we passed through a high
prairie' on the north Bide, and a rich cedar low^-
land and cedar bluB'on the BOuth, till we reached
a willow inland below the mouth of a small creek.
This creek, called Tyler's rlverj is about thirty-five
yarda wide, comes in on the aouth, and iRatthe
dis-tance of eix milee from the neck of the Great
Bend. Here we found a deer^ and the eltin of a.
■whit-e wolf, left ub by our hunters ahead: large
qnantities of difitrent kinds of plover and brants
are in this neighbourhood, and seen tolJectjng and
moving towards the south; theeatflsh areBmall^
and not in Buch plenty aa we hod found them.
below this plot^e. We passed several sandbars,
which make the rlver very shallon' and abQvt ft
xoile in width, and encamped on the eouth, at the
diHtauce of eleven and a lialf miles. Ou each gide
the Bhore la lined with hard rough galleyHtoncB,
rolled from the hills and amall brooks. The most
coDLmoa timber ie the cedar, thongh, in. the prai-
ries, there are great quantities of the prickly pear.
From this place we passed several Hftudbare,
which make the river ohallow, and about a mile
in width. At the distance of eleven and a half
miles, we encamped on the north at the lower
point of an ancient inland, which hoD since been
120
UP THE MISSOOItl.
connected with the main l&nd by the filling ap of
tbe ni^irthern cbaanel, and is now covered with
Cottonwood, Wehereeaw eome tracks of ludlaoB,
but they appeared three or four weeks old. TbJs
da.f waa warm.
September S3.— A. thick fog detained na until
eeven O'clock; our courae waa throagh iucliti^
prairieB od each side of the river, crowded with
buffalo. We baited at a point on the north eide,
near a lugh bluffoa the south, and took a merid-
iao altitude, which ^ave lu the latitude of 44°
ir 33j^'. On renewing our conrser we reached
firat a Bmall island oa the eouth, at the dJBtance
of four and A half milea, immediately abore which
\» another island opposite to a creek fifleea yards
wide. This creek, and the two Ulands, one of
which is half a uiile long, aud the second three
siilefl, are called the Three Sifllera; a beautiful
pl^n extending on both sides of the river^ This is
ibUowud by an ieLaiid OD the nortb, called Cedar
ialaud, about one mile and a half in length and
the same di^taace in breadth, and deriTing its
name Oroia the quality of the timber. On the
floath side of this ielaad, ie a fort and a large
traditig-houae, built by a Mr. Loisel, who wintered
here during the last year, in order to trade with
the Bioux, the remains of ^vhose camps are in
great number^ about tbie place. The eatablish-
ment is aLxty or seventy fbet equare, built with
red cedar and picketted in with the same mate-
rials. The huDtera who had beea Bent ahead
joined ub here. They mention that the hills are
ivaabed in gulhes, in paesing over which, some
mineral eubetancee had rotted and destroyed their
moccasinaj they bad killed two deer and a beaver.
At slxteea mileB distance we came to oa the north
Bide at the mouth of a Hmall creek. The large
127
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
Btoneitf ■which we e^w yesterday ou the shorea ara
now some diBtance in the rl^er, aoil render the
navigation dan^roua. The moHquitoea arp still
nomeroua in the low ^oundH.
StindfLj, September 23.^\\'6 -poHsed, with a light
breeie iVom the aOutheast, a Bniall ieland on the
north, called Roat {eland ; above whiqh is a smali
creek, called hj the purtj Smoke creek, as we ob-
served ft great emoke to the eouthwest on ap-
proaching it. At teu miles we came to the lower
point of a large islandj having passed two small
willow island a "vrith Band bar a projecting from
them, ThiB ieland, which we called Elk island, is
about two and a half miles long, and three-quar-
tera of a mile wide, Bituated near the Bouth, and
covered with cottoawood, the red currant, and
grapea. The river ia h*re almost straight for a
considerablfe dlatance, wide and Bhallow, with
many sandbars. A small creek on. the north,
about BJxteea yards wide, we calltid Reuben'^
creek; as Reuben Fields, one of our men, waatli&
first of the party who reached it. At a short dis-
tance above this we encamped for the night, hav-
ing made twenty mile^. The country, generally,
conaists of low, richj timbered ground on the
aorth, and high barren lands on the MOUth : on
both sides great numbers of buShlo are feeding.
In the evening three hoys of the Sioux nation
swam acroea the river, and infbrmed ue that two
parties of Sioux were encamped on the next river,
one consisting of eighty, and the necond of aisty
lodgeu, at some distance above. After treating
them kindly T?e sent them back, with a present of
two carrots of tobacco to their chiefa, whom we
invited to a conference in the morning.
Monday, September SJ.— The -ft-ind 'was Itoro the
east] ami the day fkir; we soon passed a baud*
139
DP THE MISSODBI,
■ome prsJrie on the north side, (rovtred with ripe
plamB, and th? mouth of & creek on the south,
called Highw^ter creel;, a, little above our en-
campment. At about five milvs we reached an
ialand two and a half miles in. ten^h, and Bitn-
ated near the Bouth, Here we were joined by one
of our hanters, who procured foui" elk, but -whilst
lie waa in pureuit of the game the IndianH had
Btoteo hi« horee. We left the island, and epou
overtook five IndlanB on the shore: we anchored,
and told them from the boat we were friende and
wished to continue bo. hot were not afraid of any
Indians; that aome of their young men had stolen
the horee which their great father had sent for
their great chiefi and that we could not treat
with them uatil he was restored. They eaid that
they knew nothing of the horee, but if he had been
taken he abould be ^ven up. We went on, and at
eleven aikd a half railee, pa^Bed an island on the
north, which we called Clood -humoured island; it
is about one and a half miles long, and abouniia
in elk. At thirteen aod a halfmUes, we anchored
one hundred yards o£f the mouth of a river on the
BoutL aide, where we were joined by both the
perioguea and encamped ; two-thlrda of the party
rem^iued on board, and thereat went as a guard
on shore with the cookB and one periogue; we
have seen along the sideg of the liillB on the north
a great deal of stone; besides the elk, we also
observed a hare; the five Indians whom we had
seen followed uh, and slept with the guard on
shore. Finding one of them waa a chief we
HTQoked with liitu, and made him a present of
tobacco. This river in about ^venty yards wide
and hoH a coneiderable current, Aa the tribe of
the Sioux which inhabit it ore called Teton, we
gave it the name of Teton river, i . -.1 . i^
Vol.1.— 9 1J9
CLARK'S EJtPEDITIOM
CKAPTER IV.
Ooandl faeld with -Uie Tctona— Tbeir mannere. daJicee, Ac—
Cliajeane rtrer— CouDcil TieJH wlUi xne Rlrwra iDtllaoH^Tbelr
mutcerH and babiu— auaaKe InsteDce ol BJoira ldo]&tr7—
Anotlier iDBlaace — CaiinuDliall river— Arrival amoBB' the
tloDdana— Cbsxarler of ttut surrauxidliig ooiLiilry, and pf Qlfl
September 25. — The morning wae fine, and the
wind coatinned from the southeast. We raised a
fiagstaffand an awtun^, uiid^r whieb we aesem-
bled at twelve o'tlock, with all the party parad-
ing under arms. The chieft and warriors from the
camp two mile^s up the river, met us, about filly
or Bisty la number, and after smoking delirered
them a speech; but as our Sious interpreter, Mr.
Durion, had been left with the I'anktonB, we were
oblij^ to make uae of a Frenchman who could
not «peak fluently, aiid therefore we eartailed our
barapgue. After this "we went through the q«re-
mony of acknowLed^ing the chiefs, by giving to
the ^and cbi^ a medal, a flag of the United
Stat«B, a laced Bntform coat, a cocked bat and
father : to the two other chiefs a medal and eome
email preeenta; and to two wamora of eoDBidera-
tign GertiBca.t«a. The name of the great efaief ih
Untongaeabaw, or Black Euflalo; the Bccond
Tortohonga, or the Partiaan; the third Tartonga-
waka, or Buffiilo Medicine; the name of one of
the warriors wsh 'VVawringgo; that of the aeeond
Matocoquepa, or Second Bear. We then invited
the chiel^ on board, and showed them the boat,
the airgua, and euch cunositiee ag we thought
might amuse them ; in thie we succeeded too well ;
130
UP THE raSSOCEJ.
for after ^yipg them a. quarter qf a glaas of
wbiekey, irhlcli they Beemed to like very mach,
and Bucked the bottle, it wa« with much diffic^ulty
that we {!ouId get rid of them. They at last ac-
companied captain Clftrk on shore in a periogue
with five mcB.; but it seems they had formed a
design to stop us; for no eoouer h&d the party
landed than thcMe of the Iiidiaoa eeiafld the cable
of the perioguc, ajid one of the soldiers of the chief
put hia arms roucd the mast: the second chief
who affected intoxication, then sadd, that we
Bhould not ko oti, that the-y had not received
pree^nta enough &otn ua: captain Clark told him
that he would not be prevented ft-pm going on;
that we were not aquawB, but warriorB; that we
were eent by our great father, who could in a
moment es^rminatc them: the chief replied, that
be too had warriors, and was proceeding to oflfep
pereonal Tlolence to captain Clark, who immedi-
ately drew bis Hword, and tnadp a gjgnal to the
boat to prepare for action. The Indians who sar-
pounded hira, drew their arrowa from their q.uivera
end were bending their hows, when the ewirel in
the boat was instantly pointed towards tbeni,
and twHilre of our Tuost determined men jumped
into the periogue and joined Captain Clark. Tiiia
movement made an impreaaiou on them, for the
grand chief ordered the young men away tram the
periogue, and they withdrew and held a short
council with the warriors. Being unwilUng to
irritate them, captain Clark then went forwacJ
and offered hie hand to the flret and second chiefk,
who refuiied to take jt. He then turned il'oni
them and got into the periogue, but bad not gone
more than ten pacea when both the cbie^B and
two of the warriors waded in after him, and he
brought them on hoard. We then proceeded on
131
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
ftr a mile and anchored off a willow island, which
ttom thp cireumstaiHjea which had juat occurred,
We failed Badhumoured ieland.
Wednesdnyt September 26.— Oar condact yegter-
daj fie«tned to ha-ve io^pired th« Iiidis-ns with fear
of U8, and as we were doairou^ of cultivating their
acquaintance, we complied with their wiiib that
we ahould give them on opportunity of treating
Ub well, aud atao suffer thtir squaws and children
to Btte us and our boat, which would beperfktti;
new to them, AnKordingly, after passing at ooe
and a half mile a email willow island and eeveral
aandbare, we caia« to on the Houth side, where a
crowd of meDj women and eUitdr&n were waiting
to fMeive UB. Captain Lewia went on HJiot« and
remained eeverai hours, and obserTing that their
disposition waa friendly we reeolTed to remaio
during the night to a dance, which they were pre-
paring for UB. Captaine Lewie and Clark, who
went on shore one after the other, were met on
landing bj ten well dresaed young men, who took
them up in a robe highly decorated and carried
them to a large council house, where they were
placed on a dresbed buffalo ekin by the side of
the ^and cbief. The ball or CDuncil-rooia wae in
the ebape oftbree-quarterR of a circle, covered at
ttaetop and aides withshine well dreua^d and sewed
together. Under this shelter eat about seventy
men, forming a circle round the chief, befiire whom
were placed a Spaoinb t^ag and the one we had
given them yssterday. Thia left a vacant circle of
about six tfeet diameter, in which the pipe of peace
was raised on two forked eticks, about six or
eight inches from the ground, Abd Under it the
down of the swan wae scattered: a large fire. In
which they were cooking i>rovieioDB, stvod near,
and is the ceutre about four hundred pounds of
1312
etueUent btiOklo meat a« 4 preo^nt for ae. As
BOOH OB we were seated, an old luQii^otup, aad
after approving what we had done, begged ub to
take pity on their unfortunate Bituation. To this
were plied witli aggiipauces of protection. After he
had ceased, the gre^t chief roue and delivered an
harangue to the eftme effect; then with great
fiolemnity he tool^ Bome of the most delicate pactH
of the dog, wliich was cooked for the (t«tira1, and
held it to the flag by way of Bacrifice ; this done,
he held up the pipe nf peacCf and first pointed it
towardw. the hedvena, then tO the four ■qoarterB of
the glohe, and thea to the earth, made a ehorfc
speech, lighted the pipe, niid preaeDted it to ub.
We smoked, and he agais harangued hie people,
after which the repaat was aerred up to ub. It
consisted of the dog which they had juBt been
cooking:, tliie being a great diah among the Sioui,
and U8ed on all festivals; to thie were added,
pemitigon, a di«h Tuade of bTiflalo meat, dried or
jerked, and then pounded and mixed raw with
greaee and a kind of prouDd potato, dresBed like
the preparation of Indian corn ralEed hominy, to
which it is little inftpior. Of alE these luxuriea
which were placed before us in platters with horn
epoonij, we took the pemitigon and the potato,
which we found good, ^ut we could as jet par-
take but Bparingly of the dog. We eat and
emoked for an hour, when it became dark: every
thing was then cleared away for the dance, a
large fire being made in the centre of the hoii^e,
giving at once light and warmth to the ballroom.
The orchestra was composed of about ten men
who played on a sort of tarabourin, formed of
ekin stretched across a hoop ; and made a jingling
noise with a long stick to which the hoofa of deer
and goats were hung; the third instmrn^ent was a
138
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
email eMn bag with pebblt^s in it: these, with £t?
or six yuung men for the vocal part, made up the
band. The women thfiti came forward highly
detorated; some with potes in their hands, on
which Tvere hang the scAlps of their enemies;
otb^ra with gniia, BjieacH ur different trophies,
takenia war bj their buebaiide, brothers, or con-
nexiooB. Raviag an'aiiged theinselves in two
columoB, one on eaeh eide of the fire, as soon as
the musie began thi?y danced towards eaoh other
till they met in the centre, "w-heii the rattles were
shaken, and they all shouted and returned back to
their plac«B. Th«y have no step, but phuifle along
the^ound; nor does the muHic app&ac to be aoy
thing more than a confiiBion of nnisep, distin-
gnished only by harii or gentle blawa upon the
buffalo fekin: the song m perfectly extemporane-
ous. In the pauses of the dance, nny man of the
comp^Dy eomes forward and rwite^, in a. sort of
low g:uttural tone, BOme little story or ini^ideati
which is either martial or ludicrous; or, as was
the case this ereaiing, Toluptuoue and Indecent;
thi« is taken up by the orchestra and the dancepa,
w^ho repeat it in (u higher strain and dance to it.
SometinLes they alternate; the orchestra first per-
formiiigj and when it ceaeee, the women raiee their
voices and make a music more agreeable, that la,
leBS tatolerable than that of the muBLcianB. The
dajicea of the meOj whi«h are always separate
from those Of the women, are tonducted very
nearly in the same way, except that the men jump
up and down instead of shuffling; and iu the war
danced the pecitationa are all of a military cast.
The harmony of the entertainment had nearly
been disturbed by one of the musiciana^ who think-
ing he hod not received a due share of the toba«o
we had distribated during the eveiiing, put himself
134
TIP THE MISSODEI.
Into a paesion. broke one of the druma, threw two
of them into the fire, and left the band. They
wer* tak<;ii oat of t!ie firfc: a bufl'alo robe held in
one hand and beaten with the other, by several of
the COCnpany, eupplitd the place of the lost drnnj
or tambDuria, aad no notice w&s takea of the
ofibaBiye conduct of the man. We etald till twelve
o'clock at night, when we informed the chieft that
they ntuat he fatigued with all these attempts to
amase us, and retired accompanied by four chiefs,
two of whom sfient the night with tin on board.
While on ehore w« saw tw^aty-flve squaws, and
aboQt the same number of children, who had been
taken priBonere two weeks ago, in a battle with
their countrymen the Malios. In thia engagement
the Sioux destroyed forty lodges, killed Beventy-
Atb men, of which We aaTv many of the scalps,
and took these prisoners; their appearance ia
wretched and dnjietted; tlie women too eeem low
In stature, coarse and ugly ; thowgh their present
condition may diminiBh their beauty. We gave
them a variety of email articlesj audi on bwIb and
needles, and iaterctded for th^m with the thielfe, to
whom Tve recommended to ibllow thti advice of
th^r great father, to restore th« prisoners and
live ia ideate with the .Nf aUau, which they promiwd
to do.
The tribe whieh we this day saw, are a part of
the great Sioui nation, and are known by the
name of the Teton Ukondandaa: they are about
two huadred men in number, and their chief resi-
dence is on both sides of the MisAouri, between the
Chayenne and Teton rivers. In their peri^oaa they
are rather ugly and ill made, tbeir le^ and arniB
being too aniall, their cheekbones high, and their
eyea projecting. The females, with the aame
character of form, are more haudjiome; and both
135
LEWIS AND C LAKE'S EXPEDITION
Bexee appear dieerfUl and ppriglitlj; but Id oar
intercDur&B with them we dietovtred tLat they
trere cunning and vicioue.
The men ehiive the hair off their heada, except a
small tuft on the top, iThic^h thej BuHiCr to ^oW
aad wear in plaits over the shoulderB ; to tbLe they
Beem oiucli attach<jd. as th* |Q«e ol'it ie the ui»ual
aocritice at the death of near relatioDs. In full
dreas, the men of conBideratJos wear a hawk'a
feather, or calumet tbatlier worked with iiorcupine
quills, and fastened to the top of the head, from
which it fh.lU back. The face And body are gtnfr-
ally painted with a mixture of greaae and toal.
Over the Bhould^re is a tooee rob« or mantle of
iDuifalu Bkiu dreeacHl white, adorned with poreu-
fpipB quillB loosely fixed eo aB to make a pngiliiig
noiae when in motion, and painted with Tai-ioua
Uncouth figures uuintelll^lile to ua, but to ttaeni
emblematic of military exploits, or any other inci-
dent; the hair of the robe ie "worn next the ekia in
fair weather, but when it rains the hair Ib put
outf'ifie, and th« robe is eitbar thrown over the
ai-ni, or wrapped round the body, all of whieii it
may cover. Under this in the winter fleason they
wear a kind of ahirt reutubling ours, and made
either of akin or cloth, and covering tfie arms and
body. KoTind the middle U fl:xed a girdle of doth
or procured dressed elk-sklu, about au ineh in
width and eloBely tied to the bodj-, to this iu at-
tached a piece of cloth or blanket or ekiw about a
foot wide, which passed between the legs and is
tneked under the girdle both before and bebind;
from the hip to the ancle he is covered by leggiiig'j'
of drcBsed a-atelope ekius, with eeamu at the sldvn
two inches in width, and ornamented by little
tuftH of hair the prodnte at" the ecalpe they have
made in war, wluch are scattered down thti leg.
186
UP THE MISSODEI.
The ■winter rnoccafitfis are uf dreaaHl buffklo-
akin, the hair being wora iawarda, and eoled
with ttjcfc elk-skin parchment: those tor Hummt^r
are of (iE>eF or ell^-tikln, dreesiMi without the bail*,
and with nolea of elk-Bkio. 0^ great occtiaions, or
wherever they are in full dreBs, the j-o-nng men
drag after them the entire Bidii df a polecat fixed
to thff h«el of tha moccasin. Another akin of the
Bame animai is either tTi«ked into the girdle or
carried in the band, and serves as a. pouch for
their tobfl^:co, or what the French traders call the
boie roule: this is the irmer bark of a epecies of
red willow, which being dried in the Hun or over
the fire, IB robbed betwrgen the hands, and brolien
into email pi«!«s, and ia used alone or minted with
tobacco. The pipe is gvnerall; of red earth, the
etem made of aeb, about thr«« or four feet long,
and highly decorated with feathers, hair and por-
cupine quiiis.
The hair of the WOmeb ie suffered ta giOV lOOf,
and is part«d from the forehead aerobe the bead, at
the back of which it la either collected into e, kind
of bag, or baoge down over the shoulderB. Their
moccagina are like tboee of the men, as are also
the leggiugB, which do not however rea«^h beyond
the knee, where it id met by a long loose fehia of
skin whicli reaches nearly to the ancleB; this le
ftwtened over the shoulderB by a Htriug and has no
eleevea, but a ftw pieces of the skin hang a short
dietance down the arm, RometiineB a girdle
f^tens this ykin round the woiatj and over all
is thrown a robe like that worn by the men.
They seem fond of dreas. Their lodges are Tery
peaijy constructed, in the same form as thoae of
the Yanktone; they constat of about one hundred
cabins, made of white buffalo hide dreaeed, witiL
a larger one in the centre for holding couueil^ and
137
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
daacee. Thej ore bailt round with polea aboot
flilesD or twenty feet hjgh, covered with white
eiinaj these lodgea may ha taken to pieces, packed
up, and (larried with the nation wierever thej go,
by dogH whith bear great Lurdens. The women
aE« chiefly employed in dressing hnfft^lo ekiDB:
they seem perftxtly well disposed, but are addicted
to stealliif any thiug which they can take with-
out beings obBerred. This nation, although it
makes bo many ravages among it* neighbours, ie
badly supplied with guna. The water which they
carry with them is contained chiefly jn the
paunches of deer and other animals, and they
make use of wooden bowls. Some had their
heodfl shaved, which we found was a species of
mourning for relatione. Another usage, on theae
CtCCaeiODa, is td run arrows through the fleeh both
above and below the elbow.
While on ehore to-day we witueesed a quarrel
between two squaws, which appeared to be grow-
ing every moment more boit^teroua, when a man
came forward, at wboae approach every one
seemed terrified and r4n. He took the equAwfl,
and without any ceremony whipped them ee-
vereJy ; on inquiring into the nature of euch enm-
mary justice, we learat that thk niau wae an
oMcer well known to this and many other tribes.
Eia duty ta to keep the peace, and the whole
interior polic^e of the village ia confided to two or
threeoftheee officers, who are named by the chief
eund remaiD in power some days, at leaet till the
chief appoints a euccei^Bor ; they Beem to be a sort
of coHBtabk or sentinel, since they are always an
t^ watch to keep tranquillity during the day^ and
guarding the camp in the night. The Bhoet dupa-
^Ijon of their office is. compenaated by it» author-
ity: IiLB power is eupreme, and in th« «Qppre«eiqa
138
'I'HK MISBOUHL
of any riot or dieturbaTice no reBistancG to him Is
BuflortHl: hie perBOu la sabred, ajid if in theex^u-
tion of luB duty he Btrikes even a chief of thfl
eecoDil claijSj he canuut be iDuniehed fur thJa salu-
tary ioBolence. la general they aotompanj the
person of the chief, aud when ordered to any duty,
however dangerous:, it ie a point of honour rather
to die than to refuae obedienGG. ThuB, when they
attempted to stop us yeHterday, the chief ordered
one of" theae men to take pOBSfBHion of the boat;
he im mediately put his arm& round the tnaat, and,
a? we tiTideratood, no fbrce except the conimaud
of the chief would have induced him to release bis
hold. Lilie the other men their bodice are black-
ened, but their distinguishing marli is a eoHection
of two or three raven skins fixed to tlie girdJe be-
hiod the boi^k id Buch a way, that the talis 6tif:k
oat horisontaliy from the bcwiy. Ob his head too
is a raven ekin split into two parts, ttnd tied so
ae to let the beak project from the forehead.
Thursday, September 27. — We rose early, aad
the two chieffl took off, aa a matter of course and
according to their cuetoni, the blanket on which
they had slept. To tliiB "we added a peck of com
aa ft present to each. Captain Lewie and the
chiefs went on shore to see a part of the nation
that was expected, but did not come. He re-
turned at two o'clw!fc, with fijur of tliethiefa and
a warrior of distinction, called Wodrapa, (or on
hie gniard) ; they '•xamincd the boat and admired
whatever was strange, during half aa hour, when
they left it with great rehictance. Captain Clark
accompanied them to the lodge of the grand chief,
who invited them to a dance, where, being joined
by captain Lewis, they rtmaineil till a late hour.
The dance wns very eimilar to that of yesterday.
About twelve "roe left thenij taking the second chief
139
LT:wra AlfD CLARK'S EXPEDITION
and one priDcipal warrior on board; rb we cams
near the boat the man who uteered the periogiie,
by miutake, brought her broadinide against the
boat cable, and broke it. We called up all hands
to their oare; but oar noist; alarmed the two
Indians; they called out to their compftnioas, and
immediatelj' the whole camp crowded to the
ehore; but after half an hour they returned, leav-
ing about sixty nifln near us. Tie alarm giren by
the chieft was aaid to be that the Mahae had afc-
tacbed us, O.nd that thej- were desirous of'aeaist-
ing' UB to repel it ; hut we suspected that thty
were ali'aid we meant to set Bail, and intended to
prevent ue from doing bo; for in the nig-ht the
Maha priaonerB bad told one oT our men, who
linderatood the language, that we were to be
flrtopped. We therefore, without giving any indi-
cation of our euapieion, prepared every thing for
as attack, as the Idsb of our ancbor obliged to
come to near a falling bank, very unfavourable for
defence. We were not mJBtaken iu these opinions;
for when in the morning,
-Fridajj September 28, after dragging uuHuccee^
(blly for the anchor, we wished to set sail, it waa
wltb great difficulty tbat we could make the chiefs
leave the boat. At length we got rid of all except
the great chief; when juat ae we were Betting out,
aeveral of the thief a aoldiere sat on the ropewhith
held the boat to the shore. Irritated at this, we
got every thing ready to fire on them if they per-
sisted, but the great chief said that these were his
Boldiera and only wanted eome tobacco. We bad
already reused a flag and some tobacco to the
second chief, who had demanded it with great
importumtj ; but -wilUng to leave them ^'ithoat
going to extremities, we threw him a carrot of
tobacco, saying to him, "Yoq have told Qa that
140
UP THE MIBSODBI.
70a were a great man, aud hare influeace; now
ahow j-uur iiiduencej by taking the rope firotn
those rneiir and wt will then go without any tUf-
ther trouble/' This appeal to hie pride had the
dedr^d efit^ct; he wtat oat of the boat, ga.vt> the
eoldJerB the tobacco, and puEliitg the rorHi out of
their hands delivered It on board, and we then set
nail uuder a breeze from the S. E. After saiUng
about two mllea we observed the third ehiej' beck-
onicig to us : we took iini On boa±d, and he in-
formed UH that the rope had beeu held bj the
order of the eecood chief, who was a dguble-faced
num. A 1{ttl« farther on we were joined by the
flon of the chief, who came on board to aee hia
father. On his return, we sent a speech to the
nation, eiplaituDg what we had done, and advia-
iag them to peace; but If they persisted in their
attempts to stop ws, we were willing ami able to
defend oureelvea. After naaklug eix unleB, during
which we paesed a willow iHland on the Boath
and one sandbar, we encamped on another in the
middle of the river. The toantry on the eoath
eide waa a low pridrte, that on the north high-
land.
September 29. — We net out early, but were again
impeded by sandbars, which made the river shal-
low; the weather was however fair; the land on
the north Side low and covered with timber coa-
traeted with the bluffii to the south. At nine
o'cloek we saw the seeond chief and tivo 'n'omen
and three men on uhore, who wished ub to take
tTVO women otfered hj the Bpcoiid chief to make
friends, which was refuHCd; he then requeBted us
to take theiu to the other biiiid of their natioa,
who were on the river not fu.r from us: this we
declined ; but in epite of our wishes they fqlipwcd
ufl along Bhore. The chief aek&d an to give them.
141
LEWIS AKD CLARK'S EXPEDITION
BOm« tobacco; thja we did, and gave more as a
present for that part of the nation wliii!h we did
not Esee. At eeveu and a lialf milea we tame to a
email creek oti tlie southern side, where wii aaw
great Qumbcrd of elk, and n-iueJi tvg culled Notim-
ber creek from Hs bare ajipeartmce, AboT^' tbe
mouth of this stream, a I^icar^ band of rawneea
had a village five yeara nj^o: but tbere are no re-
majne of it except the rnouod which eDtlrcled the
town. Here the eitfcond chief went on Hhore. We
then proceeded, ftnd at the di^t'clticEi of elfcTen nliled
enca-mped on the lower part of a willow islaud, in
the middle of the river, Ijeing obtigf?d to substitute
large BtoacB in the place of tLe anchor which w«
lost.
Septpmber 30.— TtiB wind waa thia morninBvery
high from the southeast, so that wt were oblij^
to proceed under a double-reefed muLuettil, tlirough
the raio. The flOHntcy pregenttHl a l^gi^ Iqw
prairie covered with timber ou the aortli Bide ; on
the Bouth, we first had high barrun hlllB, but after
Bome mile* it betamo of the same character ae
that OB the opposite Bide. We had not gone iivr
when an Indiun ran aiter ns, and begged tO b6
carrjed on board aa far aa the Kicaras, which W9
reftsed: eooa all«r, we discovered ou the hiile at
a dietaace, a great number of ludiauH, who came
towards the river and encamped ahead of us. We
stopped at a aandbar, at abont eleven, miles, and
after breakfOHting proceeded on a short dtdtance
to their camp, which consisted of about tbnr hun-
dred bduIh. We anchored one hundred y«rde from
the Bhore, and discovering that they were Tetona
belonging to the band whi«h we had just left: we
told them that we took them by the hand, and
would maJce each chief a ptei»ent of tobacco ; that
w^e had been badly treated by some ol' their band,
142
MISSOTJRI.
and that fa&Tiag waited for thtm two A&jm belov,
we could not stop here, bnt referred them to Mr.
DaiioQ for our talk and &n explanation of our
views: thej' then apologiEed for what had past,
aaeured us tliat they were frieadly, and very dc-
Birona that we should land and eit with them :
thiB we refused, but mat the periogue aa §hore
■with the tobacKO, wliicli was delivered to one qf
the aoldiera of the chief, whom we tad on board.
Several of them now ran along the shore after us,
but the chief threw them a twist of tobacco, and
told them to go back and open their ears to onr
couneeU; on whith. they immedtately returned to
their lod^«. We then proceeded paet a continaa^
tioB of the low prairie on the north, "where we had
large quantitiea of grapes, and oq the Bouth saw
a nmall creek and an UiaDd. Six miles above thi»,
two Indians came to the bank, looked at mb about
half an hour, and then went without speaking
over the hilla to the BOutbwe«t. After some time,
the wind roge still higher, and tlie boat Htruck ^
log, turned, and was very near taking: in water.
The chief became BO much terrified at the dan^r,
that he hid himself in the boat, and as hood as we
lauded got his gan and told us that he wanted to
return, that we would now see no more Tetonsj
and that we might proceed unmolested: we re-
peated the advice we had already given, presented
him with a bianltet, a knile, some tobaeco, and
atter smuking with him he set out. We then eon-
tinned to a Haudbar on the north side, where we
encamped, having come twenty and a hatf miles.
In the course of the day w^e saw & number of
sandbars which impede the navigatioQ, Tha only
animal which we observed wae the white gull,
then in great abuadaoce.
October iBtf 1804,— The weather waa very cold
113
LEWIS AND CLABK'8
and the wind Mgh from the Bouthea«t daring the
night, and continued so thiB morning. At three
mile^ di^t^nce, we had pasBed a. lB.ige iBlaad in the
middle of the river, opposite to the lower end of
which the Rlcaraa once had a villa^ on the Houth
Bide of the river: there are, however, no remnanta
of it now, except a circular wall three or four feet
in hrigbt, which eDcompaaeed the town. Two
ni)le« bejond tbis lelaod is arirer comiD^iafrom
ths BDuthweet, about four huodred yards wide;
the current gentle, and diechar^ng not much
water, and very httle Band ; it takes its Fine in the
BMond range of the Cote Noire or Black moun-
taina, fljid its general course is nearly east: thi*
riYer haa been ocpaaionally eallt^ i^og river, UDdflT
a DUBtakea opinion that its French uaioe was
Chien, but itB true appellation is Chayenne, and
it derives this title ftom the Cbajenne Indians:
their history ie the short and melancholj rela-
tion of the calamities of almost all the Indiaiuip
They were a numeroua people and lived on the
Chayenne, a branch of the Ked river of Lake Win-
nipeg, The invasioD of the tiioux drove them
weHtward ; in their progresa th^y halted on the
Bouthem aide of the Miasouri bulow the Warre-
conne, where their ancient fortiflcatione »Cill exist;
but the same impulse again drove them to th*
heads of the Chayeuno, wheie tliey now rove, and
occoidoaaLly viBit the Ricaran. Thuy are now
reduced, but etill number thive hundred men.
Although the river did uot spcm to throw out
much sandj jet near and above its month we find
a great many sandbars dittlcult to pass. On both
Hides of the MisijQurj, near tbe Chayeaae^ are rich
thidly timbered lowlands, behind whuch are bare
hiJle. Ab we proceeded, we faond that the eand-
bars made the river ho shallow, and tlie wind wao
DP THE MISSOUET.
K Us^t that w« Cduld 6can:«ly find the chaooel,
and at one place were forced to drag the ho4t
over a Baadbiir, the Misuouri beiag rery wide and
foiling a little. At esvuu and a halTmilee "we came
to at a point, and rt-inained three hourB, during
which time the wind abated: -we then pa^eed
■within four miles two creek* on the eonth, one of
which we called Centlnel creek, and the other
Lookout creel?. This part of the river has but
little timber ; the hillH are not bo high aa we have
hitherto seen, and the number of saiidhara extends
the river to more than a -mile in breadth. We con.
tiuued about four and a half miles further-, to a
sandbar in the middle of the river, where we spent
tbe night, our progress being ^JsteeD i«il?8. Oa
the opposite shore, we saw a liouae among the
willows and a boy, to whom we called, and
brought him on board. He proved to be a jonng
Frenehman in the employ of a Mr. Valte a trader,
who is nOw here pursuing his commerce ^th the
Biaax,
Tnesday, October ^.— There bad been a violent
wind iVom the S. E. durin;? the night, which hav-
ing nioderated we set sail with Mr. Valle, who
Tisited ua thia morning and aecompanied tui for
two n]ilea. He ie olie of three French traders ^sho
have halted here, expecting the Bioux who ar&
coming down from the Riearas, where they now
are, for the purposes of traffic. Mr, Valle telle ua
that he posaed the laet winter three hundred
leagTiea up the Chayenne under the Black moan-
taine. That river he represents as very rapid,
liable to sudden swells, the bed and shores formed
of coarse gravel, and difficult of ascent eveQ for
canoes. One hundred leagues from it-s moutb it
divider into two brancheR, one coming from the
Boothj the other at forty leagues from the junction
¥oI. I.— 10 lio
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
enters the Black mouutaioB, The land which ic
wattiFB frora the MIsHDuri to the Black mountaiDB,
reBemblee the country on the MiBsouri, except that
the former has even, leas timber, and of that the
greater proportion is cedar. The Chay-ennes re-
Bid« chiefly oq the heads of tie river, and steal
from the Bi>aiUHh settl&meut, a pltiuderiag excur-
eioD which they perform ia a months time. Thg
Black mouiitainB he obflervea are very high^
covered with great quantitiea of pine, and in Rome
parts the enow remaJna during tht summer.
There are alwo great quantities of joatB, white
bear, prairie cocts, and a species of animal which
from hie descriptioa must resemble a small elk,
with large tireular hornB.
At two and a half mileH we had paBBen! a wil^
low ieland on the aoutbj on the nurtb aide of the
river were dark bluffs, and on the aouth low rich
prairies. We tppk a meridian altitude on oar
arrival at the upper end of the isttaioua of the
'bend, which we called the Lookout bend, and
found the latitude to be 44" 19" SS". This bend
is nearly twenty milce round, and not more than
t^vO tnilea flcrOBB.
In the afternoon we heard a shot Qred, and not
long after obaerv^ eome Xodiaos on a hilt; one of
them came to the shore and wished ua to land, aa
there w«re twenty lodges of ^'anktons or BoIb-
bmle there ; we declined doing eo, telling him that
we had already seen his chiefs, and that they
might learn from Mr. Durion the nature of the
talk we had delivered to them. At nine miles we
came to the lower point of a long island on the
north, the banks of the south side of the river
being high, those of the north forming a low rich
prairie. We coasted along thiB iBiaud, which we
called Caution iBland, aud after pasBing a email
146
TTF THE MlSSOnSI.
Cpeek OD the eoath encamped en a ^andtiar io tti«
middle of the river, haTing made twelve mi\ea.
The wind changed to tbe northweet, and became
very high aud cotd. The iiurrent of the river is
less rapid, and the water thong-h of the same
colour coiLtaina Igbb sediment than below the
Chayenne, but its Width continuee the e-ame. \Ve
were not able to hunt to-day ; for &s there 4re ho
many Indiautt is the ueigbbourhood, we were lo
constant expectation of Ijeiog attacked, and were
therefore forced to keep the party together and be
on onr guard.
Wfidnesd/iy, Oetober3.—The wind continued bo
high fVotn the northwegt, that we could not set
out till after eeveD ; we then prwjeeded till twelve
o'clock, aad lauded on a bar towards thoBOuth,
where we examlued the perioguea, aud the fore-
castle of the boat, and found tbat the mice bad
cut several bags of corn, and spoiled some of ouc
clothes-: about O'ne o'clock an ludiati camemaniDg
to the ehore with a turkey on his back: several
others sooq joined bim, but we had do intercourse
with them, We then went on for tliree miles, but
the ascent soon became bo obstmcted by sandbara
and n}ioal water, that after attempting in vain
Beveral channels, we determined to Te»t for the
night under some high bluSa on the eouth, and
Bend out to examine the beet phaEmei. We had
made eight milea along high bluUk on each side.
The birds we saw were the white gulls and the
brant which were flying to the aouthward in
large flocks,
Tbutsda}; 4-th. — On examinatioa we found tbat
there was no outlet practicable for ua in this chau-
nel, and that we must retread onr steps. We
therefore returned three mileB, aad attempted an-
.otfaer channel la which we were more fortunate.
147
LEWIS AND CLAHK'S EXPEDITION
The Indiana were in small numbeni on the «hore,
aud seemed ^villing had they been more sum«roas
tQ molest us. They calliid to deeire that we "waultl
land, and ose of tbem gaY« three jelk and fired a
ball ahead of the boat: we however took no
notice of it, but landed oii the Bouth to breaktust.
One of these Indiana Awam acroBB and begged for
Bome powder, we gave him a piece of tobacuo
onlj. At eight and a half miles we bad passed an
island m the middle of the river, which we called
tioodhope island. At one and a half mile we
reached a creek on the eouth side about twelve
yards wide, t-o which we gave the name of Teal
creek. A little abov« this is an island on the
north side of the eurrent, about one and a half
inile in length and three-quarters of a mile in
breadth. In the centre of this inland k an old
village of the Ricaras, called Lahoocat; it waa
Burrounded by a circular wall, cuntaining seven-
teen lodges. The Ricaras are known to have lived
there in 17B7, and the village seems to have been
deserted about five years since: it does uot con-
tain much timber. Vie encamped on a Handbai*
making out iVom the upper oiid of this it^laud ; our
journey to-day being twelve milea,
Friday, October 5.— The weather was very cold ;
yesterday evening and this morning there waa a
'v>'hite IVoat. We i^ailed along the higblandH on the
north side, passing a amall creek on the south,
bet^veen three and four miles. At seven q'qlockwe
heard some yells and saw three lodians of the
Teton hand, who asked uh to come on elioreaod
begged for some tobacco, to all which we gave
the same answer ajj hitherto. At eight miles we
reached a small creek on the corth. At fourteen.
we passed an island on the south, covered with
wild rye, and at the hejid a Jarge creek coiuea in
148
tTP THE MTSSOnRi.
from the eonth, whtch wt named Whltebrant
creet, ftom seeing Bevcral white brants among
flockB of darfc-colonred ones. At the diatance of
tiventy mileB- we came to dd a §andbar towards
the north ride of the riyer, with a willow island
opposite; the hilla or blufik come to theban'ke of
the river on both eides, but are not eo high 00
ttef are "below r the river itself iowerer t^ontinuea
Ofthe^ame width, And the Bttndhflra are qnite fla
mimerone. Tie Boil of the banka is dark coloured,
»Tid many qfthe blufiu hare the appearance of be-
ing on fire. Our ^a-iue thin day waB a deer, a
prairie wolf, ani some goats out of a Bock that
was swimming across the riTcr.
Sa-tJirds.y, October 6.~The morning was still
eold, the wind being from the north. At eight
Diile^ we came to a irillow inland on the north,
opposite a point of timber, where there are many
large etones near the middle of the river, which
seem to have been washed from the hilla and high
plains on hnth eides, or driven from a diPtanee
down the etreiiin. At tivelTft miles we halted for
dinner at a Tillage which we suppose to fanre be-
longed to the Bicaras : it is situated in a low plain
on the river, and coneiat^ of abotit eighty lodges,
of an octagon form, neatly covered with earth,
placed as c^oBe to e^ch other as possible, and
picliet«i round. The skin canoes, mats, buckets,
and articlee of furniture found in the loclgea, in-
duce U9 to swppoee that it had been left in the
spring, We found three different Borts of squaflhea
growing in the village; we alBo kiiJed an elk near
itj and eaw two wolves. On leaving the village
the river became shallow, and after searching a
long time for the main channel, which was con-
ceal^ among sandbars, we at last dragged the
boat OTGF one of them rather than go back three
14&
VP THE MISSOUBI.
piilesfor the deepest cbaanel. At foart^en aod a
lalf roilee we stopped (or the night on a aandhar,
opposite a creek on the north, called Otter creek,
twefltj-tTcO jarde in "width, aad containing' more
'water than is common Tor creeka of that dxe.
The eitlee of the river during the day are varie-
gated with high blufia and low timbered grounds
on the banks: the river is very much obatructed
by eandbars. We. saw geese; swan, brants and
ducka of difierent kindg on the batidbara. and on
sTjore numbers of the prairie hen; the magpie too
i^ very common, but the gnlja and plov-er, which
WQ eaw in bucIi uumbera below, are now quite
rar«.
SuniJof, October 7. — There waa frost ag'ain last
evening, and this morning 'was cloudy and at^
tended with rain. At two mileB we came to the
mouth of a river; called by the Ricaras, Sawaw-
kawna, or Pork river ; the pftrtj who eiamined it
for about three milee up, Hay that ite current ia
gentle, and that it does not aeem to throw out
much aand. Ita sources are in the first range of
the Black mountains, and though it hoa now onljr
water of twenty yards width, jet when ftill it
occapiee ninety, Juflt below the mouth » another
Tillage or wintering camp of the liicaroe, com-
poHed of about eixty lodges, built in the aame
form OB thoBe paawd yesterday, with willow and
Htraw matSj basket's and bufialo-eikia canoes re-
maining entire in the camp. We proceeded undera
geatle breeze from the southwest; at ten o'clock
we uaw two Indians on the north side, who told
UH they were a part of the lodge of Tartonga-
waha, or Buffalo Medicine, the Teton chief whom
we had seen on tha twenty-fifth, that they were
on the 'way to the Ricarae, and begged ub for
BOmetliing to eat, which we of course gave them.
150
j
UP THE MISSODBI.
At seren and a half Tailed is a willow island on
the north, Uad another on the same Bide hre milea
beyond it, in the middlB of the riTer bet"ween high-
lOiDde OQ lioth tiidea. At eighteen and a half mileB
is an ielaod called ^TrouBe ittland, ou which are the
walU of an old village: the iBlood has oo timber,
but is covered with graaa and wild ryt, and owes
its name to the number of grouse that freqnent it.
We then went on till our journey for the day was
twentj-two milee r the country pree&nted the saioe
appearance aa uBual. In the low timbered ground
near the mouth of the Hawawkawna, we saw the
tracks of large wlitte bear^ and on Carouse iuEaiid
killed a female hlaireau, and a deer of the black-
tailed species, the lArgest wb have ever Been.
Monday, Octobm S, — We proceeded earlj with a
cool Qorthweet wind, and at two and a hiilf miles
abore G^ronse island, reached the mouth or a creek
on the south, thea a email willow JBland, which
diridea the current equally; and at four and a,
half mileiB came to a rive^r on the southern side
where we halted. This river, which our meridiaa
altitude fiiee at 4.j' 39 ^ north latitude, ie
called by the lUcaras Wetawhoo; it riae* in the
Black mountains, and its Led, which flows at the
mouth over a low soft, elate intone, ia one hundred
and twenty yards wide, but the water ie now
confined witliin twenty yards, and is not very
rapid, discharging' mud with a email proportion
of sand: here aa in every bend of the river, wb
again observe the red berrisH resembling corrantB,
vhieh we uientioiie(3 before. Two luitea above the
Wetawhoo, and on the same side, Ie a amall river
called Maropa by the Indians; it is twenty yards
in width, but eg dam.med up by mud that the
stream creeps through a channel of not TDore than
an inch in diameter, and discharges no sand. One
151
CLARE'S EXPEDITION
mile Turtlter we r«a(;be<l an island cloge to the
Bouthem shore, from which it is separated by a.
deep thanne! of Mity yards. About half way a
nuoiber of Kicura IndiauB came out to ae« ue. We
Btopped aad tuuk o. Frenchman on board, who
accompanied ua paet the iitland to our camp on
the north side of the riTCFj whicli is at the distance
of twelve miles from, that of yefit-eriiay. Captain
Lewis then returned with four of the party to eee
the village; it i» situated ia tbu eentre of tiie
island, near the (southern shore, under the foot of
earoe high, bald, uneven hilla, and cotLiains about
sixty lodges. The island itself ia three mileB long,
and cocered with fields in which the Indians raise
corn, bean:^, and potatoes. Several Frenchmen
living among these Indians tt^ iuterpreWfB, or
traders, came back with captain l^wis, and par-
tlcnlarl; a Mr. (^ravelinej, a man who has ac-
quired the langua£;e. On eettiug out we had a
low prairie covered with timber on the north, and
ou the south highlande, but at the utouth of the
Wetaw'hop the eouthern country changes, and a
low timbered plain ez.t«ndti along tbe south, while
the nortli hoB a ridge of barren hilEa during tbe
reat of the day'e course.
Tuesdaj, Sth.—Tbe wind waa bo cold and high
last night and during all the day, that we could
Dot aeaembie the Indians in council; but aome of
the party went to the Tillage, We r«reived the
TiHitB of the three priudpal chiefs with many
others, to whom we gave some tobacco, and told
them that we wonld speak to them to-morrow.
The namea of these chiefs were first, Kakawieeasea
or Lighting Urow; eecoud chief Pocaese or Hay;
third chief i'iatieto or Kagle'e Feather, Xotwith-
Btandiug tbe liigh waves, two or three ei]uawB
rowed t{) us in little canoes made of a uingle buf-
15:^
UP THE MISSOURL — "
fo].Q skin, stretched over a frame of boBglie intel^
woven like a basket, and with tbe mapt yerfevt
composure. The object which appeared to aetDu-
lab the Indians moet, was captain Clark's Bervant
York, a remarkable stout atroiig negro. Tlity
bad never seen a being' of that colour, and there-
fore flocked round him to examine the estraordi-
mtrj moneter. By way of amusement he told
tbem that he bad oaae been a wild animal, and.
caught and tamed by Ub maat^r, and to convince
thi^nij showed them featB of streD^th wliich added
to his looks made Um more terrible than we
wished him to be. Opiioeite our camp ia a, small
cre^k pn th^ south, Tvhtch xre di^tjng^gbed bf th«
name of the chief KakawiB&aasa.
Weilnesda^v, lOtb. — The weather waa thie day
fine, and as we were deeirouB of aBseinbllug the
whole nation at once, we despatched Mr. GroTCv
Unee, who with Mr. Tabeau another French trader
liad hreakfasttHl with VH, to invite the chiefs of the
two upper Tillages to a eoul^reace. They all aa-
aembled at one o'clock, and after the aeual eere-
monies we addreBHed them in ths same way in
which we had already apoten to the Ottoea
qnd Sioux: we then made Of acknowledged
three cbJefa, one for each of tbe tliree villages;
giviDg to each a fag, a medal, a red coat, a
cocked bat and ^ther, also some ffoodB, paint
and tobaL'co, which they divided among tbem-
fielvee: after this tlie airgtin was eshibitud, very
much to their aetotiishment, nor were they leas
eurprieed at the colour and manner cifTork. On
our side we were equally gratified at diacOTering
that these Kicaraa made nue uf nu Bpirituuus
liquors of any kind, the example of the traders
who bring it to them ao fur It-ora tempting iiaving
In fact diagueted them, ^upposin^ that it was aa
153
LEWIS AND CLABK^a EXPEDITION
agreeable to them ae to the other IndiaiiB, we had
at first ofiered them whiskey; but they reftised it
with this eensible remark, that they were sur-
prised that tb-bir father ahoald present to tiiem a
liquor which would make them fools. On another
occHBioti the; obe^rved to Mr. Tabeau, that no
man could be their friend who tried to lead them
into such folliee. The council being- over they re-
tired to eonsTiIt on their answer, and the next
moimiu^,
Tbarsda^, lltb, at eleven o'clock we again met
Id council at our camp. The grand chief made a
Bhort speech of thanks for the advice we had
giyen, and promiaed to follow it; adding that the
door waa now open and no one dare shut it, and
that we might depart whenever we pleased, allud-
ing to the treatnteiit wb had received fV'om the
Sioux: they also brought ua Kome corn, beaqg,
and dried »q.uaBheB, and ia retura we gave them a
eteel mill with which they were very much pleaaed.
At one o'clock we left our camp with the grand
ehicf and his nephew on board, and at about two
mile« anchored below a creek on the eouth, sepa-
rating the eecond and third village of the RicaraS]
which are about half a mile distant from each
other. We vimted both the vUlagea, and eat con-
vereiog with the chiefb for aoine time, dnring
which they preeented ub with a bread made of
corn and beans, also corn and beans boiled, and a
large rich bean Which they take from the mice of
(he prairie, who discover and collect it. Thea©
two Tillages are placed near each other in a high
Bmooth prairie ; a fine situation, except that bav-
ing no wood the inhabitants are obliged to go for
it aerosB the river to a timbered lowland opposite
to them. We told them that we would tpeak to
them in the morning at their villager separately.
15i
Thnrsday, i^tft.— Accordingly aft«c breakfast
we wenC oa shore to the house of the chief of the
second FiMage named LasBel, where we found faia
chiefs and warriors, llwj made ue a preeent of
about Bereo bueheU of com, a pair of leggings, »
twiat of their tobacco, aud the aeede of two dit^
fferent species of toliacco. The chief then delivered
a Bpeech expreasiTe of Ida gratitude for the pre-8-
entB and the good counAela which wo had given
him; hie intention of visiting hin great father but
for fear of the Sioux ; and requested uB to take ong
oftihe llicaraehleia up to the Mftudaiis aud uego-
ciate a peace betweeo th« two aatiane. To tbia
we repliiMi in a suitable way, and then repaired to
the third village. Here we were addressed by tha
cHef in nearly the same terms as before, and enter-
tained with a present often buaheU of eoni, some
beans, dried pumpkins, and equaehes. Aft^r wo
had answered and explained the magnitude and
power of the United States, the three chiefs came
with TIB to the boat, We gave them eome eug-ar, a
httle ^alt, atid a Huu^lai^ij. Two of them theu left
us, aud the chief of the third, by name Ahketah-
nasha or Cliief of the Town, accompanied iis to
the Mandane. A.t two o'clock we left the Indiaae,
who crowded to the ultore to take leave ofue,
and after raaking seven and a. half miles lauded on
the north aide, and had a tleaCj cool, pleasant
evening.
The three villages which we have just left, are
the reaideiite of a nation eo-ilcd the liicaras. They
were originally colonies of Pawneea, who eetab-
liahed themaelvea on the Missouri, below the
Chayenne, where the traders Btill remember that
twenty years ago they occupied a number of Til-
lages. From that situation a part of the ICicaraa
emigrated to the oeighbourkood of the Mandana,
155
LEWIS AWD CLABK'S EXPEDITrON
■with wbgiii thej were then in alliance. The rMt
of the oatioD continued near the Chajeane till the
year 1797, in the couree of wticli, diBtreeeed by
their wara with the Sioux, they joined their eoan-
tpymen near tie Mandans. Soon after a new war
arose between the Ricaraa and the Mand&na, in
qoneequence of which the former came down the
river to tbeir prewnt position, In tWw niigrfttion
those who had first gone to the Maiidane kept
together, and now live in the two lower vllla^reB,
which may th<;noe be conflidered aa the Rfearaa
proper. The third village waa compoaed of such
remnants of the villages as had survived the ware,
tiqd a^ these n^ere nine in number a difference of
pronnuciation aud aome differenca of language
may be observed between them and the Kicaras
proper, who do not understand all the worda of
these wanderera. The villages are within the
distance of four miles of each other, the two lower
ones eoneiating' of hetween qne hundred and Blty
and two handn^ men each, the third oi' three
hundred. The Kicaraa are tall and well propor-
tioned, the women handBome and lively, and aa
among other eava^R to them falls all the drud^
ecy of the field and the labonre of procuring: sub-
BiBtencfij except that of hunting: both «exes are
poor, but kind and generous, aud although they
receive with thankliiUiefla what m given to tlieoi,
do not beg ae the Sioux did, though tbia praise
should be qualified by mentioning tha.t an axe waa
stolen last night from our cooks. The dreaa of the
men le a simple pair of moccaeins, leggings, and a,
cloth i-ound the middle, over whith a buSalo robe
is occaBionally thrown, with their hair, errae and
eara decorated with diffirent ornaments. The
■women wear moccasins, legginga, a long shirt made
of goate' skina, generally whit* and ftinged, which
156
UP THE mseocHi.
U tied roDTid th* waiet; to these they add, like
tbe men, a butlklo robe without tht? hair, in sum'
mer. Tbeae women are liaudaomer than th«
Siau3 ; both of them ar« however, disputed to be
amorous, and our men found nu difficuitj in pro-
Hiring compamonalbr the night by tufc&ns of the
interpreters. These interriewa were chiefly clan-
dentine, and were of courge to he kept a- e*?cret
i'ruui tbe buebaod or reL&tlona. The point of
honour indeed, ie completely reversed among the
Kiimraa ; that the wilfe or the siHter should Hubnait
to a Btranger'fl embraces witbont the conscDt of
her husband or brother, is a eaaae of great dis-
grace and offence, especially ae for many purposee
qf civility or gratitutio tlie husbaDd and brother
will tbemaelves present to a etranj^r these femaleB,
and be (Ratified by attentiuns to then]. The
Sioux tad offered us squaws, but while we re-
mained there having declined, they followed ua
with offers of females for two days. The Ilicaras
had been equally acqommodatiqg ; iv-e had equally
-withstood thdr temptation; but sneh was their
desire to oblige that two very handsome young
equnwu were sent on board this evening, and per-
secuted us with civilities. The blaok man Vork
participated largely in these favours; for instead
of inspiring any prejudice, his qolonr seemed tO
procure him additiooal advantaj^s from tiie la-
dians, who desired to preserve among them some
memorial of this wonderful stranger. Among
other inetances of attention, a Itieara invited him
into his bouee and presenting his wife to him,
retired to the outside of the door: while there one
of York's coniradee who was looking for Iiim
came to the door, but the gallant husband would
permit no interroptlon before a reaeonable time
had elapsed.
157
LEWIS AND CLATlK^S EXPEDITION
Tte Bivara lodges are in n circalar or octagoiud
form, and geaeralif about thirty or forty feet in
diameter: they are made by placing forVed posts
abont sii ftet hi^h round the pirpumlerence of the
circle; theefe are joined by poles I'roni one fork to
anotter, which are supported also by other ibrfced
poles slaating from the ground ; ia the ceatre of
the lodge are placed Ibur higher forks, abont
fift-een feet in length, connected together bybearaa;
from, these to the lower polea the rafters of the
roof are extended bo ae to lefiTfi a TflcanCy ill the
middle for the emok*: the ft-ame of the building ia
then covered with wiJIow braiiches, with which
is iiiterwoTen graas, and over thi& nnid or clay:
the aperture for the door is about four feet wide,
and before it ia a Bort of entry about ten feet
from the lodge. They are very warm and com-
pact.
They cultivate maiM or Tudian com, beait^
pompkiuB, watermelons, aquasbee, and a Bpedee
of tobacco peculiar to themselTfa.
Their commerce ia chiefly with the traders who
eupply them with goods in return for peltries,
which they procure not only by their 0"vrn hunt-
ing, but in exchange for com from their leae civil-
ised ntighbourB, Thf^ ohj^t chiefly in demaad
Bcemed to be red paint, but they would give any
thing they had to spare for the most trifling
article. One of the men to-day gave an Indian a
hook made Out of a. pin, and he gave him in re-
turn a pair of moccauine.
They exprese a dlepoeition to keep at peaae witlj
all uatlonB, but they are well arnjed with fuHiisj
and being much under the influence of the Sioux,
who exchanged the goods which they get from the
British for Ricara ^orn, their minde are sometimes
poiHoned and they caonot be always depended oa.
15S
UP THE Misaonnr.
At the present moment they are at war with the
MandanB. We are idformed by Mr. GraTelinea,
who bad pasaed tbroagb that country, that the
Tanbton or Jbcijiles riTei* riaee about forty miles
tQ the e&Bt or northeaiit of tine, place, the Chay-
euoe brtiDcb of tli« I{«d ri?er about twenty milea
further, paseiug the Sioux, and the &L Peter'a
about eighty.
Saturday, 13tb. — In the morning our Tieltora
leTt tiB, except the brother or the chief who ac-
CompanieB us and one of thesquawa. We passed
at an early hpur a. camp qf Siogx on the north
bank, who merely looked at qb without Baying a
word, and from the character of the tribe we did
not Bolicit a conrereation. At ten and a half
miles we reached the mouth of a creek on the
north, which takes its liee ftom same pouds a
ehort distaD'W to the northeast ; to this atreani we
gare the name of Stoneidul creek, for alter passing
a. willow and sand ieland juBt above its mouth,
we diBcovered that a Ifew miles back ftora the
Missouri there are two atouea rcsemhling human
figures, and a third like a dog'; all ^rhich are Ob-
jects of great veneration among the tticaras.
ThflirhUtory would adorn the metamorphoses of
Ovid. A young man waa deeply enamoured with
a jgitX whoBe parents refuited their coueeot to the
marriage. The youth went out into the fields to
mourn hia misfortunes; a Hympatby ofiteliogled
the lady to the eiime epot, and the faithful dog
would not ceaee to follow his master. After wan-
dering together and having nothing but grapes to
Bubaiet on, they ^'ere at lost converted into etone,
which beginning at the feet gradually invaded the
nobler partfl, leaving nothing unchanged but a
bunch of grapeg which the female holds in her
handa tothlj^day. WhenerertheKicaraspasHtheee
159
LEWIB A?n) CLARE'S ESPEMTIOH
saeicd Htones. thej «top to make ponie offering of
drew to propitiate tbeae dettieB. Sach ii^ the ae-
«Jont pTen by the Ttkara chief w^hich ire had no
mode of eianuning, Mcept that we found one part
of the Ftorj- very agrees blj eonfinned : for on the
ri^er near where the erent ia eaid to hav? oc-
eoned, we foand a greater sbandauee of Sw
grapes than we had ;et bg^d. Above this la a
email creefa four and & haif milea from Stoneidol
creek, which is fiftwri yards wide, comea in ftom
tb« Boath. and recrired from its the name oT
Pocasee or Hajr Creek, in honour of the ■chief of
the second village, AboTC the Ricara itlaod. the
Miseonii beeomee narrow aad deeper, tbe paodbars
being- generally confined to the pointe: the cur-
rent too ifl mnch more gentle; the timber on the
lowlands is also in much greater qnantiliu,
thongh the hig'h gronndB are etill naked. We pn^
cceded on nnder a fine breeie from the vpstbeaet,
and after making eighteen miles encamped on tb«
north near a timbered low plain, after which we
had flome rain and the evening was cold. The
hunterA killed one deer only.
Sandsy, 14ib.^-Vi'e set oot in the r^n -which
eootinced daring the day. At Sre mile^ weeam^
to a creek on the south, about Sfteeu yards wide,
and named by us Fiafaeto or Eagle's Feather, in
honour of the third chief of the Ricaraa. After
dinner we stopped on a sandbar, and executed the
eectence of a court Taartial irhich inflicted Cor-
poral ppniehment on one of the soldit^re. This
operation aflected the Inditm cbiffvery wnsibly,
for he cried aloud darinR the puraehment: we ex-
plained the offenc* and the reaeons of it. He
acknowledged that examples were necessary, and
that he himself had giveii them by ptmishing -with
d6ath ; but bin nation never whipped eren children
160
tJP THE MISSOURI.
^
&om their birth. After tbie we continued with
the wind iVom the northeaHt, and at the dintance
of twelve iniiea, encamped in a cove of tlie sonth-
ern bank. Immediately opposite our camp oq the
north eidp (tre the ruina of an anpJent f'ortiEi;«.tion,
the greater part of wliieli iti washed into the river :
nor could we diatinguiiih mere than that tlie walls
were tight or ten feet high. The evening ia wet
and disitgreeaible, and the rifer which isHoinewhat
wider than yesterday, continues to have an unu-
HHal quantity of timber. The country waa level on
both aides in the morning, but ofterwarda we
passed some black blutfa on ths Bonth.
Monday, latb. — Wo stopped at three miles on
the Dorth a little above a camp of Kicaras who
are hunting, where we were TJ^ited l>y about
thirty Iqdiajjg, They caroe over in their ukia
caaoea, bringing us meat, for which w& returned
them beads and fiahhoohs. About a mile higher
we found another eneampmetit of IticaToe on the
ftouth, coni^atiug: of eight lodgei^: here we aj^ain
ate and exchanf^eil a few preeetits. As we went
we discerned nnoibera of qther Indians OH both
Bides of the riv^r; and at abont nine miles we
came to a creek on the Houth. where we eaw many-
high hllla reaembiing a house mth a slanting'
toof; and a little below the creefc an old villa^^e of
the Wharhft cm* Chayenae Indians. The morning'
had been elondy, hut the evening bei^aine pleasant,
the wiud fVom the northeast, and at sunset we
halted, alter coming ten miles over several sand-
bars and iHilntti, above a camp of ten Ricara
lodges ou the north side. We visited their camp,
aiul linioked and eat with several of thetn; they
all appeared tind and pleased with our attenttons,
and the fair sejt received our men with more than
hospitality. York was here ogaia an object of
Vol. I.-ll 161
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITIOX
astoaiBlinient ; the cbildrea would follo'n' him con-
titautlj', and ifbe chanced to turn towards them,
rua with great terror. The countrj of tcuJaj- ia
genemUj' low and covered with timber on both
sidea, though in the mOming we parsed QiO-niQ bar-
ren hillH on the south.
Tuesday, 16th. — At thU camp the squaw who
accompaoied the chief luft ub; two othera were
yery anxioud to go on with us. Just above our
camp we pa&aed a circular work op fort where the
Sharha or Chajennes formerly lired : and a abort
dUtaace beyond, a creek w^hLch ~wg called Cbay-
eone creek. At two miles is a willow island with
a large Bandbar on both eldea above it, and a
creek, both on the Bouth, which we called So-
haweh, the Ricara name for gtrl; and two miles
aboTB a second creelt, to wliich we gave the name
of Chapawt, which meana woman in the ganie
language. Three mile« farther is an island situ-
ated in a bend to the north, about a mile and a
half long, and covered with cottonwood. At the
lower end of this island comeB in a Bmall creek
from the north, called Keetootiheahawna or PIom
of Beaver. At the upper extremity of the inland a
river emptier itself frpm the north; U 14 call'ed
Wairecouue, or Elk Sbufi their Horns, and ia
about thirty-f ve yardb wide: the island itaetf la
Darned Carp island by Evans, a former traveller.
As we proceeded there were great numbers of
goats on the banks of the river, and we soon
aft«r saw lar^ ^ocks of them id the water: thej
had been gradually driven into the river by the
Indiane who now lined the shore aa as to prevent
their escape, and were flring on them, while eome-
times boya went into the river and killed them
with eticka : they seemed to he very succeasfiil, for
we counted fifty-eight which they bad killed. Ws
UP THE MlSSOimi.
Duraelvea killed ^oiue, «od th^n pasHlns the lodges
to wtLLcIi tbe»e IndLEOB ^^looged, encamped at the
dietaace of half a mile on the south, baring- made
fourteen and a half miloa. We were Boon visited
by numbers Of thecte Uicaraa, who croaeed the river
hallooing and einging: tiTo of them then returned
(br sotne goats^ fleeh and bnffalo meat dried and
fteah, with which they made a fi?aKt that laet«d
till late at nij^ht, and caused much music and
merriment.
WednesdAf, lTtb> — The weather waa pleasant:
we passed el low gi-ouad eovered Trtth Bmall tim-
her qn the south, and barren bilU on the north
which eame cloee to the river; the wind from the
northwest then became bd Btrong that we could
Bot move after ten o'clock, until late in the after-
noon, when we were forced to use the towline,
and we therefore made only six rrulea. We all
WBnt out hunting and examining the country.
The goats, of w^hich we see large flotkn coming to
the north baak of the river, ispeud the aummer,
saya Mr. tTravelLnes, iu the plains east of the Mie-
Bouri, and at the present soason are returning to
the Black mountains, where they aubBist on leaves
and shrubbery duriny the w^inter, and reBume their
migratione in the ei*ring. We alao itaw buftiaJu,
elk, aad deer, j^ud a number ofeaakee; a beaver
house too was seen, and we caught a whip-poor-
will of a small and uncommon kind: the leaves
Br& fast falliug; the river wider than uenal and
flill of aandbare ; and on the Bides of the hilla are
large Btonea, and aorae rock of a broTrnieh colour
in the BOnthem bend below ns. Our latitude by
obatfrvation waa 40" 23 37'.
Thursday 18. — After three mileB we reached the
mouth of Le Boulet or Cannoobal! river: this
stream riaea in the Blach mountaina, and falls Into
168
LEWIS AiND CIARK'S KXPEDITION
the Missouri dn ttie flddth; it» chanQd is about
one huudred aad forty jard» wide, though the
water ia now conflned withjq forty, Rod its Dame
is derived from the numberB oi' jjeriectly round
large atones on the shore and in the bluSe juBt
above. We here met with two Frenchmen in the
employ of Mr. Gravelines, who had been cobbwi
by the Maudiiiia of their traps, tbre, and other
articles, and were descending the river in a peri,-
ague, hut thtf turned ba^k witli us la expectation
of obtainiog redress through our m«ane. At
eight milea ia a creek on the north, about tweoty-
eight yardd wide, rising in the northeast, and
tailed Llhewah or Fish river; one mile abore this
is saothercreek on the south: we encamped on a
sandbar to the eqqth, at the dietaQce of thirteen
miles, all oV which we had made with oars aad
polea. trreat numberB oi" gotita are cruHsing the
river and directing their course to the weMward ;
we also saw a herd of buffhio and of ellt; a peli-
can too was killed, and six flailow deer, having
fovnd, as the llinara^ jnibrnied uh-, that there are
uoue of the blaek-tail species as high up as this
plaee. The country iu in general lev^I aud finer
with broken Bhort high grounds, low timbered
moundH on the river, and a rugged range of hills
at a distance.
Friday 19. — We set sail with a fine moming,
and ft eontheaet wind, and at two and a half
miles pasoed a creek on. the north side : at elevea
and a half miles we came to a lake ur large pond
on the Hameside, in whii^h were MOme BwaiiH. On
both banks of the Ml^aouri are low groniida which
have mueh more timber than lower down the
riT-er; the hilts are at one or two milee distance
trom the bankn, and the streams which rise iu
them are brackJBh, and the mineral ealta appear
164
UP THE MISSOTTRT.
on the Bides of thfl bilU and edgee of the rxm?. In
walking along the Hhore we counted flftj-two
herds of buffalo, and three of elk, at a single
view. Beeidee thene we also obeerved elk, dwr^
pelif^ans, and wolves. Alter seventeen and a half
miles we encamped on the north, opposite to the
npperiMOst of a number of round hilla, ('onuing a
cone at the top, oue being about ninety, another
fdsty Ifeet in height, and eome of lem elevation.
Onr chief tel][^ uh that the calntnet bipcl liTea in ths
hole^ formed by the filtration of the water from
the top of these bjiln through the Btdes, Near to
one of thege mo'es, on it point of a hill ninety feet
aibore the plain, are the remains of an old vllla^
which in high, strong, and has been fortified; this
our chief ti^Ws ub id the reniains of one of the
Mandan Tillages, and are the first nrna which we
have seen of that nAtion in aBeending the Mis-
eouri ; opposite to our camp is a deep bend to the
south, «t the extremity of ivhich is a pond.
Satarrlsy 20.~\ve proceedf d early with a aouth-
eaet wind, which continued high all day, and cams
to a creek on the noith at two miles distanee,
twenty yarda "wide. At eight miles w^e teathed the
lower point of an ieland in the middle of the river,
though there is no current on the south. This
island is covered with willows and extends about
two milea, there being a email t^reeh coming in
from the Bonth at its lower extremity. Aftermak-
ing twelve milea we encamped on the eotithj at the
upper part of a hhiff containing atone-coal of an
inferior qnalitj" ; immediately h^low this bluff and
on the decliTity of a hill, are the remaius of a Til-
lage covering six or eight acres, formerly occupied
by the Mandane, who, eayw our Hieara Khief, once
lived in a number of villages on each side of the
rive^, till the BioUi forced them forty miles higher;
X66
L^^mS AND CLARK'S EXPEDTTtON
TTheocft, afber a ftw years residence, they moved to
their present poaition. The conntry tttough
"which vre paeaed bus. wider bottom^ and. more
timber tlian thoBV we hare been accuatoiDcd to
Bee, the liille rising at a dietauce and hy ^adual
ascents. U'e have eeen great nuinbers of elk, deer,
goats, and buSalo, and the usual attendanta at
these last, tte "woWes, who follow their move-
ments and feed upon those Vrhp die hy accident,
Dt who are too poor to keep pace with the herd j
wa also wounded a white bear, and saw eome
fi^Bh tracks of those animalB which are twice aa
lar^ ae the track of a man.
Sunday 21. — Last night the weather n'as cold,
the wind high iront the northeast, and the raoq
which fell froee on the grouad. At daylight it
began to snow, and contiDiied till the afternoon,
when it remained cloudy and the ground was
covered with enow. We however, set out early,
and jnat above our camp t^Ame to a creelt oti the
south, called Chteahetaw, about thirty yardB wide
and with a considerable quantity of water. Our
lilcara cluef tells ue, that at some distance up thJa
river ia situated a large roLk which ie held in
great Teneration, and visited by partiee who go
to consult it aa to their own or their natiooa'
destiniefi, all Of Which they discern in H0ni6 BOtt of
flguree or paJJitiiiga with whieli it is covered.
About two miles off Ehjni the mouth qf the river
the party oa shore saw another q£ the objects of
Bicara euperatitioiL ; It is a large oak tree, staad-
ing alone in the open prnirie, and as Jt aloue haa
withstood the fire which has toneumed every
thing around, the Indiana naturally ascribe to it
eytraordinary po^vers. One of their ceremonieB is
to make a hole in the skin of their uecic^ through
which a Btriug is pa^Bed and the other end tied to
IfiS
UP THE MIBSOTTBI.
the todj of the tree ; and after remaining in tM8
way for some titn* they think they become traver.
At two mlefl from our encampmeqt ire came to
the ruins of a Eecoad !Maii(laii Tilluge, which waa
in exiBtencfl at the saine time with that just men-
tioDcd. It is Bituat«d on the north at the foot of
a hill in a beauttftil and extenftive plain, M'hieh is
now covered ivith he-rdei of buffalo : nearly oppo-
site ai-e remaJDB ofa tbird Tillage on the qouth of
the MisBDurl ; and there is anotber also about two
mjles further on the north, a little off the rimr.
At the distance of seven milea we encamped on the
south, and Hpent a cold night. We procured to-
day a buffalo and an otter only. The river ia
wide and the Bandbara numerous, and a Ip^r
island near our encampraent.
Mosdaj 22. — ^lu the morning we passed an old
Mandan vjllagie on the eouth, near our camp; at
four miles another on the same Hide, About BeTCn
o'clock we came to at a camp of eleven Sioux of
the Teton tribej who are almost perftctly naked,
haviug only a piece of atin or cloth cpund the
middle, thoagb we are eufiering from the cold.
From their appearance, which, is warlike, and
flfom their giving two different aiwounts of them-
AelveB, we believe that they are either goitig to or
returning from the Mandans, to which nationa the
Biouz^ frequently make excnrsiona to steal horwfl.
Ab their conduct displeased ms, we gave them
nothing. At six we reached an ieland ahout one
mile in len(?th, at the head of which in a Mandan
village on the north in ruina, ond two miles be-
yond a bad sandbar. At eight miles are remains
of another Mandan village on the south ; and at
twelve milee eneiiniped on the i^outli. The buatere
brought io a huffalo buttr and mentioned that of
about three hundred whtch they had seen, there
HiT
LEWIS AND OLAKK'S EXPEDITION
■wBB not a Enngle ftmale. The beaver is here in
Jjletlty, ahd the two FreDchmen ivho are returning
■nritb ue cati^li several CTSry night.
These viUages which are niue iu namber are
ecattered along eaeEi eide of the river within a
spacG of twenty milcB ; almost all that remains of
them ia the wull Tviiich surrounded thcni, the fall-
en heaps of earth wbith ooTtfed the houses, and
occasionally human Hkulk and the t«eth and bonea
of men, and different animulg, which are ^ecattered
on the eurface of the ground.
Tuesday 2S. — The weatlier was tluudj and we
had 80IOB anow; we soon arrived at five lodges
where the two Frenchmen had bptn roLlj4?d, but
the Indiana had lejt it lately at^ Ve found tlie hrCa
still burning. The vountrj consists as usual Qf
tiiabered low grouuds, with grapew, ruehee, and
great quantitiee of a email it^d LU.-id fruit, known
amon;;: the Indiana Ijy a name signifying rabbit-
berriea, and calJed hj the Frenuh graiflse de bnffie
or buffalo fet. The river too, i« obfitrueted by
many eandbars. At t^velre mile* we p&Ht^ ftji
Q)d village on the north, which was the Ibrmer
residtince of the AlmaJiawajs who now Jive be-
tween the Maudang and Miunetnrees. After mak-
ing thirteea mileB we encamxied qu the eouth,
Wedues/iay S4, — The day wbb again dark and
it Bbowed & little In the moroLiig. At three miles
we came to a point on the south, where the river
by forcing a channel acroug a former bend has
formed a large island on the north. Oa this
island we found one of the grand chlelb of the
JIandane, who with five lodges waa oa a hunting
eicureion. He met his enemy the RicJira diief,
with grea,t ceremony and apparent cordiality, and
emoked with tiim. After vieiting hia lodge*, the
£TBnd chief and hia brother came on board our
168
UP THE MISSOURI.
boat for a short time; we tbe^i proceed^ and eo-
camped oa the north, at uevf n mileH Itoiii uur last
nig:litB HtiLtioQ and below the old village of the
Mandaiis Jind Rieariif?. Here four Mandane came
■dowti. from Q. CdiQip abOTe, and our Ilicara chief
returned with them to their camp, from which Wfl
augur ftLvourahlj gf th^fir pacific viewa towards
each other. The laud is low and beautifkl, and
coTcred with oat and cottonwood, hut has been
too recently huiited to afford much game.
2StIi. — The morning was cold and the wiud
gentle from the southeaet: at ithree miles we
passed a handsome high praine on th& south, itnd
on au eminence about forty feet aboye the water
and extendiujt; ba^k fur gevEiiral miles in abeanti-
fiil plainj was Bitunted aa old Tillage of the Man-
dan natJoji which ba« been deserted for uany
jeara. A abort distance above it, on thecontinua-
tjpn of the eame ci^ng ground are tw^O old vil-
lages of Ricaras, dub oa the top of the bill, the
other in the level plain, which have been deBerted
only Ave years atjo. Above these villages le an
eitenaive low gronnd for Beveral miles, in which
are eituated, at three or four miles fronl the
Iticara villa^a, three old villages uf Mandan$
near together. Here the Maadans lived when the
Eicaras came to them for protection, and A*om
thia they moved to their present situation above.
In th& low ground the squaws raised their com,
and the timber, of which there -wan little near the
villages, was supplied from the opposite aide of
tli9 river, where it was and Htili is abundant.
As we i]i-oceedi;d several parties of Alandanfi
both onibot and horseback eame along the river
to view usj and were very deairoua that we
should land and talk to them : this we could not
do On account of the aandbreaks OH the shore, but
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXi
we Bent our Ricftra chief to them in a perjogUB-
The wind too having shifted to the eo-uchwtet and
being very hijfh it required all our precautionB on
board, for the river ivtis full of Randbare ■which
made it very difRtvtitt to find the chaDDel. We got
aground flev^?^al timps, and passed a very had
point of rocka, after which we encamped on b
eandpoint to th« north, above a handtf^ome plain
covered with timber, and oppoBtte to a high hill
oa the eouth eide at the diBtance of eleven mileB.
Here we were joined by our Hicara chief, who
brought an Indian to the camp where he remained
all night.
2Gth. — We set out early TPith a southwest wind,
and after putting the Kicara chief on shore to
join the Mandane who were in great numbera
aloD^ it, we proceeded to the camp of the grand
chiefs fonr miles diatant. Here we met a Mr.
M'Cracken one of the northwest or Hudeon Bay
company, who arrived with another person
atout nine days ago to trade for horse? and buf-
falo robes. Two □[* the chiefb carne on board
with some oftbetr household furniture, such ae
earthern pots and a httle com and went on with
ua; the reet of the Indians followiDg on shore. At
one mile beyond the camp we piisi^ed a small
creek, and at three more a bluff of coal of an in-
ferior quality on the south. Afttr making eleven
milQB we reached an old field where the Mandaiu
had cultivated grain lust Buniiner, and encamped
for the night on the south Ride, about half a mile
below the firnt Tillage Of the Mandane. In the
morning M'e had a willow low ground on the
south and highland on the north, which occ&-
Bionally varied in the course nftheday. There is
but little wood on thia part of the river, which la
here Bubdi-\'ided into many channele and ob-
170
tTP THE MTSSOTTHI.
vtruct^ by eaiidbB.r^, Aa sqqil a,ft ~we axriv^ %
crowd of mea, womvu, and vMIdreD came down to
aeeuB. Captain Lewis returned with the princiyal-
cbiefe to the village, while the others remained
■with us during the eTeniugj the object ■which
aeemed to Burpriee them moRt, wag a com-mill
flietl to the boat which we had qqqaeian to use,
Hud delighted them by the ease with which It re-
duced the grain to puwdt^r. Among othere who
Tiaited us was the eon of the (jrand chief of the
Mandana, who had his two little fingers cut off at
the B^c^ncE joiatB. Oc Enquiring' into this accident,
*e fouud that it waa customary to expreea grieF
for the death of relatione by some corporeal 8uBer-
ing, and that the usual mode was to lo^e two
joints of the little fingers, or eometimea tho other
fingers. The wind blew very cold in the evening
frotri the Bouthwest. Two of the jjarty are a£-
fected with rheumatie camplaiota.
ITI
LEWIS AMD CLAEK'S EXPEDinON
CHAPTER T.
Oonnctl lield wicb tlie MiindB.Da— A pralrln en DtRv uid a AtOKU-
lur Inslaace ol (ireeervaUun— FewM establklied betw«>n tii«
Mtmdaua una nii;araa--Tlie puny eaea4Qp for am WlQler—
iQ'dlen luudt) »I micIilUE EUHta— BeauCIful Appearance oT
northern Mirhts.— Friendly character ol tbe Indians — Some ae-
CQiintaf Lbu Mujidona — Tbe AhnatLBways sjid the MIiLD(!ljtre£9
~Tna puny uu^uIk tbe cuTia{l«ni;e <>f tbe MusrliuiE by ta^ng
part In. their ramtroverey with the Sioux —Religion of the
MlkDilQOK. 9-nd tbeir aln^lar i^DcepUaEi gt Ul-e t^Tiu uiQillUllie
—TSelrtmaiUon— TUeBuffcrtUBs of Uio party from the sererltT
of the Heason— Indl&n (CBJue ot bltUarda defn^bed — CbBxacter
ol tbti Ml«Kiuri, Qt U>B aviToupEiintr couutf y, sad tt me rlTen,
ctnIes. ialjmds, Ac.
SatujrJay, October 27. — At an early hour we
proceeded and anchored off tbe Tillage. Captain
Clark went on shore, and after emoking a pipe
with the chieft, "waH. desired to renlttiii ftod eat
with them. He declined an ncuount of his being
tiDwell; bat hia refaeal gave gr^at offeuM to the
Indiana, wbo considered it diBreepectrul not to eat
when invitedj till the cause waa explained to their
laatienicticin. We aent them Bome tobacco, and
then proceeded to the eecond village on thft north,
pa^^ing by a bank containing coal, and A eecond
village, and encamped at four miies on the north,
oppoflite to a Tillage of" Ahnahaways. We here
met with a Frerchman, named JeBaeaume, who
lives among the Indians with hia wife and chil-
dren, aud who we take a& an interpreter. The
Indians had flocked to the hank to see ue fts we
passed, and they Twited in great nnmbera the
camp, where some of tbem remained all night.
We Bent in the eTening three young Indians with
iTa
DP THE MISSOUBI.
a preeent of tobacco far the cbief^ of the three
npper villages, iDTitin^f them to come (town in the
morning to a council with ub. Accordingly the
next daj,
Sunday, October 28, we were joined by many gf
the Mionetareee and AhDah^waye from above, but
the wind wae uo violent IVom tJie suuthweat that
the cliifjra ofthe lower villagcBcoald not come up,
and the council was deferred till to-morrow. In
the meaa "while We eutertaiaed our visitors by
showing them what was new to them in the
boat; tkll which, as well our black aerv&ot, they
ca.lled Great Medicine, the meaning of which we
afterwards lEamt. U'e also eontiulted the grand
chief of the Mandanis, Itlack Cat, ajid Sir. Jes-
Beaume, as to the namej^, charaeterB, Slc, of the
chief!) with whom we are to hold the council. In
the couree of the day we recwved sevwal pre«-
Qnt,a from the "women, vonblsttng of corn, boiled
hominy, and ^ardeu Htuif^; in our turn we grati-
fied the wife of the great chief with a, gift of &
glased earthen jar. Our hunter brought ua two
beaver. In the afternoon we eent the Minnetaree
chiefs to gmoke for uM with the- great chief of the
Mandarifi, and toLd them we would sjieak la the
nioTDing.
Finding that we ehall be obliged to paaa the
winter at thid place, we went up the river about
one and a hiilf niile« to-day, with a vieiv of find-
ing a. convenient Hpot for a fort, bnt the timber
was too scarce and Btuall for our purpoftes.
Monday, October 20. — The morning was fine
and we prepared our preaents and Bpeecb fbrthe
council, .ii'ter brenkikst we were viuit^d by an
old chief of the AhualitLwflya. %vliO fiijding lllmself
growinjf old and w«ak had trauBfctred hii^ power
to hi* eon, who is now at war against the ^h^
173
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
shoneeB. At ten o'clock the chiefb were all Beeem-
liled under an awning of our Bails, stretched so aa
to exclude tie wind which had become high ; that
the impreasion might be the mare forcible, the men
were all paraded, and the- counqiE npen^il by a
diacharge ftom the Bwivel of the boat. We thea
delivered a speech, which like those we had al-
ready made interiuinglwl advi{!e -with aemirances
of frienddhip and trade : while we wece speafeing
the old Ahiiohaway chief grew very reatleBit, and
observed that he could not waitloog as his camp
waa exposed to the hOFtilitiey of the iStoBhonees;
lie was inetantly rebuked with great dignity by
one of the chiefe for thia violation of decorum at
biich a moment; and remained quiet during the
reat of the council. Tovrarda the end Of OUr
Speech we introduced tlie Bubject of our Hieara
chief, with ■whom we recomiaended a iirra peace;
to this they eeeraed well diisposed, and all emoked
with him very amicably, \^'e all mentioned the
goods which had been taken from tiie frenfthmen,
and espresBed a wiah that t!iey fiijould be Tfl-
fitored. This being over, we proceedfid to distrib-
ute the presents with great ceremony : one chief
of each town waa acknowledged by a gift of a
flag, a medal with the hkenesu of the preeideot
of the United States, a unit'orm coat, hat and
fcather: to the eecnnd chieiU we gave a medal
representing some domestic animala, and a loom
for weaving; to the third chiefs medala with the
impreBBJonfi of a f^Dier sowing grain. A variety
of other presents were distributed, but none
Heemed to give them more aatiB/kction than an
iron corn rail! which we gave tu the Mandans.
The cliieft who were made to-daj are r Shabaka
or Big White, a first chief, and Kagohami or IJt-
tie Bavea, a second chief of the lower Tillage of
174
UP THE MlSSOlTftl.
the Maodaoa, called Matootoalia: the other chiefb
of an iul^rior quality who vrem recommended
were, 1. Ohheenaw, or Bi^ Wan, a Cbayenne
taken priaoner by the Mandaim who adopted bim.
and he nttw frnjojH great coiisideratioti amnDg the
tribe. 2. Shotahawrora, or Coal, of the second
Mandan village -which is called nqoptahee. We
made Poacopisahe, or filach Cat, the &rst chief of
the village, and the ^and chief of the whole Man-
dan nation: his oeoond chief la Ka^onomohahe, or
Rareu man Chiefs inferior chiefs of thia villagft
were, Tawnuheo, and Bellahsara, of which we did
not learn the trajislatioa.
In the third village which U called Mahawha,
and where the ^rwacahwaa rsBide, we made one
first chief, Tetuekopinrebaj or White Buffalo robe
unfolded, and recognized two of an inferior order:
MinniHgurraree, or Xeighin^ Karat, and I.ocoii>
gotiha, or Old Woman, at a distance.
Of the fourth Tillag« where the Minnetareea live,
and which is called Metabarta, we made a first
chief, Ompeehara, or Blaclt Moccasin: a eecond
chiefj Olihaw, or Little Fox. Other distinguiehed
cbiefa oFthia village werCj Mahnotah, or Big Thief,
A man whom we did not see as he is out fighting,
and was killed ^oonafter; and Mahseraaaa, qrTail
of the Calumet Bird. In the fifth village we made
a firet chief Eapaaopa, or Red Shield; a eecond
chief Wankeraaea, or Two Tailed Calumet Bird,
both j-oung chiefs; other persons of distinction
are, Shahakohopinnee, or Little VVolf'i^ Medicine;
AhrattanamocksLe, or Wolfmau chief, who ia now
at war, and j^ the son of the old chief w? hav^
mentioiied, wboae name ia Caitaheota, or Cherry
on a Buah.
The presents intended for the grand chief of the
Miimet£ireea, who was not at the council, were
1T5
LEWIS AKD CLAHX-a ErPEDITION
Bent to him by the old chief Caftahcota; and wo
delivered to a joung chief thoae intended for the
chief Cif the loTrer viilage. The council was coa-
cluded by a ahot from our swivel, and after firing"
the airgTin for their amueemeut, they retired to
deliberate on the answer which they are to give
to-morrow.
In the evening the prairie took fire, either by
Bcddent or design, and bupiied with great fViry,
the whole pl&in heing enve-loped in flamea; so
rapid w^ag its progresB that a man and a "n'omaa
were burnt to death before they could reach a
place of safety ; another man with hia wife and
child were much burnt, and several other jieraona
narrowly eacaped destruction. Among the t-ea* a.
boy of the half white breed escaped unhnrt in the
midst of the flames; [lis safety was ascribed to th&
great medicine spirit, who hod preeerved him on
account of hie hdng white. But a much mora
natural cause wrb tho preBence of mind of hie
mother, who seeing no hopefl of carrying off her
aon, threw hira on the ground, and covering him
with the fresh hide of a baffalo, escaped herself
ftom the flames; as soon a« the fire had p&esedj
she returned and found him untouched, tbe skin
having prevented the flame from reueliing the
Erasa on which he lay.
Tue.8da,y 30.— "We were this Tnorning visited by
two perBOns from the low^er village, one the Big
yMiite the chief of the village, the other the Chay-
enne called the Big Man; they hod been hunting,
and did not return yesterday early enough to at
tend the council. At their recjui-st we re-^ieated
part of our speech of yeeterdajj and put the medal
round the neck of th<! chief. Captain Clark took a
periogue and vrent up the river in search of a good
wintering place, and returned alter going seven
176
UP THE MISSOURI.
milefl to the lower pofnt of an island on the north
side, about one mile iti length ; he fonnd the banks
on the north side higli, with coqI o€ca«ionally,
and ttie country flne cm a]] sides; but the want of
wood and the scarcity of game up the river, in-
duced ua to decide on fixing ourBelves lower down
during the winter. In the evening our men danced
among" themselvea to the great amusement of the
Indians.
Wednesday 31, — A second qhief arrived tbi»
morning with a^ iovitatiijn from thti grand chief
of the MaEdane, to come to Ma village where he
wished to present eome corn to ub and to speak
with U8. Captain Clark walked down to hig vil-
lage j he tvAH fir^t Beated With great ceremony on
B. robe by the side of the chief, who then threw
over his Hhouldere another robe bandsomdy oma-
meoted. The pipe wa« then smoked with BeveraJ
of the old men who were seated around the chief;
after eome time he began his dia^ouree, by observ-
ing- that he believed what we had told iiiiu, and
that they should soon enjoy iMace, which would
gratify him aa well as hia people, because they
cDiiJd then hunt without fear of heing attacked,
and the women might work in the fields ndthout
looking every moment for tho enemy, ami at night
pot off their moceaEjins, a phrase by which ia con-
Teyed the idea Of security When the women eoul3
undress at night without fear of attack. As to
th& It-icaras, be continued, in order to *how jou
that we wish peace with all men, that chief, point-
ing to hia aecond chief, will go with some war-
riora baeh to the Iiiearaa with their chief now here
and amoke with that nation. When we heard oT
your coming all the nations around returned (torn
their hunting tq see you, in hopes of receiving
large preBenta; all are disappointed and eome diis-
Vol. i.-ia
177
LEWIS AND CL£RKTESP EDITION
-cootented; for hia part ha waa Dot much eo,
thoug-h tiie vllla^ wau. He adilt«d that he would
go and eee bia great father the president. Two of
the stetl traps stolen from the I'feaclinien were
tbea laid before cfiptain Clark, and the women
brought about twelve bushels qf corP. After the
chief bad finlahed, captain Clark made aa auBwer
to the Bpet»:h and then returned to the boat,
where he found the chief of the third village and
Kagoliami (the Little Itaven) who ismoked and
talked about an hoUl*. After they left the boat
thegraud ^ihitiif of the Mandans came dree eed iuthe
clotbea we bad given him, witli hia two cluldren,
aod begged to eee the meu dance, ia which the;
willingly gratified htm.
Tbumdsj, Noreinber lat. — Mr. M'Cracken, the
trader whou we found here, set out to-daj on hia
return to the British fort and factory on the As-
einiboin river, about one huudred and fifty railee
i^om this place. He took a letter from captain
Lewis to the northwest company, inclosing a
copy of the paasport granted by the ISritish min-
ister in the United Stat*s. At t«n o'clock the
chiefs of the lower village arrived ; they requested
4^at we would call at their village for BOme porn,
that they were willing to make peace with the
Bicarae, that they had never provoked the war
between them, but as the Ricaras had kiUed same
of their chiefa they had retaliated on thera j that
they had killed them like birds, till they were tired
of kilhng them, so that they would send a chief
and some warriors to Rmoke with them. In the
erening we dropped down to the lower tillage
where captain Lewis went on Bhore, and captain
Clark proceeded to a point of wood on the north
.nde.
Fiidny, November 3. — He therefore went up to
178
UP THE HISSOUEI.
tie village where eleven buBhels of corn were pr^
aented to \u.p.\. Id the meantime captuin Clark
went down with the boata ibtee mileSj and hav-
ing fouud 6. good position ivhere there w-a** plenty
of timber, oncampfd and began to fe]] trwe to
build our huU. Our Iticaraohltf set out with one
Houdauchiei and HL'vera! MJnnetaree and Uandan
warrioFB; the wind waa from the eoutheaat, and
the weather being; fine a crowd of Indiana camt
down to vUit ue.
Suturdsiy 3. — We now began the building of pup
cabiq«, and the Frenchmen who pre to return to
St. Louii are building a periogue for the purpose.
We Bent six men Iq a periogne to hunt down the
river. We were alBO f^rtuiiate enough to engage
in our service a Canadian Frenchman, who had
been with the Chayenne Indiana on the Klock
Otountaina, and last Bummer descended thence by
the LLttie llieeouti. Mr. Jesseanme our inter-
preter aleo came down with iaa uquaw aad cbil-
irea to live at our camp. In the evening we re-
edved a visit irom Ka^faami or Little Baven^
whoee wife acx^ompanied hiiu, biin^^ng about
Biitj weight of dried meat, a robe and a pot of
in«al. We gave him in return a piece of tJ^bacco,
to hie wife an axe and a few small articles, and
both of them spent the night at our camp. Two
beavBTB were caught in trapa this morning.
Sundaj' 4. — We continued our labours : the tim-
ber wliich we employ is large and heavy, and
chieSy conBiete of eottonwood and elm with boiqq
oab of au inferior eifs. Great uumberB of the In-
dians pa«e our camp on their buntlug excuruiona :
the day waa clear and pleaaant, but last night
waa very cold and there was a while frosts
\foBda_v 0. — The Indiana are all out on their
Jjnnting partieK; a camp of Mandans caught
179
AND CLARK'B EXPEDITION
we aent Our Ricara chief to them in a perio^e.
The wind too haying sliift«(J to the eoucbwest and
beiflg very high it required all oop prwautioDB on
board, for the river waa full of sandbars "wMch
made it very difficult to find the channel. We got
aground several tim^g, and passed a very bad
poinb of rocke, after which we encamped on b,
eandpoint to the north, above a hamJeome pltiin
covered with timber, and opposite to a bigh bill
oa the south aide at the distance of elevea miles.
Here we were joinrf by our Hieara chief, who
brought an IndjAn to the camp where he remained
all night,
2Sth.—yfe Bet out early ivitb a southwest wind,
and after putting the Ricara chief on ehore to
join the Mandans who were in great numbers
along it, WB proceeded to the camp of the grand
ehitfk fouf miles distant. Here "we met ft MP,
M'Cracken one of the northweat or Hudson Bay
company, who arrived with Another person
about nine daya ago to trade for horeee and buf-
falo robes. Two of the ehiefk came on board
with BOme of their houaehold flirniture, such aa
earthem pots and a little eorn and west on with
ua; the rest of the Indians following on shore. At
one mile beyond the camp we passed a emaU
creek, and at three more a bluff" of coa] of an in-
ferior quality on the Bonth. After making eleven
miles we reni^hed an old field where the Alandana
had cultivated grjiin last summer, and encamped
for th^ night on the south eide, about half a mile
below the first viElage of the Mtindaas. In the
morning we Iiad a willow low grinind on the
south and highland on the north, whii^h occa-
sionally varied in the coiiraeoftheday. There is
but little wood on thiB part of the river, which \%
here subdivided into many channels and Ob-
170
UP THE inSSOUKI.
Btrocted by Band burs. As soon ae we arrired a-
crowd or men, women, and childri^n came down to
eeeus.. Captain Lewis rtturtieii with the principal
dueTs- to the village, 'n'bile tlie othera remained
with UB during the ^ve^iijng; th« object which
eeemed to surpriiie them lauBt, was a c:orD-tmll
fixed to the boat whi<;h we had occasion to use,
aod dehglited them by tiie eaae with which it re-
duced the groia to powder. Among others who
viaited us wan the son of the grand chief or the
Handang, who had bia two little fiogerB cut off at
the eecood joiats. Ou inquiring iLto tliis accident,
we found that it wait customary to expreae grief
for the death of relationa by eome corporeal Buffer-
ing, and that the usual mode -wA» to lose two
joints of the little flngera, or 80iuetimes the other
fljjgere. The wind blew vtry cold id the evening
IrODi the south west. Two of the party are at
fected with rheumatic complainte.
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
vithin two days one tundred goats a tibatt dis-
tance beloTF HB : their mode of hunting' them ie to
form a lai^e strong iwn or fold, from "which a
Itnce made of buehe«! graduaUy wideoB on each
Bide: the animals are E^urroimded by the hunters
and gently driven towards this pen, in which they
imperceptibly find themflelveB inclosed and are then
At the mercy of the hunters. Tht weather ia
clondy and the wind moderate IVom the north-
west. Late at night we were awaked by the
eergeant on guard to see the beautiful phenomenon
called the north^ru light: along the northern sky
was a lat^ dspace occupied by a Eight of a pale
but brilliant white coloart which rifling frona the
borizon eitetided itself to nearly t"wenty degrees
Bbove it. After gUttering for some time its
colours would be overcast, and almost obscured,
but agaia it would buret out with renewed
beauty ; the uniform colour was pale light, but its
flbapes were various and fantaKtlc: at times the
flky was lined With Uj^ht coloured etreakft rising
perpendicularly from the horizon, and gradually
expanding iuto a body oflight in which we coold
trace the floating columus Bometlnies advancing,
HometimeB retreating and shaping into infinite
forms, the apatm in which they moved. It
all faded away hefore the morning. At day-
light,
Tiiesdny e, the cloude to the north were dark-
ening and the wind rose high fVoni the northwest
at eight o'clock, and coatinued cold during the
day. Mr, Gravelinea and four othera who came
with us returned to the Ilicaraa in a small peri-
Ogue, we gave him directioua to ac^^oinpany eotnt;
of the Eicara chiefj« to the ^at of government in
the spring.
WBtiaeadaj T.— Tiie day wbb temperate bat
l&O
UP TEE MISSOURI.
cloud; and fo^gy , asd we w£r^ enabled to go on
with our work with touch expeditioo.
Tfiursdaj' S. — The mgrning sgnin tLoudy; oar
bats advance very well, and we are Tieited by
numberB of Indians who come ta let their horecH
graae near ub: in the day the horaea are (et loose
ia quest ofgraes, in the nig-ht they are coI[ected
and receive ati a.rmf\i]] of eniall boughs of the
CQttoQwgod, which beiag very juicj^r soil; and
brittle, form natritjoui] and agreeable food : the
&ost this morniDir was very aeverc. the weather
during the day ckiudy and the wind from the
northweat. We procured from an Indian a ■weaeel
perfectly white except the extremity of the tail
which ivas black; great numbers of wiEd geege a.re
passing to the Houtb, bat their Sight Ib too high
for HM to procure any ol'them.
NovejBber 10. — We had again a raw day, &
northwest wind, bnt rose early in hopcB of finish-
ing our woi-li* befoi* the extreme cuJd be^ns, A
cliief whois a half Pawnee came to ue and brought;
a pr^^nt of half a buffalo, in return for which
we gave him aome email preaenta and a tbw arti-
clea to hia wife and eon: he then erosaed the river
in a buffalo skin eaaoe; hia wife took the boat on
her bflyck and carried it to the village three tntlea
oQ! Large flockij of geese and brant, and also a..
fbw ducks are pasaing to^vards the ^outh,
Sunday 11. — Tbe wenthep is cold. We received
the vteit of two ecLuawe, priaonere IVom tbe Kock
mountaina, and pureha«ed by Chaboneau. The
^Uandane at this time are out hunting the bnf-
tBi.O.
Moadsj 13. — The last night had been cold and
thiq pLoming we bad a very hard frqst ; the wind
changeable daring the day, and some Ice appears
on tbeedgeid of tbe nvera; swans too are paa&in^
181
LEWIS Am) OLARE'S EXfEDmON
t© the Bouth. The Pig White came dowa to ue,
hftving packed on the back of Mb aquaw about
one hundred pounds of Terj fine meat; for which
we gave him aa ^ell as the bi^uAH taOm^ prt^entfi,
particularlj^ an axe to the "womaa with which ahe
was rerj- much pleated.
Tuasdaf IS. — We this morning unloaded the
'beat and Ktowed a^raj the contentB in. a etore-
fiousB which we haye bnilt. At hatf past ten ice
Ijiigiii to float down the river for the firat time:
m the courae of the moruing^ we were visited by
tb« Bicwk Cat, Pqscapeahe, whq brought au Ab-
sirilboln chi^f and aevea warriors to see ua. This
man, wbass name ie Chechawk, ia a chief of one
out of three baada of AjsainiboinB who wander
over the plains between the MieBouri and AMini-
boin during the aammer, and in the winter carry
the tspQila ai* their hunting tg the trader? on the
ABsiuiboio dyer, and occasionally come to this
place: the whole three bands coDBi^t of about
eight hundred men. We gave him a twiBt of
toltacco to BDLoke with his people, and a gold
cord for himaelf : the Sioui also fl«ked for Whiskey
which we refused to give them. It snowed all
day and the air wag vc-fy cold.
Wednesday 14, — The river roee last night half an
inch, and is now filled with floatiag ice. Thia
morning-waB doudy with some enow: about eev-
*nty lodges of Aflflimboina and eome Knietenaui
ure at the Mandan Wllage, and thia being' the
day of adoption and exchange of property be-
tween them all, it la oc^ooipaiued by a dance,
irlilch preventB our Heeiiig more than two Indiana
to-day: these Knistenaus are a Land of Chippe-
waya whose language they eiw-^ak: they Ure on the
Aeainiboin anil .S/uilCiishawait rivers, and are
about tivo Inindiv^d fl.nd forty men. We eant ft
lH-2
TJP THE JUSBOUHI.
man down on horseback to see what had become
of our buaterH, and ae we apprehetif] a faJare of
proi-iBions we have recourse to our pork this
evening. Two Frenchmeq who had \)^n below
returned with twentj beaver which they hod
caught in traps.
Tbarsd/iy Jii.— The moriiiug again cloudy, and
the ice niaaing thicker than j-eat^rday, the wind
Tftriable. The man cftme back with inlbrmatioa
that oitc hunters were ahout thirtj^ milbta below,
aod we laiDii^at«ly sent an ord^r to tbi^m. to
make their way through the floatixig ice, to assist
them in which we sent eome tin for the bow of
the periogue and a towrope. The ceremony of
yesterday seem to contiAtie atill, for we were not
visited by a single Indian. The ewa-n are Ktill
parsing to the eouth.
Friday 10. — We had a very hard wiute Croat
thifl mornicig, the treea are all covered with ice,
and the weather cloudy. The men thia day moved
into the tuts, although they are not finiahed. In
the evening Bonifi horBes. "were aent dowTi to the
woods near uh in order to prevent their being-
Btolea by tUe AssLiiiboiDe, with whom eome diffi-
culty is now apprehended. A.n Indian oame down
with four bufliilo robes and some corn, which he
oflfered for a pistol, hnt was reftised.
Saturday, November iT.— Last night WJia very-
cold, anil the ice in the river to-day in thicker than
hitherto. We are totally occupied with our huts,
but received visits from Beveral Indiana.
Sunday, Kovember Ji*.— To-day ^ve had a cold
windy monjijig; the Black Oat eaine to Bee ae,
and occupied ub for a long time with quefltions on
the usages of our country. He mentioned that a
council hod been held yesterday to dehberate on
the atate of their affaire. It eeeioB that not long
163
LEWIS AND CLAHK'3 EXPEDITION
fl^o, a party of Sioux fell in with some baraee
belonging to the MinnetartftH, flnd carried therq,
off; but in their fliglit they were met by Home
AeBiniboin^, who killed tlie Sioux and kept the
torses: a, FreDchniaa too who had lived many
yearB umong the Mftndima, waa lately kilted on
hifl Tout* to the BritiHh fectory on the Asainiboin ;
boue eiiialier difiereneee existed between the two
nations, all of which being diecuseed, the council
decided that they would not resent the receilt in-
BuJta irom the AsBiidboins and Knigtcaaux, until
they had seen whether we had deceived them or
Dotin owr promieeH of lUrraehiug them with arma
and fimmunition. They had been disappointed in
their hopes of receiyiBg them from Mr. Evans and
■were afraid that we too, like him, might tell them
Tvhat was aqt true, ffe advised tbetn to continue
at peace, that supiiUee of every kind would no
' doubt arrive for them, but that time was neces-
I Aary to organize the trade. The ftict is that the
Aenniboins treat the Mandaiu a« the Sioux do the
Ulcaras ; by their vicinity to the British they ^t
tdl the supplies, whieh they withhold or give at
[pleasure to the remoter Indians: the consequence
1b, that however badly treated, theMandaoB and
■ Sicaras are very slow to retaliate lent they should
lose their trade altogether,
Monda,Y l^- — The ice eontinuea to float in the
river, the wind liigh fVom tlie northwest, and the
weather cold. Our hunters arrived from their
excorfiioii below, and bring a very fine supply of
thirty-two deer, eleven elk, and five buffalo, all
of which waa hung in a smokehoune.
Tuesday SO.— We this day raoved into Our huta
which are now completed. This place which we
call Port Matidan, is eitiiated in a point of low
ground, OQ the uortb side of the MioBOiudj covered
184
UP THE MTSSOUBT.
"With tall and heavy cotton wood. The works con-
siat of two rOTVH of huts or aheds, forming An
Angle where they joined each other; each row con-
tainirig four roome, of fourt^a feet Bqnare and
Beven feet high, with jAank ctiiling, and the roof
ulanting bo aa to form a lolt above the roomBf the
highest part of whicli ia eighteen feet from the
ground: the backi of the huts formed a -wall of
that height, and oppoi<ite the angle the plage of
the waJl was eapplied by picketing: in the area
were two rooma for storea ani3 provisions. The
latitude by obaervation is 47° 21' 47", and the
computed distance from the mouth of tie MisHoari
Bsteen hundr^ miles.
In the course of the da.y several Indians came
down to partake of our JVeeh m«q,t; anjopg the
reat, three chiefs of the second Maudan village.
Thej inform ob that tbt: Bioux on the MisBODri
above the Chayenne river, threaten to attack
thera this winter; that theae Sioni are much irri-
tated at the Ricaras for having made peace
fdirough our meana with the Mandans, and have
lately ill treated three Tticarae who carried the
pipe of peace to tbem, by beating tbem and tak-
ing away their horees. We gave them aasurancea
tiiat we would protect them from all their ene-
mias.
A^remfterSlsf.— The weather was thia dayfine:
the river clear of ice and risiag: a- little: we are
now settled in oar new winter habitation, and
shall wait with much anxiety the first return of
apring to contimie our journey.
The villages near which we arc established are
five in number, and are the residence of three dis-
"tinct nations; the Mandans, the Ahnahaways, and
the Minnetareea. The luqtory of the Mandans, as
we received it from our interpreters ajid irom the
1S5
LEWIS AND CLABK'S EXPEDITION"
chiefs themeelT^, and Blb it is btteat^d by existing
moaumentB, illaatrateB more than tbat of any
other oation the uneteadj taoyemeota and the
tottering fortunes of the American aa-tiooB.
Within tie recolleetion of Jiving witneBsea, the
Mandana were settled forty years ago in nine vil-
lage., the rtAaa of which %*-e passed about eighty
miieH below, and eituattd eeren on the w^et and
two on the eaet side of the Migeauri. The two
flodio^ themselreB wasting away before the ftmall-
pos and the Siuux, unitiid into one village, and
moved up the river appoBite to the Ricarae. The
ftame oauses reduced the rettiaining Beven to
:8v« Tillages, till at length they emigrated in &
hodj to the Eicara natioa, w^here they formed
tbemaelves iato two villageB, and foined those of
their couotryiaea who bad gone before them. In
their new residence they were still insecure, and at
length the three villagea ascended the Miesourito
their present [lOsitiOn. The tw^o who had emi-
grated together still settled in the two villages on
the Qortbw«et aide of the Mie«oari, wbik the single
village took a poHitioa on the southeast side. In
this aitnation they were found by those who
visited them in 1790 ; siace which the two villagea
have united into one. They are now in two vil-
lages, one on the sontbeaet of the Missouri, the
other on the opposite side, and at the dista-DCe of
thie« roiled acroe^. The Qrst, in an open plain,
fontalDS about forty or fifty lodges, built in the
same way aa those of the Riearas; the second, the
same number, and both may raise about three
hundred and fifty Uien.
On the same side of the river^ and at the dis-
tance of four miles from the lower Mandao village,
ifi another called Mahaha, It is situated in a high
plain at the mouth of Knife river, and ia the reai-
1S6
XfP THE MISSOUET.
denw of the AhnahawayB. This nation, wfaofle
name indicatee that thtty were "people whose vil-
lage is on a hill/' formerly resided on the Missouri,
about thirty miles belair ■where they now live.
Th* AssLiiiboins and Bioux forced theci to &■ spot
five mileB higEier, where the greatest part of them
were put to death, and the reat emigrated to their
present eitiiation, in order to obtain au aeyliiin
near the Minnetareee. They are called by the
Frencli, Soulier Noit or Bhoe Indiane; by the
Mfi-ndan)^, W'attaeoons, and their who3e force is
about flfty nn>n.
On the RQUth aide of the same Xnife river, half a
mile above the Mahaha and iu the eame open
plain -with it, is a village of Minnetareee euroBtned
Metahartn, who are about one hundred and fifty
men in number. On the Opposite side of Knife
riv^ and one and a half mile above this village
ia a Becond ofMinu^tareee, who may be considered
as the p^opl^r Minnetarce natiou. It Ib isituated in
a beautiful loiv ijlaln, and contains four hundred
ajid fifty Trarriora. The accounte which we re-
ceived of the MiunetarecB were cnntradictory.
The Mandaue say that this people eame out of the
water to the east, and settled near them in their
fbrmer eEtablishineut Id uin? villages; that they
were very numerouer and flxed themeelvee in one
village on tho eouthem Hide of the MJBHOuri. A
quarrel about a buffalo divided the nation, of
which two bands went into the plains, and were
known by the name of Crow and F'aunch Indians,
and the rest moved to their present eatabliah-
ment. The Miooetarees proj)er aasert, on the con-
trary, that they grew where they now live, and
will never emigrate from the spot ; the great spirit
haviag declarrf that if they moved they would all
die. They also eay that the MinnetnareeB Meta-
187
LEWIS AKD CLARK'8 ESPEDITIOI
hArtA, that is Miimetiaret^B or the WiDo^rs, whoBQ
language with verj" httle variation is their own,
camv umtiy yeana ago IVom the pl&iua and settled
near tb^m, and perhaps the two tr^itionB may
be recoQiiiled by the oatural preeumption that
theae Minnetareea ■were the tribe known to the
Mandftas below, and that they aacended the rivei-
for tfie purpose oC rejoining the Minnetareea
propw. These Minnetareea are part of the grea^t
nation called Fall IndianB, who occupy the inter-
mediate coutitry between the UiBBOuri and the
Saekaekawa]], and who are known by the name
of Minnetarees of the ilieaouri, and Minnetareea of
Fort de Ppairife; that is, tesidinjj near or rather
frequenting the eetabtiehuient Id the prairie on the
Sftekabkawan. These Minnetareea ind^d, told ub
that they had relations on. the BasJiaskawan,
whom they had neyer known till they met them
in war, and having eng'ap!d in the night were
afitonifihed at discovering that they were fighting
with men who apoke their own language. The
name of GrosTentres, or BigliellieB, is g^ven tq these
Uinnetarees, as well aa to all the Fall Indians.
The iuhabitantfi of theui; five Tillages, all of whicli
are within the dwtance of six milee, live in har-
mony with each other. The Ahnahaways under-
Btaud in part ttie language of the Miimeta)*cea : the
dialect of the Mandans differs widely from both;
but their lo'Ug residence together has jnaensib^
blended their mauners, and occasioned some ap-
prosimatioa in language, particularly as to ob-
jects of daily occurreace and obvioua to the sengea.
November 23. — The morning wfla fine, and the
day warm. We purchased from the Maiidana A
quantity of com of a mixed colour, which they
dug up in ears from holes made near the IVont of
their lod^e, ia which it is buried during: the wia-
188
UP THE MISSOURI.
ter: tbie raorotng the Beotinel iofornied ae that an
Indian was about to kill hia wife near the fort;
WB Trent down to the honae of our interpreter
where we found the partita, and after forbidding
an; violence, inquired into the cauee of his intend-
ing tc commit eucb an atrocity. It appeared
that Qome daya ago a quarrel hud taken place
between him and hia wife, in conBequence of which
she had taken refuge in the house where the two
aquaws of our interpreter lived : by ninniBg away
she forfeited her life, Tvhich niight have been Ja^r-
Ihlly taken by the husband. About tivo days ago
ehe had returned to the Tillage, but the same
evening came back to the fort much beaten and
etabbed in three places, and the husband now
came for the purpoBe of completing his rcTenge.
He observed that he had lent her to one of our
Serjeants for a night, and that if he wanted her he
WQold give her to bim altogether: we gave him H
ibw preeentB and tried to persuade Mm to take his
wife home ; the grand chief too happened to arrive
-at the same moment, and reproached bim with
hie violente, till at length they went off together,
Wt by no meana in a state of much apparent
November 2!}. — Again we had a fair and warm
day, with the wind fVom the Boutheast: the river
is now at a stand having rieeQ four inches in the
whole.
NoTember 2ii. — The vrind continned from tha
*ame quarter and the weather wa« warm : W*
were occupied in finialiing our liute and making a
laj^ge rope of etk-akin to draw our boat on the
bank.
Sunday, Norembet 32. — The weather is stili flne^
warm and pleasant, and the river Ib.Ila one inch
and a half. Captain Lewis went on an eieureion
169
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
to the Tillft^B accompanied by eight men. A
Minnetaree i^tiief, tht first who h&a vieitedua, c&ma
down to the I'ort: hu name was Waakeraasa, bqt
as both the int«rpreter8 h«d gODe witb captain
Lewie we were oblig^ed to confiiio our civilitiee to
aoiue preaentB with which he waa much pleased;
we now completed onr hutfij and fortanately too,
for the neit day,
Monday, No vember 2B, before daylight the wind
shiiled to the northweet, a4id blew very hard,
with cloudy weather and a keen cold air, which
coafiued ue much and prevented ub ftom working;
the night continued very coM^ and,
Tuesday 27, the weather cloudy, the wind con-
ttnuisg from the northvFest flind the river Crowded
with Soating ice. Captain Lewis returned with
twi? chiefe Mahnotab, an Abaabaway, aud Min-
neBsurraree a Minnetaree, and a. third warrior:
they explained to ua that the reason of their not
having come to eee ub^ was that the Mandana
hftd told them that we meant to combine with the
Sioux and cnt them off in the course of the win-
ter; a suspicion increaaed by the strength of the
fort, and the circum^tanee of our interpreters hav-
ing been removed therewith their families: theee
reports we did not fail to disprove to their entire
aatiBfaction, and amused them by every attention,
pEliTticularly by the dancing' of the mSD vrhich
diverted them highly. All the Indians whom cap-
tain Lewia bad viBited were very well dispn^,
and received him with great kindneee, except a
principal chief of one of the upper villa^ea, named
Mahpahpaparapaseatoo or Horned Weasel, who
made use of the civiJiaed indecorum of refuelnj; to
be seen, and when captain Lewis called he was
told the chief waa not at hom^. In the course of
tte day eevcn of the northwest company's traders
190
tfP THE MTSSOtTKI.
arriral fVom the Aaeiniboiii river, and one of thrfr
interpretera having undertaken to circulate among
the ludiaoA unffttfouifable teports, it become nece»-
aarj to warn thtMii of the coniseiiueDceH if they did
not denist from e«eh procwdinge. The river fell
two inches to-day and tlie weather becaioe verj'
cold.
WednesdajrSS. — About eight o'clock laBtovening
it began to enow and continued till dajbreak,
alter whicli it ceased till seven o'clock, hut tbea
resumed mid eontinaed during the dajj the
weather being cold a»d the river fVill of fioatiiig
ice : about «ight o'clock PoHcopeahe came down to
visit U8, with some warriorB; we gave them prea-
anta and entertained them with all that might
amtiAe theif curiosity, and at parting we told
them that w« had heard of the British trader, Mr.
Laroche, having attempted to dletribHte DiedaJs
and Bags among them, bnt that thoBe emblems
could not Lti received ftom any other than the
American nation without incurring thediflpleoBare
of their great father the president. They left ue
much pleased with their treatment. Th« river fell
one inch to-day.
Thursdaj' 29.— The wind in again ftom the
northwpst, the weather cold, and the eaow which
fell yeeterday and last night is thirteen inches in
depth. The river eloaed during the night at the
village aho™, and ftll two feet; but this afternoon
it began to rise a little. Mr. Laroche, the princi-
pal of the eeveq traders, came with on* of hie mett
to see ub; we told him that we should not peruiit
him to give medals and flags to the Indians; be
declared that he had no such intention, and we
then suffered him to make use of one of out- inter-
ppKters, on hifi stipulating not to touch any8ui>-
}eet but that of his traSle with them. An unfortu-
191
^1
w
Date accident occarred to sergeant Pryor, who in
tP'kiog dowQ tbe boat's mast ditilocated hie eboul-
der, Dor was it tilt after fonr trials that w« re-
placed it,
I'ridRy 30.— Aiout eight o'clock an iDdian cama
to the opposite bank of the river, calling out that
Le had soniethiDg iiaportaat to eominiiiucatej aod
on sending for him, he told UB that five MaadaoB
had been met about eight leagues to the Houth-
weet tj a party of Sious, who had killed one of
them, wounded two, and taken nine horses^ that
foTir of the WattaBOons were misaiug, and that tha
Maiidana expected an attack. We thought this -an
excellent opportunity to disconnte nance the injuri-
ous reports agaiuat uh, and to fix the wavering
coofidence of the Qatioo. Captain Clark therefore
instantly croeaed the river with twenty-three mea
Btrongty armed, and circling the town approached
it flrom behind. His nntipected appearance aar-
prieed and alarmed the chleik, who came out to
nteethiKL, and coadacted him to the village. He
then told them that having heard of the outrage
iUBt committed, he had come to a^eist hie dutifal
children; that if they -wonid assemble their war-
riors and those of the nation, he would lead them
agaisst the >t^ioux and avenge the blood of their
countrymen, jiffcer some minqtea convereation,
Oheeuaw the Chayenne arose: "We now jjee,"
Baid he, "that what you have told ua is true,
Bince OR Boon ua our enemies threaten to attack
uft you eome to protect U6 and are ready to chaa-
tiee thoae "who have wfiilt Our hlood. We did in-
deed listen to your good talk, for when you ttJd
US that the other nations were inclined to peaca
with ue, we went out careleaely in email parttea,
and some have been killed by the Sioux aod
Kicaras. Bat I knew that the Hicarse were liara,
193
UP THE MISSOURI.
and I told their chief who accampanied you, that
his whole nation were liars and bad meD ; that we
hp4 several tim«(i made a ppqce with them which
they were the firat to break; that wheHever we
pleased we RiLg;ht Bboot them like huSato, hut
that we had no wish to kill th<?m; that we would
Dot BUfifer thecn to kill li», nor etejll our horses;
and that although we agreed to makt^ pBoce with
them, becauw our two fathers desired it, yet we
did not believe that th«y would he faithful long;.
Such, father, was my language to them in your
preeenee, and you Bee that instead of liat^nin^ to
your good counaela they hare spilt oar blood. A
ftw days ago two Hicarae came here and told us-
that two of their TillageB w^ere m.aking mfXKaeins,
that the Siou^ were Htlrrli]^ them up egalnBt as,.
and that we ought to take care of our horaee;
yet these very Ricaras wo eeot home aa aoon aa.
the newa reached ua to-day, leat our people Bhould
kill them in the first moment Of grief for their
mnrdered relatives . Four of the Wattasoons
whom we expected back in sixteen daye have been
abeent twecty-fonr, and we fear have fallen. But
father the enow iB now deep, the weather cold,
and our horses cannot travel through the plaine:
the murderers have gone otf; if you will conduct
Hb in the BtJring, when the snow has disappeared,
we "will aBsemble all the eurroqadiag warriors and
follow jou."
Captain Clark replied that we were alwaya
willing: and able to defend them; that he was
BOrry that the enow prevented their marching to
meet the i^iuux, since he wished to show them
that the warriorn of their great fiither would
chastise the enemiee of Ms obedieqt children who
opened their ears to his advice; that tf some
Eicarus had joined the Hioux, they should remem-
Vol. I,— 13 193
iiEwia
cTask's ttsp edition
"bep that there were bad men in every nation, and
that they Khould oot be offended at the Hicaraa
till they saw whether these ill-diapoaed men were
countenanced by the whole tribe; that the SiOui
posaesJied great induetice over the Kiearaa, whom
they supplied with military etoree, and eometimes
led them astray, betauae they were afraLd to
oppoee them: but that this should be the leas
offenaive since the Mandana themaelveB were under
the same apprchensiona tVom the AsHioibciinu and
Knistcnaui, and that while they frere thuR de-
pendant, both the Biearaa and Mandang ought to
keep on terms with tbeir powerfhl neighbourB.
whom they may afterwards aet at defiance, when
we ahall supply them with arme, and take them
Tinder our protection.
After two hour* tonversation eaptain Clark
leEl the Tillage. The chief repeatedly thanked him
ftjT the fatherly protection he had given them,
ohseryiug that the whole village had been weeping
aU night and day for the brave young man who
had been elain, but now they would wipe their
eyea and weep no more as they saw that their
father WJuld protect them. He then crosaed th*
river on the iee and returned on the north side to
the fort. The day as well as tb& evening WM
cold, and the river rose to its former height.
Saturday, DeeembeT 1. — The wind was from the
northwest, and the whole party engaged in pick-
eting- the fort. About ten o'clock the half-brother
of the man who had been killed, came to inform
119 that h\% ^barbae or Chayenne Indians had
arrived, bringing a pipe of peace, and that their
nation was three days marth behind them. Three
Pawnees had accompanied the Sharlias, and the
Mandane being afraid of the Sharhaa on account
■of their Ijeing at peace -with the- Siotis, wished to
19i
CP THE MISSOURI.
pat both them and the three Pawnees to death ;
but the tbidb had forbidden it aa it woald be con-
trary to our wigheB. We gave him a. present of
tobacco, and although from his connexion w^itii
the &uSerer, he woe more enibittered agniQEt the
Pawnees than any other Mandon, yet he eeemed
perfectly satiehed with our pacific coudikIs and
ad'rice. The Mandana, we obnervef caU all the
Ricaras hj the Dam« df Pawnees ; the name- of
IUcara« being that by which the nation distiq-
guishes itselT.
in the evening we were viBited by a Mr. Ilender-
Bon, who came from the Hudsua Bay (Jumiianv to
trade with the Minnetareee. He had been about
eight days on hia route iti a direotioii Qearly
mtuth, and brought with hini tobacco, beads, and
other merchoadlae to tradp (or furu, and a few
^DS whitrii are to be exchaa^ed for horaee.
A'unday, Decewber 2,— The latter part of the
erenin^ was warm, and a thaw continued till the
morning, when the ^vind shifted to the north. At
eleven o'cloclt the chiefs of the lower village
brought down four of the Sharhas. We explained
to them our intentionB, and adviued them to re-
maiii at peaee with each other : we alao gave them
a flag, Bome tobaceo^ and a speech for their nar
tiou. Theae were accompanied by a letter to
meesrii. Tabeau and tK'avelines at the Eicara vil-
lage, requesting them to preserve peate if possibECj
and to declare the part whjeli we should be farced
to take if the Eicaraa and Slou^ made war oa
thoue whom we hod adopted, After distributing
a few presents tu the Sliarhsd and Mandans, and
shifting then) our curiosities we diumisBed them,
apparently well pleased at their reception.
Monday, Decambe^r 9. — The morning wag flne,
but in the afternoon the weather became coldwitb
195
LEWIS AND CLABK'S EXl
the wind from the fiOrthweet. The father of the
Mandan who was killed brought ua a present of
dried pumptiq^ and aome pemitigon, for which we
g&ve liini tjome Bmall articles. Our offer of assiBt-
aace to avenge the death of Ms eon seemed to
iave produced a grateful respect from him, as well
RM from the brother of the deceased, whii^h pleased
me taach.
Tuesday 4th, — Tha winij ccntioues from the
iLorthwest, the weather cloudy and raw, and the
river rose one inch. Oacnpaahe and two young
chiefs pans the day with ub. The whole religion of
I the Mandane coneieta in the belief of one great
spirit preeiding over their destiniea. This being
piust be in the nature of a good genlug siace it ie
OBBOciAted with the healing art, and the gjeat
Bpirit is eynoayiuous with great medicine, a najne
a,lao applied to every thing which they do not
■comprehend. Each individual selects for himself
the particular ohject of his devotion., "which is
termed hie medicine, and ia either some invi^hte
Ireing or more coianionly eome ajumal, which
thenceTorward becoines hia protector or his inter-
cesaor with the great Bpirit ; to propitiate whom
«very attention is laviHhed, and every personal
couaideration ia Baerificed. "I was lately ownerof
seventeen horses," said a. Kfandan to us one day,
"but I have oflfered them all up to niy medicine
and am now poor." He bad in ri^ality taken all
lis wealth, hlB horBee, into the plaia^ and turn-
ing them loose coiiiniitt-ed theni to the care of
his tnediciiie and abandoned them forever. The
horseH It'iSB religioua took: care of themselves, and
the pious votary travelled home ou foot. Their
belief in a future state is counected with this tra-
dition of their origin : the whole nation resided in
one large village under ground near a Bubterrane-
196
UP THE MIS80UBI.
01U lake: n grape- Tine f st^nded its rotate dovd to
their habitation and gave them a view of the
light; aojne of the mout qdv^nturous climbed up
the vine and were delighted with the eight of the
earth, which they fooiifl covered with buSklo and
rich with every kind of ftuita: returning; with the
grapes they had gathered, their countrymen were
so pleased with the taste of them that the whole
natipn. resolved to leave their dull reddeuce for the
charms of the upper region; men, women, and
children attended by means of the vine; but when
about half the nation had re-aehed the Burfaceof
the earthj a corpiiient -n-oraau who wa« cJaniber-
ing Tip tlie vine broke it with her w^eight, and
closed upon herself and the rest of the nation th*
Uglit of the euu. Tbatfe who were left on earth
made a village below where we saw the niue vil-
lages; and when the Mandans die they expect to
petum to the original seats of their forefathcra;
the good reaeliing the ancient village by means
of the lake, which the burden of the wns of the
wicked will not enable them to cross.
Wadaeaday 5. — The moraing waa cold and die-
agreeable, the wind ft-om the southeaat accom-
panied with snow : in the eTcning there waa snow
again and the wind shifted to the northeaat: we
Were visited by several Indians with a present of
pumpkins, and by two of the traders of the north-
weat companyr
Thursday <i. — The wind wa8 violent fl-om the
north northwest with some snow, the air keen
and cold. At eight o'clock A. M. the thermometer
Btood at ten degrees above 0, and the river rose an
inch and a half in the course of the day.
Friday, Decep^ber r.— The wind still coutiaued
tVom the northwest and the day is very cold:
Bhahaka the chief of the lower village came to
19V
LEWia AND CLARK'S EKPEDITIOIf
appriflfi na that the buffalo were near, and that
' tiH people were waiting for uh to join them in the
chaee: taptaln Clark with fifteen men went ont
ftnd found the Indiana engap^d in killing^ the bnf-
falo, the hunters mounted on horsehe-cU and
Brmed vrith bowa and arrOTrs eneirele the herd,
aoi] ^aduallf drire them intti h plain or an open
place fit for the moveraent of" horse; thej then
ride in among therUj and einf^liiig out a buffalo,
A female being prefi.Tret], go eLh close att possible
and wound her Tvitli arrows till they think they
have given the mortpl stroke; lyben thty pursue
OBOther till the quiver is exhausted: if, which
rarely happene, tho wounded huffiilo attacks the
hunter, he evades hie blow by the agility of his
horfee whif h ie trained for the combat with great
dexterity. When tbey have killed the requisite
number they collect tbeir game, and the t.q«awB
and aiteudaQts come up rrom the rear and Rkm
and drens the aniraala. Captain Tlark killed ten
buffalo, of which five only were brouR-ht to the
(brt, the rest which could wot be conveyed home
l^Tieing Beised by the Indians, among whom the
ctiatoui itj that whenever a huflhlo is found dead
ivithout an arrow or any particular mark, he ia
the property of the finder; bo that often a houter
BecureB scarcely any of the game he kills if the
arrow happens to fall off; whatever \b left out at
night fall* to the share of the wolvea, who are the
constant and numerous attendants of the buffalo.
The river clo**ed opposite the fort last night, an
Id (rh and a half in thicknees. In the morning the
thermometer stood at one degree below 0. Tiiree
men were badly ftoBtbitten In cooBequence of their
exposure.
Satardaj ^.^The tbermonieter stood attwelv*
degrees below 0, that u at forty-two degrees be-
DP THE MISSOUM.
low the IVeeiiDg point: the nimd was fVom the
northwe&t. Captain Lewis with fifteen men went
out to hunt the bufiiilo; great numbera of which
darkened the prairieafor a toneiderahle diatanee:
they did not return till a£t^t dark, hansg kitted
eight bnffalo and one deer. The hunt was, how-
ever, very fatiguing, a^ th^y were obliged to make
a circuit at thediatance of more than seven niHee:
the cold too, waa bo excesaive that the air was
filled with tc; particles reeembliDg a fog, and the
eitf>w generally s]:x or eight iuthbeA deep and aome-
timea eighteen, in con^quence of wbieh two of tho
party were hurt by fflUe, and Beyeral had their
ffeet froBtbitten.
SuBflay 9. — The wind was thia day fWim the
east, the thermometer at seven decrees above 0,
and the enn ahone clear: two chieft visited ua, one
in a eletgh drawn by a dog and loaded with meat.
Monday 10, — Captain Clark whp had gone out
yesterday with eighteen men to bring in the meat
we hod killed the day before, and to continue the
hunt, came in at twelve o'clock. After killing nine
buffalo and preparing' that already dead, he had ,
6peat a cold disagreeable night on the aaoW,. with
no covering but a. amall blanket, sheltered by the
hides of the buffalo they hftd killed. We observe
Jarge herds of bufialo croaking the river on the
icBf the men who were froatbitt«n are rec oven ng^
lint the weatlier ia still exc^eding^ly cold, the wind
beidg ftom the north.,, and the thermometer at tea
and eleven degrees below ; the rise of thi> river is
one inch and a halU
Tumdiiji 11. — The weather became «o intenaely
cold that we sent for all the hnntera who had re-
mained out with captain Ciark'a party, and they
returned in the evening fieveralof themfVofttbitten.
Tie wjnd waa frqm the north and the thermom-
1^9
LEWIS AND CLAHK-B EXPEDITION
eter at ennrise atoori at tTrenty-one IwIott 0, the
Jce iu the ittiDdBpherg lit^itlg bO thick as to render
the weather hazj' and give the appearance of two
Buofi reflecting each other. The rir^r continued at
a stand. Focapsahe made qb a riait to-day.
WedneseJa^v, DecHmber IS. — The wind ia still
ftova the norths the thGnnoroftter being at aunrise
thirty-eight degrees below 0. One i>f the Ahnaha-
-w&ys hrought U8 down the half of an antelope
IdlLed near the fort; we tad been informed that
all these animals return to the Elack oiouiitaina,
hut there are ^reat numberB of them about us at
this aeaaon which we might eaaily kill, bnt are
Hawilliiig to venture out before our con^titutiaiia
are hardened grudually to the climate. We meas-
ured the riTPr on the ice, and find it five hundred
yarda wide immediately opimaitfi the fort.
Thursday 13. — Laert night waa clear and a very
heavy frost covered the old enow, the thermom-
eter at ftunrise being twanty decrees below 0, aad
foUokved by a fini> day. The rivc,' fallB.
Friday 14, — The morning was fine, aod the
weather having moderated b;; fr.r, 'hat the mer-
cury stood at 0, captain Lewis went down with
a party to hunt; they proceed -d aboii+, eighteen
mileB, but the buC-lo having left the banks of the
river they Baw only two, which "w^re so poor aa
not to be worth killing, and ahot twu deer, Not-
witli&ta»ding the enow we were viaited Ly a large
number of the MandaoB.
Satard&y IS. — Captain Lewie flnding no game
returned to the fbrt hunting on both sides of the
river, but with no auccesB. The wind being fVon:
the north, the mercury at sunrtge eight degrees
below 0, and the enow of last uight an inch aud
a half in depth. The Indian chiefs contiuuB to
Tfslt 118 to-daj with preseuta of meat.
200
THE MISSOTTRL
SuDffay Jfi. — The mormtig- ia clear and cold, the
mercury at eunrise 22' below 0, A Mr. Haaey
with two other persons from the BritiHh eBtabliBh-
ment on the Aaainiboin, arrived in aii clnys with
a letter from Sir. Ghariee ChabouilleB, one of the
company, who with much politeneea offered to
render q« any wrvic? in hiB power.
Monday IT. — The weather to-day w^aa colder
than any we had yet experienced, the thermonieteF
at Bunrise being 45" below 0, and about eight
o'cloefe it ftll to 74^ below the ft-eezing point.
Frbm Mr. Hanej, who is a very Bensihle intelH-
gent man, we obtained mqtrh geographical infor-
inatloii with resard to the eouatry between the
MiRBOurl and Mi&aiBuippi, and the ■various tribes of
Sions who inhabit it. ■/
Tumd&y 18. — The thermometer at eunriee -wba^
32° below 0. The Indians had invited ub yester-
day to join their chase to-day, but the tteven men
whom wp eent retumed In coneeqnence of the
coldj wliich was ho severe lost night that we were
obliged to have the eentinel relieved every half
hour. The northwest traders however left ub on
their retarn home.
Wednesday 19. — The weather moderfited, and
th» river rose a little, so that we were enabled to
continue the pii;ketiaK oftbe fort. Notwithstand-
ing the extreme cold, we obaerve the Indians at
the village engaged out in the open air at a game
which resembled bilUarda more than any thing we
had seen, and which we inchned to eu&pect may
have been acquired by ancient intercourse with the
French of Cauada, From the first to the second
chiefB lodge, a distance of about fifty yards, was
covered with timber Hmoothed and joined so as to
be as level as the floor of one of our housi^B, with
a battery at the end to stop the rings: these
201
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITION
riiL^ were of clay-Btooe and flat ttke the cbetiuere
for drafta, and the Hticks were aboat four feet
long, with two abort pieces at one end in the
Corni or A mace, ao fixed that the whole will
elide aluag the btiflrd. Tiro men fix themeelveE)
at one end, each provided with a etkk, and ooe
of them with a ring; thej^ then run along the
boajn], and about half' way Blide the Bticks after
the ring.
Tbansdaj 30— The wind waa from the N. W,
the weather moderate, the ther mo meter 24°
above at aum-iae. We availed our^lre? of this
change to picket the fort near the river.
Friday 21. — The day waB fine and warm, the
^ wind N. W. by W. The Indian who bad been pre-
vented a ffew days ago from killing hia wife, came
with both his wivta to the fort, and was verj
deeiroue of reconcUing our interpreter, ajeaJoue/
agaiDflt wbom on account of his wilfe'e taking
refuge in hia house, had tieen thecaueeof hia ani-
moeity. A woman brought her child with an
abs<!ees in the lower part of the bn^k, and odered
aa much com as ehe could carry for some medi-
cine; "we administered to it of course very cheer-
ftJlj.
SatuTday, 22d.—A number of dquawB and men
dreseed like uguawe brought corn to trade for
Bmall articles with the men. Among other thinga
we procured two horns of the animal ca.lled by the
French the Hock mountain sheep, and known to
the Mandans by the name of ahsahta. The ani-
mal itaelf Ib about the eize of a small elk or large
deer: the boros winding like those of a ram which
they resemble also in texture, though larger and
thicker.
Sunday, 33rl. — The weather waa fine and warm
bke that of yesterday: we were again visited by
202
UP THE MISSOtJHI.
erowde of IndianB of all descriptions, who came
eithjjr to trade of fl"oin tnere curioBity, Among'
the rest Kogahaiuif the Little Raven, brought hia
■wife and son loaded with eoru, and sbe then
eatprtained us with a fiivounV) Manijan diab, a
mixture of pumpkins, beans, com, and choke-
eherriea with the etonefl, all boiled together in a.
kettle, and forming a composition bj no meariB
Unpalatable.
Mondsy, 34tb.—Ths day continued warm and
pleasant, and the aamber of visitors became
troubleaome. Aa a present to tbree of the cbiefb,
we divided a flLiflt of eheep-Bkin which we broug^ht
for epunging into three pieeea each of two inches
Id width; they were delighted at the gift-, which
they deemed of equal value with a fine horee. We
this day completed oar fqrt, and the next moroing
being Christmoar
T^esdny, 25th, we were awakened before day
by a discharge of three platoons from the party.
We liad told the Indians not to vifdt ua ftB it waa
One of Our great nieditine days ; BO that the men
remained at home and amused themselves in va-
rious ways, particularly with daocing in which
they take great pleasure. The American flag waa
hoisted for the first time in the fort ; the beat pro-
Tiaions we had were hroaght out, and this, tvith a
little brandy, enabled them to pass the day in
great festivity.
Weduesds^-, 20th. — The weather m again tem-
perate, bat no Indians hnve come to see u». One
of the northwest traders who came down to re-
qoest the aid of our Minnetaree interpreter, in-
forms ua that a party of llinnetarees who bad
gone in pursuit of the ABsiniboins who lately etole
their horses had jast returned. As m their cue-
torn, they came back in small detachments, thfi
303
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
iMt of which brovgtt home eight horseB which
they had captured or etoleii tirom an ABsinibota
camp on MouBe river.
Thursday, 27th. — A little fine anotv fell this
morning and the air was colder than jcsterday,
with a high northwest "wind. We were fortunate
enough to liaFe among' our men a good hlack'
fimitb, whom we set to work to make a yariety
of articles: Ms operatioDs eeemed to Burpriee the
Tndians who came to eee ns, but nothJD^ could
equal thdr aBtuniHliLnient at the bellows, which
thej considei-ed as a very great ineditiae. Having
heretofore promiaed a more particular account of
the Sioux, the following may eerpe ag » geaeral
oatlioe of their history:
Almost the whole of that vast tract of country
comprised between the Mississippi, the Red riverof
Lake Winnipeg, the SaskaHkawan, and the Mis-
souri, is loosely Occupied by a great nation whosa
primitive name ie Dartota, but who are called
Sioux by the Preuch, Suea by the English. Tbdr
original HeatB were on the Miseiseippi, but they
have gradually spread themaelves abroad and be-
come subdivided into numerous tribes. Of thcse^
what may be considered as the Darcotas are the
Mindawarcflirton, or MiDOwakanton, kno'wn to
the French by the name of the Gens du Lac, or
People of the Lake. Their reeidenee is on both
Bides of the Miesisaippi near the falls of Si.
AiLthony, and the probable nnmber of their war-
riofB about three hundred. Above them, on tha
river St. Petcr'H, ia the Wohpatone, a smaller band
of nearly two hundred men ; and still further Up
the aame river belo^v Tellowwood riyer are the
Wahpatootae or Gens de Feuillea, an ioltrior band
of not more than one husdred luen; while the
sotirceH of the St. Peter's are occupied by the
304
^atooaeB, a btmd conaiating of aboot two how
dred warriors.
These bands rarely ifever approach the MiaBonri,
irhifih i>^ oixupied by their kinflmen the Yanktoue
and the Teton*. The Tanktona are of two tribes,
those of the plajnB, or rather of the north, a, wan-
dering r«ce of about five hundred men, "who room
oyer the plame at the h^ada of the Jaequey, the
Slons, and the Ked river; and thoHe of the south,
who poseeaa the country between the Jacques and
Sioux rivers and the DesTaoine. But the bands of
Bioni most knowa on the Missouri arethe Tetone.
The first irho are uiet on ascending the Mie^oqri
iB the tribe calial by the Frt neh the Tetonu of the
"Boise Umle or Burntwood, who reside on both
Bidea of the MiE^sourj, about White and Teton
liTere, and number two hundred warriors. Above
them on the Missouri are the Teton OkandandAiS,
a band of one hundred and fifty men living below
the Chayenne rirer, between which and the W'etar-
boo river is a third baud, called Teton MJQQa-
benozso, of nearly two hundred and ^y men;
and below the Wanrconne ia the fourth and last
tribe of TetoaH of ahoat three hundred men, and
called Teton Soone. Northward of theae, between
the Assiniboin and the MieaourJ, are two bands of
AaBiniboina, one on Mouae river of about two hun-
dred men, and called AHsiniboin Menatopa; the
other^ reaiding on both Bidea of White river, called
by the French Uens de Feuilles, and atnounttng to
two hundred and fifty men. Iteyoud these a band
of AsaLuiboini^ of four hundred and ilfty men, and
called the Fig DevUij, wander od the heads of
Milk, i'orcupiue, and Martha's rivers; while Btill
farther to the north are seen two bands of the
same nation, one of five hundred and the other of
two hundred, roriiig on theSaakaskawan. Those
205
UP THE MISSOURI.
OHAPTES VL
Tbe poTtT IncreasQ la Che (btouf at the ManduH — Descrijitlon of
ft buCaio dHDce— Hemclne ilftciK— Tim forUtude wltb vnicti
the Indians beu- tbe uverlt? or tbe aeaun— Discresd 0/ Lba
party lor wajil ot [rmvlslona— The great Impoiiajite ut the
lUBctsmjUi m pTwurtng it— PepreilE-tlyiia or en* sioui— THa
tioinaffa pall to tlie medicine stJ^ine— Summarj b>^ at JohUcq
■mouK the JKnnebireM— The pztKesA b; which the Uandami
ana Blcaraa tnttke beafls— Cbaraewr oC IHB MteWUrt, ol tno
euiTouDillDG' country, uid of tbe rlrers, creeka, ljlA.ni^, Ac.
Friday, SStb. — The wind continued high laet
night, the froet severe, and the snow drifting; in
great quantities through the plaitta.
Satardsy, 29th,— Tb^re was a frost fell lart
Bight nearly one qqart^r qf an jncb in depth,
which cQntiiiiied to Ml till the suq had gained
Bome height: the mercury at eunriae stood at 9'
below D; there were a number of Indians at the
fort in the course of the daj'.
Sunifaj; 30th. — The weather was cold, and the
thermoTO^ter 20° below 0, IV^ killed one deer,
and yeaterday one of the men shot a wolf. The
ImJiuDH brought corn, beans, and squashee, which
they very readily gave for getting their aiea and
kettles mended. In their general conduct during
these visits tliey are honest, but will occaeionally
pilfer any enaall article,
Moadny, HI. — Duriug the night there was a high
■wind which covered the ice with hillocks of mixed
Hand and anowj the day was however fine, and
the ladiauB came in great numbere for the purpose
of haviug their utensila repaired.
Tuesday, January 1, 3^05, — Th^ new year was
207
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
welcomed by two ehot from the Bwivel and a
rDund of amall arms. Tlie weather was cloudy
bat moderate; the mercury which at BHiiriBe was
at 18 , in the cauree of the day row to 34" atove
: towards evening it began to rain, and at night
T?e had bdow, the temperature for which m about
0, In the morning we permitted sixteen men with
their muEiC to go up to the fir^t village, ^?liere
they delighted the whole tribe with their dancea,
particularly with the movements of one of the
FreuchiQen who danced on. Ma head. In return
they presented the dancecB with eeveraj buffalo
robes and quaatitifie of com. We were deairous of
showing this attention to the village, bet^ausethey
had received aji impreHsion that we bad been
waotiug in regard fgr them, and because they had
In conaequence circulated inviduoue eomparieooa
between ub and the northern traders : all these
howcTer they declared to captain Clark, who
visited them in the courae of the morning, were
made in jegt. Ab captain Clark was about leav-
ing the village, two of their chiefs returned from a
miHBion to the (iroeventree or wandering Miane'
torees. These people were encamped about ten
miles above, and while there one of the Ahnaha-
waya had stolen a Miimetai'ec girl : the whole na-
tion immediately eapoused the quarrel, and one
hundred and fifty of their warriora were marching
down to revenge the Itieult on the Ahnahawaya.
Thu chief of that netiou took the girl from the
ravisher, and giving her to the Mandans requested
their interccBBion. The m.esBengerB went out to
m.eet the "warriors, and delivered the youngdamsel
iato the hands of her ooantrymen, emoked the
pLpti of peace with them, and were fortunate
enough to avert their indignation and induce
thfcm to return. In the evening aome of the men
208
TIP THE MISSOURI.
Mnpe to the fort and the re«t slept in the village,
Focap&ahe also visited ub and brought aoiae meat
on his wiffe'B back.
WedneBda^y, January 2. — It snowed iaat night,
abd during this da; the Mame Bceue of gajet; wa«
renewed at the secoud village, aad all the men
returned is the evening.
Thursday 3. — Laat oight it became very cold,
and this morning we had some enow: our huutera
were sent out for buffalo, but the game had been
flightened Itotn the rivee by the lodiane, so that
they ohtaiaed only one: they however killed a
hare and a ivolf, AmoDg the Indians ivho visited
UB was a Mianetarec who came to seek his wii^:
she had been mucih abuided and came here for pro-
tectJOD, but returned with him, aa we had no
authority to separate thoae whom even the Man-
dan eitea had nnited.
Fridaj it. — The morning wa« cloudy and warm,
the mercury being 2B^ above 0; but towards
evening the wind changed to northwest, and the
weather became cold. We sent some hunters
down the river, but they killed only one butlklo
and a wolf We reteived the visit of Kagohami
who is very friendly, and to whom we gave a
handkerchief and two files.
Saturday a. — We had high and boiBterons winds
last night and this morning: the Indians continue
to pnrchaae repairs with grain of different kinds.
In the flrat village there has been a buffalo dance
for the la«t three nights, n'hidh haa put them all
into coniniotion,. and the description which -we
received from those of the party who visited the
viUage and fbom other eources, ib not a little
ludicrous: the buffalo dance ia an institution
originally intended for the benefit of the old men,
and practised at their suggtstion. When buffalo
Vol. I.— 14 20y
LEWIS AM) CLAKK'S EXPEDITION
becomes 8cdxc« thej send a man to harangue th#
TiUagie^ deglaring^ that the game ia far qS and that
a feaet is net:efisary to brlog it back, and if the
Tilla^ "be dispoBed a da; and place is named far
the cetebration of it. At the appointed hour the
old Toen arrive, and seat themeelvea croaslegged on
skina round a fir6 in the middle of the lodge with
a sort of doll or amaJl image, dredged like a
female, placed before them. The yoaug men
bring with tbem a platt«r of proTlaioaB, a pipe of
tobacco> and their wivea, whoae drees on the occa.-
Bton IB only a robe or mantle loosely thrown
round the body. On their arrival each youth
ttelecte the old man whom he means to dietinguish
by hie favour, and spreads before bim the pro-
Yiaions, after which be preseotB the pipe and
Bmokea with him. Max eenex rir Himulacruia
parvae puellae oetenBit. Tunc egrediena caetu,
jecit effigium eolo et BuperincumbeDfi, genili ardore
Teneris coraplexit. Hoce&t eignum. Deniqne nior
e turba recessit, et jaqtu corporis, fovet araplenw
viri solo recubante. Maritua appropinquans seuex
Tir dejecta vultu, et honorem et di^jtatem ejos
conaervare ampteiu uxoriB ilium oravit. Forsitan
imprimia ille relMUt; dchinc, maritua multua pre-
Cibiis, multis lachrymiK, tt multiB donia veht-
menter interceseit. Tunc «enex amator perculsus
mieerecordia, tot precibus, tot laclirymis, et tot
dooiB, Gonjagall amplexu submisit. MuJtum iUe
JQCtatiia est, sed debilis et effbetna senectute,
fhiBtra jactatUB est, Maritua iuterdum stana
joxta gnMit multum honore, et ejus dignitati
qic; cunservata. Unua nostrum aodatium mnltum
alacrior et potentior juventute, hac nocte honorem
quartuor maritorum cuatodivit.
Sunday G. — A clear cold murning with high
wind : we 4;aiight in a trap a large gray wolf, and
210
UP TEE MISSODEI.
last tiiglit obtaiufd in the same wa; a fox who
had for «ome tLmB iiii^8t«d the neighbourhood of
the fort. Only a (few JcidiaJi^ vieit^d us tcniay.
Monday 7. — The weather was agaia clear and
cold with a high northwest ivind, and the ther-
mometer at Hnnrise 22° below [t: the river fell an
inch. Shabaha the Bi^ White chief dined with ua,
and gave a connected eietch of the country aa far
aa the mountELJnB,
Tuesday S. — The wind was Btill Scorn the north-
-WBHt, the day coid, and we received few IndiajiH
at the fort. Beaidea the buffalo dance we have
just described, there ia another called medicine
danee, an entertsinmeiit given by any person de-
airoue of doing Loaour to hiH mediuine or genius,
He HQDDuacee, that on euch a day lie will sacrilice
hie boreea, or other property, and invites tlie
youn^ females of the village to aeBiflt in rendering
homage to hia medicine ; all the inhabitants may
join la the solemnity, whii^li in performed in the
open plain and by dayhght, but the dantre ia re-
Berved for the yirgiaa or at least the unmarried
fbmales, who disdain the incumbrance or the orna-
zaent of dresB. The feaat is opened by devoting
the goo(t» of the maBter of the ffea^t to hia medi-
cine, which iB repeesented by a head of the animal
itself, or by a medicine bag if the deity be an in-
-vielble being. The young women, then be^Q the
daoce, in the iotervalu of which each will pros-
trate her^lf before the aBi^mbly to challenge or
reward the boldness of the yonth, who are often
tempted by feeling or the hopes of diatiDCtlon to
achieve the adventure.
WednejidHj' 9.— The weather i^ cold, the ther-
mometer at BunriBe '2V below 0, Kagoliami
breaidkHted with ua, and captain Clark with
three or four men accompanied him and a party
211
LEWIS AND CLAHK'3 EXPEDITION
of IndiaDs to huiit, in which they were bo for-
tunate as to kill a number of buffalo: but they
were intoiiiiiiodwl bj snOw, hy high and squallj"
winds, and by extreme cold : aevtral of the IndianB
ca.me tq the fort n^tarly iVoseu, Others are miBBing;,
and we are uaeasy, for one of our men who was
Beparabed from the rest during: the chaae haB not
returned ; In the ciorning,
Tbursdsy 10, howftTer, he came back just a» we
were eeniiing out five men in search of bim. Th«
nigbt had been eieee«ively cold, and this morning
at Buarlse the mercury Htood at 40' below 0, or
73 below the freeaiug jioint. He had, however,
made a fire aud kept iiimaelf tolerably warm. A
joung Indian, about thirteen years of age, also
came in Boon after. Hie father who came last
night to inquire after him very aQsioaaljj bad
aeat him iu the afternoon to the {brt: he was
overtaken by the ni^ht, and was obliged to aleep
on the 8aow with no covering except a pair of
anteiope skin moccasins and leggiuga and a bof-
fh,Jo« robe : hia feet being froien we put them into
cold water, and gave him every attention la our
power. About the same time an Indian who had
aleo beeit miBBing returned to the fort, and al-
though his dresa wan very thin, aud he hod alept
on the HDow without a ftre, he had not suffered
the elightest intonTeUlence. We have indeed ob-
served that these Indians support the rigonre of
the BeaeoQ in o, w&j which we had hitherto
thought inipoeeible. A uore pleasing refiecdon
occurred at aeeing the warm interest which the
situation of these two persona had exdted in the
village, the boy had b^n a prisODer and adopts
from charity, yet the dietresB of the father proved
that he felt for him the teadereBt afiection, the
man was a person of no dietliLctioa, yet the whole
2ia
UP THE MISSOUHI.
TDlaEB wflB fhll of anxiety for hie eaftty, and
irhen they came to ns, borrowed a aleig-h to
iHiiig them hOTDe trith ease, if thej Burrived, or td
carry their bodies if they had p^riebed.
Fiidny 11. — We dtwpatcbed tUree -buntere to joia
the name number whom we tad sent below about
Bevea milefl to bunt elJc. Like that of yeeterday
the weatber to-day Tvaa cold and clear, the ther-
mometer etatiding at S^'- below 0. Po^opaahe
and ShotahawTora viaited us, and paseed the
nigit at the fort.
Satardaj' 1^. — The weather continues very cold,
the mercury at saorjae being 20' beiow 0. Three
of the hunterB returned, having killed three elk.
Stitsd/iy 13. — We have a coiittniiation of clear
Weather, and the cold has increased, the mercury
having aunk to ^■^° below^ 0, Nearly oae half of
the JUandaD nation poesed down the river to hunt
for several daye; la these excureiona men, women
and children, with their dogy, all leave the village
together, and after discovering a ppot convement
for the game, fix their tentn ; all the family bear
their part in the labour^ and the g'arae is equally
divided among the famlLieB of the tribe, When a-
BLDgie hunter retiirnB from the chase with more
than is necessary for hiB own immediate coneump-
tlon, tbe neighboura are entitled by custom to A
Kbare of it: they do tiot however aek for it, bat
Bend a. eqnaw, who without eajing any thing.
Bits down by the door of the lodge till the master
imderatandB the hint, and gives her gratuitously
a part for her femily. Chaboneau who with one
man had gone to some lodges of Minnetarees near
the TartJe mountain, returned with their fbces
much frostbitten. They had tieen about ninety
milea distant, and procured from the inhabitants
Bome meat and grease, with which they loaded
213
■ the horses. He ioforma us that ttte agent of tile
Hivdeon Bay company at that piiwe, had been
endearourinj^ to make uoi'avourable impr&iisiona
with regard to ub on the mind of the great chief,
and that the S. W. companjr intend building a
foirt there. The jjreat chief had ia cotisequence
spoken sliglitly of th« Americans, but said that if
we would give him qur great flag be would come
and see ub.
Monday 14.— The Mandaiia continue to paBS
doTTO the river on their hunting P'i-rtj-, and were
joined by eix of our men. One of those sent on
Thursday returned, TFith inform ajti on that one of
his companions had his feet bo badly frostbitten
that he could Dot walk home. In their excurBloa
they hod killed a. bufialo, a wolf, two porcupines
and a white hare. The weather waa more moder-
ate to-day, the mercury being at 18' degrees be-
low 0, and the wind fVom the S, E. we had
howerer some suq'w, aft«r whigh it remained
cloudy.
Tuead^r IS. — The morning ia much warmer
than yeaterdaj-f and the enow begins to melt,
though the wind afl^r being for some time IVom
the B. E. suddenly shifted to N. W, Between
twelve and three o'clock A. M. there was a total
ecbpse of the moon, IVom wMch we obtained a
part of the observation nweesory for aecertaioing
the longitude.
We were visited tiy four of the most distin-
guiehed men of the Mlnnetareeft, to whom we
ahowed marked attentions, ae we knew that they
had beep taught to entertain strong prejudicea
against ds; theee we succeeded bo well in remov-
ing, that when in the morning,
M'ednfsdaj Iti, about thirty Mandans, among
whom ebt were chiefb came to see u«, the &liuD«-
214
UF THE MISSOUEI.
taxees reproached them with their f&lsefaodds, de-
claring that they were bad meu aud ought to hide
theniBelveH. They had t^ald the llinnetflTWe that
we would kill them if thsy came to the fort, yet
oa thti contrary they hod bp«nt a. nig-tit there &nd
been treati^i vn.th luudnesB by tJie whites, who
had smoked with thtm and danced for their
Hiinusement. Kagoh&ciL Ti§ited ua and brought ua
a little torn, and booh aft«m'ardH one of (he first
war ehiefd of the Mlauetareca uaine accumpuDied
by hie Bquaw, a hajideome womaD, whom he woa
deairouB we ahould use during the night. He
fovoured ua with a. more acc£;ptahle present^ a
draft i^f the Mi&Minri in his mnjmer, and informed
QB of hlH itit«iitiou to go to war in the epring
againiit the Snake Indiana; we adviewd bim to re-
flect aeriouely before he comniitted the peace of hta
nation to tlie hasarde uf war ; to look back on the
DumerouB nations whom war has destroyed, that
if he wished his nation to be happy he should
cultivate peace a-ud intercourse with all hie neigh-
bour?, by "whiqh meun^ tht^y would procure more
hoFB^, iDcreaBe in DuniberSr BJid that if he went to
war he would di^plea&e his great father the presl-
deat, and forfeit his protection. We added that
we had spoken thus to ail the tribea whom we
had tnet, that they had all opened their ears, and
that the president would compel those who did
not voluntarily Listeo to hi» adTlce. Although a
young man oC only tweoty-six yeojTB oT age, this
diseourfle seemed to atrike him, lie obaerved that
if it would be tlispleaaing to us ha would not go
to war, siiice he had hor^ea iftiongh, aud that he
Would adi'ise all the nation to remaia at home,
until -wei had Keen the Snake Indian^, and dlsCDT-
ered whether their intentions were pacific. The
party who went down with the horaes for the
215
1,EWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
nian who was frostbitten returned, and wb ore
glad to fl&d his complamt not Benoua.
Thursday J 7.— The day wan very winfly ftom
the north; the mornjng clear aad cold, the ther-
mometer at HunriBe being' at 0: we had ee-veral
Indians with uh.
Friday IS. — The weather is floe and moderate.
Meeara. LartMshe and M'Kenzie, two of the N. W.
company's tradersj virated us with aome of the
Minnetareea. In the afternoon two of our huntats
returned, haTitig killed four wolvee and ahlalrean.
Suturd^y 10. — Another cloudy day. The tw^O
traders set out ou their retam, and weaeottwo
meo with the horses thirty mileB below t« the
hunting camp,
Sandaj 50,— The day f^ir and cold. A numbep
tif Indians visit ub with com to tschange for arti-
cle^r and to pay for repaira to their household
utensils.
Monday 21. — The weather wae fine and moder-
ate. The huntera all retnrned, having killed dur-
ing their absence three elk, four deer, two porcH-
pines, a fox and a hare.
Tuesd/iy 22. — The cold baring moderated and
the day pleagant, we atterapted to cut the boatfl
out of the KB, but at the distance of eight tnchee
came to water, under which the iva became three
feet thick, 80 that we were obliged to deaist.
Wednesday 33. — The cold weather returned, the
mtirCuFy having Sunk '2 helow 0, and the enoW
fell four inehes deep,
ThjirsfJa-y 24. — The day was colder thaa any we
have had lately, the ttiermomieter being at 12" be-
low <J. 't'he hunters whom we sent out returned
nuBueceBsful, and the rest were occupied in cutting
wood to make charcoal,
Friday 23, — The thermometer was at 2S' below
21(J
DP THE MISSOmtT.
0, the wind from N. W, and the day Mr, so that
tkB men were employed in iireparing coal, and
cattiug the boats out of the ice. A band of As-
aitiibciiiis he^ed bj tbfir chief, tailed by tha
French, Sod of the Little Calf, have aniTed at the
■villages.
Saturday 2G.~L fine warm day: a auiuber of
Indians dine witt ub: and one of our men is at-
tacked with a Tiolent pleuriey.
8unduy Sr.— Another watm aud pleasant day:
we again attempted to g^ the boat out of the
Ice. The mao who haa the pleuriey w&s blooded
and sweated, and we were forced to take offthe
toea of the young Indian who was tVoetbitten
Bome time since. Our interpreter returned from
the villages, iieitlging with him three of Mr. La-
roche'e horeee which he had sent in order to keep
them out of the way of the ABeiaiboina, who are
very much disposed to steal, and who have just
returned to their eamp.
Mondaj .0S.— The weather to-day ia clear and
cold: we are obliged to aba^idon the plan ofcut-
ting the boat through the ice, and therefore made
another attempt the neit day,
Tuesday 29, by heating a quantity of etoaea so
aa to warm the water in the boat, and thaw the
Burrounding ice: but in this too we were disap-
pointed, as ati the stones on being put into the
fire cracked into pieces: the weather warm and
pleasant; the man with the plenriay 19 recovering,
Wedaesduy -30.— The morning wae fair, but af-
terwards hecame cloudy. Mr. Laroehe the trader
from the northwest company paid us a viait, in
hopea of being able to accompany us on our jour-
ney Westward, but this proposal we thought it
beet to decline.
Thoisday 31. — It enowed laet night, and the
217
LEWIS AND GLABK'S KSPEDITION
moralD^ is cold and diBagreeable, with a. high
wind from the northwest: we sent five liunt^ra
down the rirer. Another man is taken Trith the
pleurisy.
Fridaj, Fehmary 1. — A cold windy day; oar
hunters returned hnviag killed only ouo deer. One
of the Miunetaree war chiefs, a young man named
Maubukebeahokeah or Seeing Snake, came to see
QB and procure a war hatchet: he also reqtieet^
that We "wonld Buffei" hinl to go to "wflr eugainst
the Sioux and Bicaras who had killed a Ma^dtm
some time ago : this we r^sed for rt^aeons wliicb
we explained to him. He acknowledged that we
were right, and promiaed to open hia eara to our
connselBt
Sa.tvTda.f 2. — The day la fine : another deer was
killed. Mr. Laroche who ha« been verj anxioustg
go with U8 left the fort to-day, and one of the
equawa of the Miuuetaree interpiettir is taken ill,
Sar)da.y 3, — The weather is again pleasant: dis-
appointed in all our etfbrts to get the boats tree,
%e occnpied ourHelvea in making iron spikes «o &a
to prize them up by meaiiB of long poleK.
MoTidity ^.— The moriung fair and cold, the
mercury at BunidBe being 18" below 0, and the
wind from the northwest. The Btock of meat
which -we had procured in November and Decem-
ber beinfj now nearly exhausted, it became necea-
aary to renew our supply j captain Clark there-
fore took eighteen men, and with two eleighe and
three horses deeeended the river for the purpose of
hunting, as the buOalo has diuappeared from our
neighbourhood, aud the Indiana are theinselves
STiflering for want of meat. Two deer were killed
to-day but they were very lean.
Tuesday 5. — A pleasant feir morning with the
wind from northwest: a number of the Indians
213
UP THE MISSOURI.
come with corn for the blacksmith, who being
now providM -with coal has become one of our
greatest reeourCes for procuring grain. Theyseem
particularly attached to a battle axe, of a very
ioconveaieDt figure : it U made wholly of iron, the
blade extremely tlila, und from esvea to nine
inches long; it is sharp at the point and fire or
fiii inches on each Bide, whence they converge to-
wards th« eye, which ie circular and about an
iach in diameter, tlie blade iteelf being not more
-than an inch wide, the handle ie straight, and
twelve or fifteen Inches lou^; the whole wuigliiag
about a pound. By way of omamBnt, the blade
is perforattd with several circular holea. The
len^h of the blade compared with the Bhortntaa
of the handle render it a Tveapon of very little
strength, particularly as it i* alwiiya uaed oa
horaeb^k: there le etitl however another form
which IB even worse, the same sort of handle be-
ing fixed to a blade reeembling au espontoon.
WedD^day, Febmasj 6.^The morning was fair
and pleaaant, the wind N. W. A number of In-
'diaachiefe vieited ua and ^thdre'n' aEler we bad
Bmoked with them contrary to their cuBtom, for
after being once introduced tato our apartment
they are fond of lounging about during the re-
mainder of the day. One of the men killed three
autelopes. Our bjacksuith ham liiti time cam>
pletely occupied, ao great is the demand for uten-
^la of different kinds. The Indians are particu-
larly fond of sheet iron, out cf which they form
pointe for arrows aud iDstrument^ for eeraplng
hides, and when the blatkBniith cut up an old
eambouae of that metal, we obtained for every
piece of four inches square seven Or eight gallonj*
of corn from the Indiana, who WVK delisted at
the excbfVDge.
219
tEWra AND CLARE'S ESPEDITIOK
TbTirsdpy 7. — ^The morning was fair and much
"trarmer than for Aome daye, the thermometer
beings at 18° above 0, and the wind from the
S, E, A nuniber of Indian^ contiiiu^ to visit U4;
but learning that the interpreter's eqiiawa had
been B«cuBtoni(Ki to uubar the gate duriDg the
night, we ordered a lock put on it> and that no
Indian should remain in the fort all night, nor
finy jjerSOn admittel dcring the houra when the
gate 1b cIohM, that is from enaKet to sunrise.
Friday 8. — A fftir pleaennt moraiog, Mith S. R
winds. Pocopeahe came down to the fort with a
bow, and apologized far hia not having finished a
shield whii^h he had promised captain Iiewia, and
which the weathtr had prevented him from tom-
pleting. This cliief poas esses morefirmiieBS, iatel-
ligence, and iiit«grity> than any Indian of this
country, and he might be rendered highly eervice-
able in our attempte to civilize the nation. He
mentioned that the MandanB are very much in
want of meat, and that he himself bad not tasted
any for several days. To thifi dietreea they are
ofteil reduced by their oivn improvidence, or by
their unhappy Bituation. Their princEp&l articleof
food le buGTalo-meat, their corn, beane, and other
grain being reserved for summer, or aa a last re-
source against what they conatiaiitly dread, an
atta^^k from the Siom, who drive off the game
and confine them to their villager. The same
ftar too prevents their going out to hunt in small
partieBto relieve their occaeionai wants, eo that
the bufialo is generally obtained in larg« quaati-
tieB, and wasted by carelessness.
Saturday 9. — The morning woa fair and pleas-
ant, the wind from the S. E. Mr. M'KenBie ftom
the N. W. company eatabliebment visited us.
Suiidaj 10.— A alight enow ifcU in the course of
220
UP THE mSSODBI.
tim nightr the morning was cloadyr bjiA the nortfa-
tpcst ^nd blew so high that although the theiv
mometer was 18 above 0, the day waa cooler
thaa yesterday, ivhea it was only 10' above the
sa.me point. Mr. M'Kenzie left rm, and Chaboneaq
returned with informatloo that our horses loaded
with meat were below, but could not crose the
ice not being shod.
MoDiliiy ll.—Vsf. sent down a party with aleda,
to TelieTe the boreeB from their loads ; the weathei'
fmr and cold, with a N. W. wind. About five
o'clock one of the wives of Chaboneau was de-
livered of & boy; this heing her first child ahe waa
BuSering conBJderable, when Mr. Jeeaaume told
captain Lewis that he hod freqnently adminia-
ter«d to persona in her mtaatiob, a amAll doM of
the rattle of the rattlesnake which had never
felled to baat«Q the delivery. Having gome of the
rattle, captain Lewia gave it to Mr. cTeBsaume
who crcmbled two of the rings of it between his
flngerB, and mixing it with a small (quantity of
water gave it to her. What effect it may really
have had it might be difficult to determine, but
captain Lewie wae informed that she had not
taken it more than ten minutes before the delivery
took place.
TneEdny 12. — The morning is f&ir though cold,
the mercury being 14" below 0, the wind from the
S, E. About four o'clock the horsea were brought
in mu-ch fatigued; on giving them m.eal bran
OLoieteu^ with water they would not eat it, but
preferred tlie bark of the cottonwood, which aa ta
already ohBgrved forms their principal food during
the winter. The horses of the Mandaiis are bo
often stolen by the Sious, Kicaraa, and AasLni-
boine, that the invariable rule now is to put the
toreee every pight in the same lodge with the
221
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
family. In the gunitdef th^y ramble in the plains
in the vicinity of the camp, and feed on the grass,
bwt duriiiff col*I weather the equo.w8 cut dowo the
cottoDTvood trees as tbey are wauted, and the
hOTHes ft^d on. the bought and bark of the tender
branihheB, which are alBO brought into the lodges
at night and pLaced neof them. These aoimala are
very severely treated ; for whole days they are
piumiiDg' the buSaEo. or burdened with the fhiita
of the ehaee, duiiag which they scarcely ever taata
food, and at nig-ht return ta a. Bcunty allowaQce
of wood; yet the spirit of thia valnable animal
sustains bim through all thi^se diflictilties, and he
is rtLrely deficient either in flesh or vigour.
Wednffsda^- 13, — The morning wag cloudy, the
thermometer at 2" below 0, the wind irom the
flouthtiaet. Captain Clark returned lajst evening
with all hia hunting party : during their escursioa.
they had killed forty deer, three buffalo, and six-
teen elk ; but moat of the ganiQ "wafl too lean for
UBCj and the wolves, who regard whatever lie* out
at night a* their own, had appropriated a large
part of it : when he left the fort on the 4th la-
Btant, he descended on the ice tweoty-two milea to
New Mandiui islaad^ near aome of their old vil-
lages, and encamped, having killed nothing, and
therefore without food for the night.
Early on the 5th, the hunters w^ent out and
killed two bulfalo and a deer, but the lost only
coaLd be u^d, the others beiug too lean. After
breakfast they proceeded down to an Indian lodge
and hunted during the dayr the next morning,
6th, they encamped forty-four miles from the fort
on a sand paint near the mouth of a creek on zhe
Boathwest side, which they call Hunting ereek,
and during this and the following day huutei^
tiLTOUgh all the adjoining plaine, with much hu&-
222
UP THE MISSOTJHI.
iXBBr having killed a namber of dwr sad elk. On
the Stih, the beat of the meat was eeot with tha
horeee to the fort, and such parts of the remaiader
as -were fit for une were brought to a point of tha
river three tnilea below, and after tlie bones -were
taken out, secured in pena built of logs, bo as to
keep off the w^olves, ravens and magpjea, who are
Tery aumerDUB and eotiBt&ntJj' disappoint the
hunter of his prej; they then went to the low
grounds near the Cbiashetaw river where they en-
camped, hut flaw nothing except some wolvee oa
the hille, and a numbtr of buffaEo too poor tO
be worth himtdng. The next morning 9th, as
there was no game and it woutd have been incon-
Tenient to eeud it back alxty luilee to the fort,
they returned up the river, and for three daya
hunted aiong the banks and plaiOB, and rea^^hed
the fort in the evening of the twelfth much
fatigued, having walked thirty miles that day on
the ice and through the enow^ in many places knee
deep, the moccasius too being nearly worn out:
the only game which they saw besides what Ib
mentioned, was some grouse on the sandbara in
the river.
Thijrsdsj-' 14.— Last uij^ht the snow fell three
inches deep; the day was, however, fine. Four
men were despatched with sled* and three horaes
to bring up the meat which had bcea collected by
the huDtera, They returned however, with intelli-
gence that about twenty-one miles below the fort
& party of opwards of one hundred men, whom
they Hupposed to be Sioux, rushed on thsui, cut
the traces of the sleds, and carried offtw^q qftte
horses, the third being given up by interaeHaion of
an Indian who seemed to poBeesB Bome authority
over them ; they also took away two of the men's
knivea, and a tomahawk, which last however the/
223
retomed. We Kent up to the Mandans to infonn
tbetn Qf it, and to know whether any of ttem
would join a party which iatended to pureue the
robbers in the morning. About twelve o'clock
two of their chiefe came down and said that all
their young men wera out hunting, and that there
■were fe*r gnnft in the Tillage. Sereral Indians
however, armed some with bowa and aixowe,
BDuie with apeare wid battle-ozee, and two with
fiiailB, accompanied captalu Lewie, who eet out,
Friday 15, at aumlfie with twenty-four men.
The morning waB fine and cool, the thermoiueter
being at 16' below 0. In the conree of the day
one of the Mandan chiefs returned from captain
Ijewis's party, Ida ey«-Big'ht having become sg bad
that he cuuM not proctied. At tblb seaaon of the
year the reflectioik from the ice and buow is ho in-
tense aB to occaston almost total blindnesB. This
complaint is Tery common, and the general
remedy ie. to aw^eat the part aSeCted by holding
the face over a hot stone, and receiving the f^imea
fWfin. enow thrown on it. A large ri^ fox was
killed to-day.
Saturday 16. — The morning was warm, mercury
at 32' above 0, the weather cloudy: seTeral of
the Indians who went with captain Lewis re-
turned, as did also One of OUT men, whose feet
had been frostbitten.
SuBflaj IT. — The weather contioued ae yester-
day, though in the niteraooa it became Mr.
Shotawhorora and hie boq came to see ub, with
abdnt thirty pounds of dried buffalo meat and
eome tallow.
Moaday IS. — The morning was cloudy with
some enow, but in the latter part of the day it
cleared up. Mr. M'Kenaie who had Hpent yester-
day at the fort now left ua, Our stock of meat
224
UP THE MISSOTJRI.
IB ezhauBted, ao that vre msEt con^Dc ourwlveB to
vegetalile iiet, at leaat till the return of the party :
for this, however, -we are at no loss, since hith oa
this and the folloTFiiig; day,
Tuesday 10, our blaqkemith g^ot iarg? qnantiticB
of com from th« Indiaas vrho caiue in gr^at num-
bers to aee ub. The wtwither wan fair and warm,
the wind from the Bouth.
Wediieedft^, ^Oeft.— The day was delightfully
fine; the mercary being at eunrise 2^ and m the
course of the day 22^ above 0, the "wind Hoath-
erly. Ka^ohami came down to see as early: Ills
TiUa^ is afflicted by the death of one of tbrir
eldest men, who *Vom hii* amount to ua muBt have
Been one hundred and twenty winters. Just ae he
was dying, he req^tiested his grandchildren to dreea
him in hie best robe wh<;n he waa dead, and theq
carry him on a hill and eeat him on a stone, with
his face down the river towards their old vlUagee,
that he might go etraig-hc to his brother who had
parsed before him to the ancient Tillage under
^Ound. We have Been & number CirMandauB "who
have lived to a great age; chiefly however the
men, whose robust eserci»efi fortify the body,
while the laborious occupations of the women
Bhopten their exist-ence.
Thursday 31, — We had a continuation of the
same pleasant tfeathet. 'Oheenaw and Shahaka
came down to aee us, and mtntioned that eeTeral
pf ttdr countrymen had gone to consult their
medicine stone ss to the proapectB of the Ibllowing
year. Thia medicine stone is tlie great oracle of
the Mandn.ns, and whateyer it annouTicea ie be-
lieved with implicit conBdeace. Bvery spring, and
on aoroe occasions during the summer, a depata-
tioR visits the sacred spot, where there is a thick
porous atone twenty feet in circa miference, with a
Vol. I.-15 235
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
BTDOoth Burfoce. Having rua/ahed the piece the
ceremony of emoking to it ta performed by the
depiitUSr ^^tio alternately take a whifi* tliemeelTefl
and then present tlie pipe to the stone; after ttuH
they retire to an adjoiDing wood for tbe night,
during which it may be eafely presumed ttat all
the embaBBj do not Bleep; ami in the morning
they read the deHtiiiies of the nation iii. the white
mfi-rkd on the stone, ivhich those Ti'ho made them
are at no loss to decipher. The Minnetarees hay?
a atone of a, eimilar kind, whioh haa the satae
q,aalities and the Bame tuflueace aver the natian.
Captain I>ewia returned from his e^ccurBion in
pureuit of the Indianfl. On reaching; the place
where the Sioui had stolen our hOrSes, thfty
found only one sled, and sereral pair of moccaaina
which were recognised to be tbos^ of the Sioux.
The party then followed the Indian tracks till
they reached two old lodges where they elept, and
the next morning pursued the courBC of the river
till they reached some Indian eampSi, wher* cap-
tain Clark passed the night aome time ago, and
which the Sionx. had qow set on Are. leaving a
little corn near the place in order to induce a be-
lief that they were BiearaB. From this point the
Sioux tracks left the river abruptly and crOHBed
into the plains; but perceiving that thei^ was do
chance of overtaking them, captain Lewis went
down to the pen where captain Clark had Irfl
Borae meat, which he found untouched by the
IndiaiiB, and then hunted in the low grounds on
the river, till he returned with about three thoD-
sJtnd pounds of meat, some drawti itl a sled by
fifteen of the men, and the rest on horseback;
having kilied thirty-aii deer, fourteen eSk, and on^
wolf.
Friday 22d. The morning waa cloudy and a
236
rP THE MISSOTJBI.
Bttle fiHOW frl!, bnt in the afbemoon the weather
became Jliir. VA'e were visited by a mimber of
ladian^, among whpm wa^ Shotawhorora, a chief
of mucli coodderatioD among the MaodauE, al-
though by birtb a Hicara.
Saturday, 23d. — The day ia warm and pleasant.
Ha-ving worked industriously yesterda^y and all
this morning we were enabled to disengage one gf
the periognee and haul it on «hor«. and also
Dearly to cut out theBscoad. The father of the boy
whose foot had been bo badly frozen, and whom
we had now cured, came to-day and earned him
home in a sleigh,
Hund^j; 24fh. — The weather is again fine. We
eacceeded in looisening the eeeoud periogue and
barge, ttioagh w^ found a leak in the latter. The
whole of the nest day,
Monday, 2oTh, we were occupied in drawing np
the boats on the hank: the BmalleHt one we car-
ried there wi-tb no difficulty, but the barge was
too heavy for our elk-skin ropes which constantly
broke. We were visited by OrupBehara, or Black
Moceasin, and eeveral other cMefe, who brougrht
ne iireaents of meat on The baeia of their squaws,
and one of the Stinnetareea requested and obtained
permission for Mm^If and lii» tiro wives to re-
main all uight in the fort. The day was exceed'
ingly pleasant.
JVssdaj^ 2f>. — The weather is again fine. By
great labour dnrio^ the day we got all the boata
on the bank by BUHBet, an operation which at-
tracted a great number of ludinua to the I'ort.
W^aesday 37. — The weather continues fine. All
of us emplr>yed in preparing took to bulLd boats
fbr oar voyage, as we find that eraall perioguea
will he much more eoiivenieut than the barge in
ascending the Migaouri.
237
rWD CLARE'S EXPT^TTtON
Thursday 2S, — The day is clear and pkaaant.
Sixteen men were seat out to examine the country
for trees suital^le for boatfi, and were Rucceesful in
finding them. Two of the K. W. company traders
arrived with letters; they had U3Eewi§e a root
■which is used for the cure of pemone bitten by
mad dog8, snakes, and other ventunou^ animalB:
it is found oa high groanda and the aidca of tiilla,
and the mode of amag it is tu scarify the ^n-ound,
and apply to it an iacli or more of the chewed or
pounded root, which ia to be renewed twice a
du.y ; th* patient HmSt sot howeTer chew or
Bwallow any of the root, aa an inward appljcft'
tion might be rather iajqrious than beneficial,
Mr. G-raveliues with two Frenchmca and two
Indians arrived from the Iticara nation, witb let-
tera from Mr. Anthony Tabeau. Thia last gentie-
maii Luforme ub that the Bicaroa express their
deternaiiiation to follow our advice, and to remain
B,t poace with the MaadaiLs and Mianetareea,
whom tbey are desirous of vi^ting'; they also
wish to know whether theide uationa would per-
mit tlie Ilicaras to settle near them, and form a
league against their common enemies the Siotir.
Ob mentioning this to the Mandans they agreed
to it, observing that thej always desired to culti-
Tat« tViendsbip with tlte Bicaras, and that the
AhnahawayB and Jkllnoetarees have the same
friendly views.
Mr. GravelineB states that the band of Tetons
■whom we had seen waa well disposed to us, oft'-
ing to the influence of their chief the iBlat^k Bni^
fUlo; but that the three upper bands of Tetone,
with the Sii^atoouB, and the Vanktoae of the
north, mean eoon to attoek the Indians in this
quiartec, with a resolution to put to death every
tvliite man they encounter. Moi^over, that Mr.
229
■CP THE MTSSOUEI.
Cameron of St, Peter's has Armed the Sioux
agaiaHt the Chippewaye, who have lately put to
death three of hia men. The men who had Etolea
our horaea we found to be all Sioux, who after
comiaittiflg the outrage went to the Ricara *iL-
lagcK, where they said that they bad hesitated
flhout tilling our nie-n Tpho were with the horaeSf
but that Id future they would pat to death any of
UB they could^ as we were bad medicineB and de-
6erTed to be killed. The liicarAS were displeased
at their conduct and refused to give them any
thing to eatr ^^hich is dei^med the greatQet act of
hostility short of a^jtual violencCr
Fridfij', Maivh J.— Th^ day is flue, aad the
"Whole party m engaged, Boiue lu making ropee
and perioguea, othert; in burning coal, and making
battle-aies to sell for corn.
SRtnrdit^ 2.—S\t. Laroche one of the N. W.
CO mpany'B traders hne just arrived with merchan-
dise from (.he ErJtiah ^BtabU^hmentij on the Aseini-
boin. The day ts fne, aad the rirer begins to
break op in Bome places, the mercury being be-
tween 26" and aS" above Oj and the wind from
the N. E. We were Tieitcd by several Indiana.
Stinds^ 3. — The w^eatter pleasant, the "wind
from the E. with clouds; in the afternoon the
clouds diaeppeared and the wind 4;ame from the
X. W. The men are all employed in preparing
the boats; we are visited by Poacapeahe and Bev-
eral other Indians with com. A flocfc of dacha
passed up the riTer to-day,
Monday 4, — \ cloudy morning with N. W. wind,
the latter part of the day clear. We bad again
some Indian visitors with a email pre^nt of
meat. The Aaniniboine, who a lew dayB eince
TiBlted the Mandana, returned, and attempted to
take horses t^om the Alinnetareea, who fired on
329
LEWIS AND CLABKS EXPEDITION
tliem; a circumBtance which may occaeioo some
dietur'ba.Dce between the two nations.
Tumday 5.— About four o'clock in the momiiiK
there 'w&h a aLight faU of edOw, bub the day b&<
came qlear and pleasant with the mercury 40"
above 0. We Beet dowu an ladlaa aad a Erench-
mao to the Jiicara village with a letter to Mr.
Tabeau.
Wednesdaj fl. — The day was cloudy and 8010117
In «otiee4Ui;iic« of the hm-aing of the plaina by the
Minnetareeti ; they have eet all the neighbouring
couotrj on Are in order to ohtaitt an early crop of
Braae which may anewCT foe the coneuoiptioo of
their iiorsea, and also aa an inducement for the
buffalo and other game to Tieit it. The horeea
. Gtolen two A&s^ ago by the AeHiuibolbA have been
returned to the Miiinetareei^. Ohhaw secoiid chirf
. of the Ip'wer Jlinn^taree village came to B^ ns,
- The river rose a little aad overran the ice, eo aa
to reader the croH&ing difficult.
Thursday, Tth.—Tbe day wae eomew hat cloudy,
and colder than ueual; the wind from the north-
cast. Shotawhorora visited us with a sick child,
to whom Bqme piedicine was adminiBtered. There
were also other Indiana who brought com and
dried buSalo oieat is exchange for blackemith'a
work,
i-Vidaj- S.— The day cold and fair with a high
ea^teriy wind: we were visited by two Indtaos
who gave ua an account of the country and peo-
ple uear the Bocty pjou-ntaing where they had
been.
Satardsty 9. — The morning cloudy and cool, the
wind from the north. The grand chief of the
Mibnetai-ees, who ie called by the French Le
Borgae, from his having but one eye, came down
[for the &r9t time to the fort. He was received
aao
UP THE MISSOURI.
with much attention, two guns were flred in hon-
onr oF ilia arrival, the curiodtiBB were eihiblted
to lliiu, and BS he Ha4.d that he had not reeeived
tbe preBeotfl whlcb we had Bcot to him on iile
airiral, we a^aia gave hJni a flag, aiaeda], shirt,
armbraces and the UHual presenta on such occar
sionfi, with all which he waa much pleased. In
the course of the converaation, the cliief observed
that some foolish joung men of his natioo had
told him there woe a ptireoQ among as who was
goite block, and be wished to know if it could be
tme. We ae^ured hira that it was true, and sent
for York : the Bor^e waa very much aurpriaed at
hla iLppcartLDce, ^xandned him closely, and spit on
tuB Snger and nibbed the skin in order to wa^Ii
off the paint; oor wag it until tbe negro uncov-
ered Mb head, and ehowed hie short hair, that the
Borgne could be persuaded that he was not a
painted white man.
Sunday 10.— A cold windy day. Tetutkopin-
reha, chief of the Ahna.hawaya, and the Minne-
tnree chief Ompechara, passed the day with us,
and the former remained during the night. We
had occuaion to see an ioHtaiicu of tbe eumniary
juBtica of the Indiana: a youn^ Minnetaree had
carried off the daughter of Ca^onorookahe, the
Raven Han, second chief of the upper village of
the Mandanq; the father n^ent to the village and
ibund Ma daughter, whom he brought home, aad
too^ with Mm a boree belonging to tbe offender:
thia reprisal watisfied the vengeance of tlie father
and of the nation, aa the young man would not
dare to reclaim his horse, which from that time
became the property of the injured party, Tlie
stealing of young women is one of the most coin-
moD offences againat the poKce of the village, and
the puniahment of it always meaeured by tie
231
LEWIS AND CLAKK'S EXPEDITIO^f'
j>ower or the pasraons of the Mndred of the femaja.
A ToSuntary elopement is of course more llgor-
oualj cbaatiBed. One of tbe wives of the Borgne
deserted him in fayour of a man who had been her
lorer before the toarriage, and who after some
time EcfC her, and she was obliged to return to her
father's house. As soon as he heard it the Hor^e
walked there and found her ^tting near th^dr^:
witliDiit UDtidn^ his wife, he begfiii to amoke
■with thefiitber; when they were joined by the
old men of the village, who knowing hia temper
had followed in hopes of appeaeing him. He con-
tinaed to smoke ijuietlf with them, till rising tO
retui^, he took liis wife by the hair, led her as far
OB tbe door, and with a. eiogle etroke of his toma-
hawk put her to death before ber father's eyes:
then turning fiercely npon the epectators, be said
that if any of her relations wished to avenge her,
they might always find him at his lodge; but tlie
fate of the woman had not eufUcJeat interest to
excite the FeBgeance of the i^mily. The caprice or
the generosity of the name cliief gave a very dif-
ferent reeult to & eimilar incident which occurred
Bome time aJlerwarda, Another of hie wives
eloped with a young man, who not being able to
support her as she wished they Loth returned ta
the village, and she presented herself before the
LuBband, Bupplicating liiB pardon for ber conduct:
the Gorgne sent for the lover: at tlie momoiit
■when the youth eipiwted tJiat he would be put to
death, the chief mildtj' asked them if they still
preserved tiiitir afTection for earh other; and on
their declaring that want, and not a 4;hange of
aShition had induced tbem to return, he gave up
bJa wife to her lover, with the liberal preeeut of
three horeea, and reatored them both to hie
favour.
232
UP THE MISaOTJRI.
Monday 11. — The weather w«« cloudy in the
moroiog and & little buow &11, the wuid tbea
ahifted from eoutheoet to northweat and the day
became fair. It anowed again in the eveniiig, but
the next dftff
TaesdA^y 12, waa ftiir with the Trind frma the
northwest.
Wednesday 13. — We had a fine day, and a aonth-
weet wind. Mr, M'Kenzie came to aee ub, Budid
aiao many IndianB who are so aimoua for battl&-
0x66 that OLLf etuithB have not a uomenta Idanre,
and procure ub an abundance of corn. The river
roe* a. little to-day, and bo continued.
TbuTBday 3i.— The wind being from the weat,
and the day fine, the whole party were employed
in building boata and in shelling com.
Frid&y 15. — The day is clear, pleasant and
warm. We take advantage of the fine weather to
liang all our ladian preeent« And other articles
out to dry before our departure.
Saturday 16. — The weather is clondy, the winfl
front the southeast. A Mr. Clarrow, a Frenchman
who hail redded a long time among the Ricara«
and Mandaas, e:cplaiQod to ns the mode in which
they m.ak.e their large beads, an aj^ which they
are said to have derived from some priBOoers of
the Snake Indian nation, and the knowledgre of
which is a secret even now confined to a few
among the Mandana and "Bicaras: the proceea Ih
as foUowa: glaBS of different colours is first
ponnded fine and washed, till each kind, which is
kept Geparate, ceasee to Btaia the water tlirowu
over it: eoine well seasoned clay, mixed with a
sufficient qaaatity of eand to prevent its becoming
very hard when exposed to heat, and reduced by
watet to the COnBistency of dough, is then rolled
on the palm of the hand, till it becomes of tll9
2it3
LEWIS AND CLARE'S EXPEDITION
tl^ekneBB wanted fbr the hole in the bead; these
Btidrfl of clay are placed upng'ht, each on a little
pedestal or ball of the Bame material ahoiit an
OlinCB in weight, and dietribwted over a small
earthen piatt«r, which is laid on the Are for a few
minutea, when they are taken otTto cool: with
a little paddle or shovel three or four inehtie longf
and aha-rpencd at the end of thp handle, the wet
pounded glaeg is placed in the palm of the babd:
the bead» are made of an oblong form wrapped in.
a cylindrical form rouad the stick of clay which is
laid crosBwiHe over it, and gently rolled back-
■wards and fbrwarda till it beconiea perfectly
nmouth. If it be desired to introduce any other
colour, the Hurface of the bead is perforated with
the pointed end of the paddle and the cavity SUed
^th pounded glasB of that colour: the Etieks
with the string of beads are then replaced on thear
pedestalB, and the platter deposited on burning'
coals oe hot embers: over the platter an earthen
pot containing about three gallons, with a month
Jarg^ enough to cover the platter, U reverHed, be-
ing completely closed ex.cept a small aperture at
the topj through which are watched the bead; a
quantity of old driisd wood formed into a sort of
dough or paste is placed round the pot so as
almost to cover it, and afberwatda set on fire : the
mSDuTactarer th^n looks through the email hol»
in the pot, till he eees the beads atjsume a deep
red colour, to which snceecda a paler or whitish
red, or they bLH?ome pointed at the upper es-
tremity; on which the fire is reraoTed and the pot
B-uffered to cool gradually : at length it is removed,
the beads taken opt, the lilay in the hollow of
them picked out with an awl or nsedl?. anditia
then fit for use. The beads thus formed are in
l^reat demand amon^ the Indians, and naed aa
234
TIP THE lIiaSOITRI.
pendants to tbetr ears and hair, and are aome-
timeB worn rounfl the neck.
Stindaj' 17. — A winiiy bnt clear and pleasant
day, the river ribing ft little and op«n Id ^veral
places. Our MLnnetarec interpreter Chaboutau,
whom we intended takiiijf witli ua to the Pacific,
had Eionie days ag-o been worked upon by the
Brtcinh tradersj and appeared unwilling to a<y!Oiii-
paay ua, except on certain terms: Huch aa tie not
being Hubjwt to our orders, and do dntj, or to
return whenever he chqse. As we ea-w clearEy the
BOunjB of hia heaitation, and knew that it wae in-
tended aa an obstacle to out viewe, we told hini
that thfc tettna were inadmissible, and that w©
could dispftnsB mth his strviceB: he had accord-
ing^ly left ua "with Bome displeasure, Since th^D ho
' had made an ndvance towards joining us, whicli
we ehowed no anxiety to meet j but this morning
he sent an apology for hie improper conduct, and
a^eed to go with ub and perform the same duties
&a thfc rest of the eorpa; wft therefore took him
again into our fwrvice.
Monday 1^. — The weather was cold and cloudy,
the wind from the north. We were engaged ia
packing up the goodi) into eight dfWaluns, ^o aa
to preserve a portion of each in case of accident.
We hear tiiat the Sioux have lately attacked &
party of AsBiniboiniii^ and KniatenAuT, near the
AsBioibcin riyefj and killed fifty of tbem.
TaeaiJay ID. — Some enow fell last night, and
this morning was cold, windy, and cloudy. Sha-
haka and Kagohumi came down to uee ua, as did
another Indian with a sick child, to whom we
gave eonie medicine. There appears to be an ap-
proaching wafj ae two parties have already gose
£x}m the Mianetarees, and a thiid ia preparing.
Wednesday- i'f?.— The morning waa cold and
33ii
LEWIS AND CLAEK'3 EXPEDITION
cloudy, the wind high from the north, hut tha
afbemoon was plta^aat. Tte canoes being fln-
iahed, four of them were carried down to the riTer,
at tb.e distance of a mX^ a&d a half flrom where
they were conertructed.
Thursday 21.~ThQ remaining periogueB were
hauled to the same place^ and alt the men except
threGj who w^re left to watch them returned to
the fort. On hia Wfly down, which -w&b about eii
miles, captain Clark paased along the points of
the high hills, where he saw large quantities of
pumlceBtone on the foot, eidee and tope of the
hillB, which had every ftppearance of having been
at Bome period on fire. He collected specLmenB of
the etone itaclf, the pumieeatone, and the hard
earth ; and on betng put into the furnace the hard
earth melted and glazed, the pumice^tone melted,
aod the hardstooe became a pumiceatone glazed.
sss
THE
)TTRr.
CHAPTER Vn. ..
Indian nietfaod ot attack! Dg the biifTalo !■□ iiie lc« — Aneaaoieni.
tliiit of tHe i>r'e8ei]ia teui 10 tbe presiuent ur Uie UnLied SDUes
— TliB party are visJtftd bj a lUcara clilet — They leave their
enrauLpment, wid pnweed on their Journey— DescrtpClon o(
tbe Lttile iiiasoiiri— Romo bcmuoi ot tue Ajsinlijolas— Their
tnodp (if burylnS the dend — Wblleeartti rJTcr descrilted — fireat
qoanti:.; of iolt dtxcdvered nn lu baata— Yellows Iohb rlrcr
aescrlbsa— A poi^lculsj' Accouat or tbe oauutTT ai Uie coaflu-
eilce ot [be YeIlaWaU>ti« und HlaSoUrl— DmcrlpUun of the
Hlsaouii. tbe gurroundiDE coimtry, and of tbe rlvera, craeks,
Ulaads, Ic, '
FriK}ay22. — Thia was aclearpleasoDtday, with
the wind IVom the S. S. W. We were viaited by
the Becond chief of tlie MinnetareeB, to whom we
gave a medal and Bome pre«ente, accampaoied hj
a apeech. Mr, M'KeDsie aod Mr. Iiaroche also
came to Bee as. Tliej aJl took thdr leare next
day,
Saturday 23. — Soon after their departure, a
brother of the Borgae with other iadians came to
tiie fort. The weather waa fine, but in the even-
ing we had the first rain that has fallen during
the winter.
Sunday 24.-~1'h& morning cloudj, but the after-
aooa Mr, the wind IVom th^ N, E, ffe are em-
ployed in preparing for our joumej. This evening
awauB aad wild-geese flew towards the N. E.
Monds,y 2u, — A fine daj-j the wind S. \V. The
riTtr rose nine inches, and the lea began breaking
away in. sercraJ placta, bO as to eudatigbr oiir
canoes whi«h we are hauling down to the fort.
TuemJay .?ii.— The river rtjse only half an inch,
and being choked up with ice near the fort, did
237
LEWIS AND CLAKK'S ESPEDITION
not begin to rtin till towards evening. This day-
is clear and pleagant,
WmiaQ8diiy27.—ThB wind ia ettll highfVomtha
S. W. : the ice which 1b occasionally stopped for &
fewhonre is thfcn thrown over ahallow aandbarB
when the river nitis. We had all our canoes
brought down, and were obliged to cauk and
pitch very attentively the cracke 80 commoQ la
COttQUWDod.
TbuTsda^y 2S.— The 3ay is fair. Some obataele
flbove hoa prevented the ice from running. Oar
canoes are now nearly ready, and we expect to
aet out as soon as the river ib B-ufflcientlj clear to
permit ub to pass.
Friday £0.— The weather clear, and the wind
A^im N. W. The obcitniGtioo abov-u gave way
this morning, and the ice came down in great
qaantitiea ; the river having fallen eleven inches in
the course of the iaat twenty-four houn*. We hai?e
had few Indians at the fort for the laet three or
four dflyB, us they are pow busy in catching the
floating butfalo. Every spring aa the river is
brBaTring up the Bnrrounding pliuna are set on fire,
and the buffalo temptM) to croea the river in
Beojvh of the freeh grass which immediately auc-
ceede to the burning: on their "way they are often
insulated on a large take or moss, of ice, wliich
floats down the river: the IndiaQB now select tbe
moBt fUvou^at^le poiata Tor attack, and as the
buffalo approaches dart with aetoniahing agility
acroHa the trembling ice, BometdmeB preeeing
lightly A cake of not more than two ffeet square:
the animal is of eourse unsteady, and his footeteps
inHecure on this new element, so that he can malt?
but littLe resietance, and the hnnter, who bus
given him his death wound, paddles hie icy boat
to the shore and secureu hij) prey.
:i38
TJP THE MISSOURI.
SatuMay 30.— Ths day was clear and pleasant,
-the wind N. W. and the ice running in great
.qtiaiititiea. -Ml our ladian preeeats w*re again
espoaed to the air, and the barge made ready to
descend the MiBSdmii.
Monday 31. SthcXj this morning it rained, and
iUte weather cootinued cloudy during the day ; tiie
river rose nine iaehes, the ice not rimning ag much
ae yesterday. Several flouke o( geeee and ducks
Ay up t!ie river.
' Motid&y, April J, ISOii.— This morning there
~wae & thunder Btorm, accompanied with larg^
^lail, to which euceeeded rain for about half an
.hour. 'We availed ouraelvea ofthis interval to get
all the boata in the water. At four q"cIoc1i P. M.
it be^an to rain a second time, and contiDued till
twslve at night. With the ei&eption of a few
drops at two or three different times, this ia the
firat rain we have had since the loth of October
last,
Taesdajr ^.~The wind wa« liigh le«t night aad
i,tliia morning from X. W. and the weather con-
tinued tioudy. The Mandans killed j-eaterday
, "twenty-one eik, about fUteen mitea below, biiEthey
■were so poor aa to be scarcely fit for use.
Wedneac/aj' 3. — The weather ie pleasant, though
there was a white frost and Home iqe on the edge
of the water. Wa were all engaged in pocking up
our baggage and merchandise.
Tttursdaj ^.— The day is clear and pleasant,
though the wind ia hijjh from N. W. We now
packed up ia dilferent boxes a variety of articles
for the president, which we shall send in the
barge. They conai^ted of a etuffed male and
female antelope with their Ekeletona, a weasel,
three sQuirrek f^oin the Uoeky mountaiua, the
skeleton oftlie prairie wolf, those of the white
2a9
LEWR
CLlRK^^^EDITrOJT
aad gray hare, a male And female blalreau, or
burrowing dog of the prairie, with a skeleton of
the female, two burrowing BquirrelB, a white
weasel, and the ekiu of the louaervia, ttie horns of
thfc racuntain ram, or big-horn, a pair of large elk
honiB, the horns and tail of the black-tailed deer,
and A vari«tj of ekioH, such as tboe« of the r^
foi, white hare, martic, yellow bear obtained
from the Sioux; also, a Dumber of articles of In-
dian dress, among: which was a buffalo robe,
representing a battle fought aboat eight years
eiace between the Sioux and Kicatafe against the
Mandans and MinnetareeBf in which the combats
ants are repr^eeated od hqruebacli. It ba^i of late
^ars excited much diacuBsion to ascertain the
period when the art of painting was first discov-
ered : how hopetesa all reaearches of this kind are,
is eyident from the foregoing fact. It is indebted
for its origin to one of the atrongee-t paaaiona of
the human heart; a wleli to preserve the features
of a departed ftiend, or the memory or some
gloriouB exploit: this ioherita equally the bosoms
of all men either civilized or savage. Such
BketcheB, ruile and imiierfect as they are, deSineata
the predominant character of tlie savage nations.
If they are peaceable and inoffensive, the drawings
usually consist of local Bcenery,and their favonrit*
diveraions. If the baud are rude and Ibrocioua, we
obBbTve tomahawks, Hcalping-kuivee, bowB, ar-
rowB, and all the engines of deatruction, A Man-
dan bow and quiver of arrows; also some Eicara
tobacco-seed and an ear of ilandan torn ; to these
were added a box of plants, another of insects,
and three caaea containing a burrowing squirrei,
a prairie hen, and fbur niagpiee, all alive.
friday 5th. — Fair and pleasant, but the wind
high fi^m the northwest: we were viaitcd by a
240
tP THE MISSOURI.
number of Mandans, and are occupied in loading
our boats in order to proceed on oar joumej.
SattllfJay f?th. — Another fine day "n-jth a gentla
breeze from the south. The MaudauB continue to
come to the fort; and in the course of the dajtn-
formed ua of the arrival of a party of Ttiearae oa
the other eide of the river. We sent our inter-
preter to inqoire into their reoBOH for coming ; and
in the morning,
Suaday 7th, he returned with a Ricara chief
and three of his nation. The chief, Tchose name ia
Kagohweto, or Brave Raven, brought a letter
from Mr. Taheati^ mentioning the wish of the
grand cbiefa of the Hicaraa to visit the preaident,
and requesting permisBion for liimself and four
men to join onr hoat when it descends ; to which
we coDBented, aa it wiEl then be manned with.
fifteen hande and be able to defend itself against
the Sioui. After presenting the letter, he told ns
that he waB iient ■with ten warriors hj his nation
to arrange their settling near the Mandans and
Minnetarees, "whom they wished to join ; that hd
considered all the neighbonrlng natione fViendl^
except the Sioux, whose persecution they would
no longer withstand, and 'R'hom they hoped to
repel by nnidng -with the tribes in this qaarter:
he added that the Hicaraa intended to follow onr
advice and hve in peace -with all nations, and re-'
quested that we would epealc in their fevoiir to
the Afisiniboin Indians, This we iviUingly prom-
ieed to do, and aesnred them that their great
fatter would protect- them find no lon^r eufier
the Sioux to havt good gunsj or to injure his
dutifhl children. We then gave Mm a small medal,
B certificate of hie good conduct, &. carrot of
tobawo, and some wampuEi, with which he d&-
partied for the Mandan village well eatisBed with
Vol. 1.-16 241
Id
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITION
biB reception, Kayiiig made aU our arrange-
meiitB, we 5eft thfl fort about five o'clock in the
afternoon. The party now conHiBted of thirty-two
pereone. Besideji ourselvea Tvere eorgeaDte John
Ord'way, Natiaaiel Pryor, and Patrick Gase: the
privates were William Bratton, John Colter, John
CoUiaB, Peter Cruxatte, Bobert Fraiier, Keabea
Fields, Joseph Fields, G«orge (ribsoa, Silaa G-ood-
rich, Hugh Hall, Thomae P. Howard, Baptiete
Lapage, FranciB Labiche, Hugh M'Neal, John
Potta, John Shields, Geor^ Shannon, John B.
Thompson, Witltam Werner, Alexander WiUard,
Hichard Windsor, Jueeph WhitehouHej Peter Wiser,
and captain Clark's black eerrant York. The two
interpreterB, were George Drewyer and Touaeaiat
Chaboaeau. The wift of Chaboneau also accom-
panied ua with her young chiLd, and we hope may
be u»Eful aa an interpreter atnoDg the Snake In-
diaoB. She was herself oneof that tribe, but hav-
ing been taken in war by the Minnetaree?, by
whom eiie waa sold as a Blare to Chaboneau,
who brought her up and afterwarda married he*.
One of the MandauH likewise embarked with ub, in
Order to go to the Snake Indiivna and obtain a
peace "with ttem for hie countrymen. All this
party with the baggage wae stowed in hlx amall
caooea and two large pedogues. We leit the fort
with fair pleasant weather though the northweat
wind wan high, and after making about four miles
encamped on the north side of the MiflflOiui, nearly
-opposite the &rBt Alandau rillagfe. At the eame
time that we took our departure, our barge
mauued with Beven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and
Mr. Graveliaea as pilot, sailed for the United
^tatea loaded with our prefiente and deepatchea.
MoBdA,y ^th.—The day wbb elear and cool, the
viod from the noethweat, eo that we traTelled
242
UP THE MISSODTII.
(lowly. After breakfasting at the Becoiid Jfandan
Tillage, we pasaed the ^f abaha at the mouth of
Knife rirer, a bandBome etream about eighty
forde wide. Beyoud tluB we reached the island
which captain ClJirk bad yieited on the 30th
October. This ielaad hae timber aB we]] an tbe
lowlandfi on the north, but its distanee froni the
water had prevented our cncampiiig there during
tbe winter. Prom the bead of this island we
mode three and a t&If mllea to a. point of wood
on the north, paeiiiiig a high bios' oa the eouth,
and having eome about fourteen milee. In tbe
courae of the day one of onr boats fllied and was
neat- sinking-; we however saved her with the loMt
of a little biscuit and powder.
Tuestlej', April ff- — We set off as Boon aa it wag
light, and proceeded Q.xe miles to breakfkBt, paea-
ing a low ground on the south, covered with
groves of cottouwood timber. At the distaaeeor
Bis milee, wo reached on the north a hunting camp
of Minnetarcea ConaBtiiig Of thirty lodges, and
bnilt in the usual form of earth and timber. Two
miles and a quarter farther, comes in on the-
sa.me Bide Atiry ereuk, a small Btream about t«a
yarda wide, wMeb, rising in eome lakeii Dear the
MouBC river, pasBes through beautifVil level fertile
plains without timber in a direction nearly aoutii-
west; the banks near its entrance being Steep, anfli
ragged on both sides of the Miseonri. Three tniles
above this creek we came to a bunting party of
Minnetarees, who 'had prepared a parh or incloB-
ure and were waiting the return of the anablope:
this animal, wbieh in the autumn retiree for food
and shelter to the Black monntainn during tho
winter, recroes the river at this beason of the year,
and spread themsehes through the plains on tht
Dorth of the Jilii>eouri, U'e halted and amokcd •
248
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
short time i^th them, aud then proceeded on
tliraagli handsome piaiaB on each Bide of the dTer,
and encamped at the dietanca of twenty-three and
a half milea on the north uide: the day Traa cle&f
and pleasant, the Wind high fVoiu the south, but
afterwards changad to a western steady breete.
Thy bluff's Tvhich we p&^eed to-day art upwards qf
one hundred feet high, composed of a mixture of
yellow {.'.lay and Baud, with mauy horizontal
Btrata of carbonated wood reBeitibliug pit-coal,
from one to five iiist in depth, and scattered
through the bluff at different elevations, Boni£ &a
high ag eighty feet above the water; the hi'll^
along the rlTer are broken, nod present erery ap-
pearani;e of baving been burned at eonie former
period ; great quantities of yumiceBtone and lava
or rather earthj which Beema to have be«n boiled
and then hardened by espoaure, being eeeu in
many parte of theHe hiUa where they are brolcen
and washed down into gullies by the raiu and
melting enow. A great number ofbrauts paaa Dp
the river ; there are some of them perfettly white,
except the large feathers of the first and second
joint of the wing wiiicb are black, thouj^b in everj
other characteriatic they reaenible coiumon gray
brant: we also saw but could not procure an
aaimal that burrowe in the grouud, aad eijoilar
in every respect to the burrowing squirrel, ejcept
that it ifl oaly one third of its size. This may be
the animal whose works we have often seen iu the
plains and prairies ; they resemble the laboure of
the aalaniander in the e&nd hills of South CarO-
Uita -and (.jeprgia, and like him, the aoJuialM rarely
come above ground) they coajgiet ofalitcle hillock
of ten or twelve pouudB of looae grouud which
would seem to have been reversed from a pot,
though no aperture is seen through which it coold
344
UP THE MISSOURI.
hSre been thro-wn .• on remoTing gently the earthy
you discover that the soil has been bfoken in a
circle of about an inch and a half diameter^ where
the ground is loowr though etiU nq qpening ]»
perceptible. When we stopped for dinner the
equaw went out, and after penetrating with a
sharp stick the holes of thfl mice, near eoine drift
■wood, brought to ne a quantity of Tvild arti-
chokes, which the mice collect and hoard in large
uumbere; the root ie white, of an ovate form,
from one to tliree inches long, a.nd generally of the
eize of b, man's Anger, and two, four, and some-
times aix roots are attached to a Bingle etalli. Ita
flavonr aa well aa the Btalk which isfiues from it
resemble those of the Jerusalem artichoke, except
that the latter is mnth larger, A large beftTCx-
wa^ caught in a trap lost night, and the mos-
qoitoea begin to trouble us,
Wednehday 10. — We again Bet off early with
clear pleaBant ■weather, and halted about ten for
breakfast, above a sandbank which wae tilling in,
and near a Hmall wiHow island. On both sides of
the MisBoari, after ascending the hills Sear the
water, one t^rtil? unbroken plain extends itaelfe^
far as the eye con reach, without a solitary tree
or ahmb, except in moist eituatioas or in the steep
decliritiea of liille where they are aheltered from
the ravages of fire. At the distance of twelve
miles we reached the lower point of a bluff on the
south ; wliich is in some parts ou fire and throws
ont quantitiee of auioke which has a etrong sul-
phurous smeU, the coal and other appearauceti ia
the bluffs being: like those deacribed yesterday : at
one o'clock we overtook three Frenchmen who
left the fort a Ifew days before ub, in order to make
the first attempt oh this river of hunting iieaver,
which th^y do by means of traps: their eSbrta
i45
LEWI3 AND CLAItK'S EXPEDITION
promise to be aucceflAf^l for thef hare alrudj
*a.ugh.t twelve which are finer ttaa &nj wehav*
«V^r Ht^t^n; thej meaD. ta accoinpaJiT' ii* 3* f4r A*
the Veilowfttoue river in order to obtaiu oar pro-
tection a^oiuab tbe AesLoiboiaid wko might attack
them. In the eveniiLg we encampiid on a wtltoir
■poiiit to the auuth opposite to a taiuff, above
which a amall cteek fallg in, and juat above a
tyimarkable bend ia the river to the southweat,
■which we ca-Ued tlie Littli^ Uaeia. Th* low
•g^ouuds which we passed to-daj possess more
itimbcr than ia asual, and are wider; the current ie
moderate, at leant not greater than that of the
Chio in high tides; the banks too fiiU in ^tlt lit-
"tla; 60 that the navigation comparatively "with
"that lower down the Missouri ia ipafe and ssmj.
We were 9Dab]«d to make eig-hteen aud a ho-lT
miles: wc »aw the track of a lar^ white bear,
there were also a herd of aotelopeB in the plaioB;
the geeae and HWan are now feeding in conaidera-
.ble quantitiefi on the young grae^ in the low
prairie«; wo ahot a prairie hen, aud a bald eag'Ie
of which there were many aeats lh. the tall cotton-
"wood trees ; but could procure neither of two elk
which were in the plain. Our old companiona the
moaqtiitoea have renewed their visits and gave ua
much uneaaineas.
Thursday lltb.—Vle. set out at daytight, and
&fber paaidng bare and barren hiUs on the south,
G-n.d a plain covered witli timber on the aorth,
br<>aki>uited at five mllee dietaace: here we were
regaled with a deer bronght in by the haaters,
wlucb waa very acceptable aa we bad been for
flsveral days ^vithont fresh meat ; the Country be-
tween this aud fort Maudan being bo fn:q.nently
^iatuFbed by huatere that the game has becoiae
eoacoe. We then proceeded with a gentle breeza
246
UP THE MieSOUBI.
from the Bouth which carried the periognea on
very well; the day tvAb iowever ao warm that
eeveriil of th* men ivorked 'with no clothe^ except
round the waiet, which Ib the less IncooTeuJent as
we are obliged to wade in some placee owing to
the BhallowneBS of the river. At aeren miteB we
reached a large gandbar making out ftom the
north. We again atopped for dtniker, after "which
we went on tu a emaU plain on the north covered
with Cottonwood where we encamped, haviug
made aijieteea milee. The country aronud ismuch
the eame as that we pBBsed yesterday; on the
ddes of the MUb. and even on the banks of the
riverfl, ad well as od the uandbars, is a white sub-
Btance which appears in conraderable quantities om
the surface of the earth, and tastes like a mixtqre
of common salt with glauber salts r inaD; of the
etreame which come from the foot of the bills, are
BO BtrongEy tmpregsated with thiB eubHtance, that
the water haa an nnpleasant toete and a purgo-
tiT* eflect. A bearer waa caught last night by
one of the Frenchmen; we killed two geeae, and
aa.v/ eoine cranes, the largeet bird of that kind-
common to the Misaonri and MisBiBBippl, and per-
fectly white except the large fl^athera on the two
first jointfl of the wing which are black. Under Sk
blnff opposite to our encampment we discovered
flome Indians with horseB, whom we Bupponed
w^M^ Minnetareee, bnt the width of the river pr^
vented oar speaking to them.
Friday, 12th, — We set off early and passed &
high range of MIIb on the «outh Bide, our perioguee
being obUged to go over to the south, in order to
avoid a aandbank which waa rapidly falling in.
At six miles we came to at the lower side of the
entrance of the Little MJSSOU-ri, Tphere weremained
during the day for the purpoae of making celestial
247
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
obe^rradoiM. TMh river emptier itself an tbe
eouth eldeorttie Missouri, one tliotieaad dx hnu-
drad and oinety-tbree milea iVooi its coniluenee
with the Missiaaippi. It riaea to tLe west of the
Black mountainaj acruas the northern extremity of
■which it finds a uarrow rapid pflanage along- high
.perpendicular baiil:^, then seeks the Mieaouriina
,;iiQrthea*tem directioQ, througli a broken couDtry
I with higtilaads bare gf timber, and the low
j^ounda particularly Bupphed with cottonwood,
iielm, amall ash, box, aldefj and an under^ruwth of
', TriUow, redwood, sometimes called red or swamp-
willow, tha red berry and chokecherry. la its
cour^ it ptisBe^8 near the northivest aide of tho-
^ Tortle mouutaio, wliich is said to be only twelve
r.,or fifteen mileid iVom its mouth ia a, etraigbt line a
little to the Bouth of west, so that both the Little
,_Mi880uri iind Knift river have been laid down too
I Sax southwest, it entera the Mi^ouri witb a bold
eurrentr ajid ie one hundred e.nd thirty-four yards
wide, but its greatest depth ie two f^et and a
jjmjf, and. this joined to its rapidity anditHMUid-
ibare, make the navigattoa diQjcult except for
canoeSf which may ascend it for a conaiderable
^distOQce. At the mouthj and aa far ae we could
.discern from the hille between the two rivers
about three mile« ttom their junction, the country
■JM much broken, the gqil sonneting uf a deep ricli
, .dark coloured loam, intermixed with a ^mall pro-
portion of &ne aaud and covered gbuerally with a
jihort gfBMa reeembha^ blue g^a^s. In its colour,
the nature of its bed, aud its general appearance,
it reaemblea no muek the Misisouri aa to induce a
b^U^ that the eouiLtrit^S they water are similar la
point of soil, From the Alandau villogi^ to this
place the conntry is hilly and irregular, with the
-Bame appearance of glauher salts and carbonated
:^48
UP THE MISSOUKI.
wood, th^ lo'cp groimd^ smooth, aaadj, and ^fkV-
tiaSlj cov*r«l witt cottunwood and email aah; at
fiome dktaatK! back tliero a-n tmtenvivs pimaa oS a
good soilj but without timber or water.
We f'oimd great qutuntitieB ofBiiiaJl onions which
grow flingte, the bulb of u-n oval form, white,
about the size of a. bullet with a leaf reae milling-
that of tite Bliive. Od the aide of aiieEghbourin^
hill, tbere ih a- epwiw of dw^rf c^ar ; it spreads
ita limbe along the eurface of the eurrth, which tt
aJmoBt conceals by ItB cloBBii<;Ba und thJckneSB, and
ia flometinies corered by Ltj having always a minj-
^bec of roots on the under eide, wMlt on the ui^per
arc a quantity of «hoot« which with their leaves
aeldom rise higher thaji s\s or eight inches ; ii is
an evergreen, ite leaf more delicate than that of
thecommoo cedar, though the taBte and amell ia
the same.
The conntrj around has been eo recently hunted
tbAt the g&me Are extremely shy, ho th&t a white
Tabblt, two beaver, a deer, and a bald eai^le were
■aH that we could procure, Tlie weather bad been
clear, warm, and pleasant in the niomiug, but
about three we had a Bquall of high wind and
rain with some thunder, which lasted tiU sSter
suiuet when it again cleai^ off.
Saturday IS. — We set out ab sunrEHe, and at
nine o'clock having the wind in our favour went
on rapidly pact a tiuibered law groimd on the
south, aad a creek on the north at tlw dlHtance of
nine mtleB, which we called Onion creak, fVoni the
qnantity of that plant which growa in the plaJaa
near it: this cr6ek. is about t<ixt(f«a yards Avide at
a mile and a half above its mouth, it diHcharge^
more water thaa i« usual for creek's of that slse in
tikis country, bat the whole plain which it waters
is totally deetltute of timber, Tht; MisBourl itaolf
h.
2-tO
LEWIS AND OLABl
widfena Tery remarkably jast above the junction
with the Little iliesourj ; j mined fately at the en-
trance of the latter, it is not Eiore than two hnn-
dred yards wide, anil ao shallow that it may be
passed in caaoes with setting poles, ivliile a few
milefl above it 58 upwards of a miie in width : ten
tnil wi beyond Onion creek Tre came to another,
discharging itself on the north in the centre of a
deep bend : oa asceadisg it for about a mile and a
half, we found it to be the diacharge of a pond or
Bmall lake, which seemed to have been once the
bed of the MiSBoari; near this lake were the tg^
iDaisH of forty-three temporary lodj^s which Mem.
to belong to the AsBiniboins, who are now on the
river of the same name, A great number of eT*ail
and creese were eIbo in it, and f^m thia cireum-
stance we named the creek Goose creek, and the
lake by the aame name : theae geese we observe do
not build their neata on the ground or in sand-
bars, bnt in the tops of lofty cottonwood trees:
we saw Kome elk and buffalo to-day but at too
great a distance to obtain any of them, though &
number of the carcaeea of the tatter animal are
Htrewed along the shore, having^ fallen through the
ice, and been swept alongf when the river broke
up. More bald eagles are Ae«u on thie part of the
MisBouri than we have previously met with; the
email or coninion ha^vk, eoninion in most parts of
the United States, are also found here: great
quantities of geese are feeding in the prairies, and
one flock of white brant or geese with black
wings, and some gray brant with tbem pass up
the river, and fVom their flight they Heem to pro-
ceed mvch (krther to the northiveet. We kilted
two antelopes which were very lean, and caught
laet night two beaver: the French hunters who
had procured seven, thinking the neighboufhood
250
HP THE MIfflBOtlHI.
of tJie Little MiBsonri a convenient tiuating gronnd
for that animiil, remained behind there : in the
evenLng we encamped Ui a bea.utiful plain on the
north thirty ftefe above the river, having made
tweiity-tw^P and a half miles.
Saitd&y 14. — We aet off eadj with pleoaant and
f^lr weatber: a dog* joined ub, wbicb we auppoee
had strayed flrom the Absiaiboin cfimp on the lake.
At two ajid a half miiea we pfteeed timbered low
grounds and a smfdl (^reek: in these low g:roiiada
are several tminhabited lodges built with the
hougha of the ehn, and the remoina of two recent
encatupmeate, which t^m the hoops of ^mall kega
foond in them we judged could lieloug to AsHini-
boiuB only, ae they are the ouLy MiBoouri Indians
who use spirituouB liquore: of these they are bo
paasionately fond that it forniB their cltief induce-
ment to viait the Biitiah on the AHainiboin, to
wLom they barter for ki^gs of rum their dried acd
pouod^d meat, their grease, and the skine of large
and small wolvee, and small foxes, The (laDg;er'
ouB exchange iB transported to their camps ivith
tbeii* fViendi^ aud relations, and Boon ejthaiiBted in
brutal intoxication: ao fas from considering
dmnkenneaa as dtBgracefnl, thp woiPQQ and ctlil'
dren are permitted and invited to shajre in these
excesaee with their husbandB and fathers, who
boast how often their ekil! and iucluetry as hunt-
ers has suppUed them with the means of intoxica-
tiou : la thifi, rut in their other habits and customs,
they resemble the Sioui Jtom whom they are
deecended; the trade with the Aeeioibqina and
Kuistenuux is encoaiaged by the BritlBh, because
it procures pruvialon for their aagnges on their
return from Rainy lake to the Enghah river and
the Athabasky country where they winter; these
men. being obliged duhug that voyage to pa«a
251
LEWIS AKD CLARE-S EXPEDITION
lapidly through a eonntry but scftntily Bupplied
-with game. We halted for diimec- near a large
Tillage op hurrpwing flquirrele, who \re observe
generally select a southeaeterly exposure, though
they are aometimeB found in the plaine, At ten
and a quarter milee Tve came to the lower point
of an island, which ttom the day of our arrival
there we called Sunday island: here the river
Vfaehea the baeeR of the hilla on bcth (iid^S nnd
above the island, whicli with its Baudbar extenda
a mile ani a half: two email creeks ftUl in from
the south; the upperiaoat of theae, whith is the
largeat, we called Chaboneau's creeli, aft#r our
interpreter who oncB encamped on it several weeitH
with a party of Indians. Beyond thig np whit*
, man had ever been except two Frenchmen, one of
whom Lapago m with ub, and who having lost
their way straggled a few nulea fhrther^ though to
'what point we could not aecertain: about a mile
and a half beyond this island we encamped on a
I point of woodland on the north, having- made in
all fourteen railes.
The Afislniboiaa have bo reeently left the river < '
that game is scarce and shy. One of the haatera "J
ehot at an otter last evening; a buBklo too woS'U'
skilled, and an elk, both so poor aa to be almost
'nnfltfor use; two white bear were also Been, and
a muskrat Bwitmning acroea the river. The river
cootintiefl wide and of about the same rapidity aa
the ordinary current of the Ohio. The low
grounda are wide, the moiBter parts containing
timber, the upland extreuieiy broken, withont
wood, and in some places Keem as if they had
aJipped down in maiiaee of several aerw in surface.
The mineral appearances of salte, coal, and sul-
phur, with the burnt hill and pumice^tone con-
tinne, and a tiituminoua water about the colour
252
UP THE MiaSOTJBT.
of Btrong l^e, with the taste ofglaub^r B<R aixd
a Blight tiutfture of alum. Many geeen were feed-
ing m the prairies, and a numlier uf magpies who
build their Jieeta mut;h like tboee of the bla4;kbird
in trees, acd composed of small sticks, leaves and
gr&Bs, open at top: the egg ia of a bluish brown
colour, freckled with reddiBb brown apota. We
h\bo killt>d a Jar^ bootinj^ owl rtJBtiinbliag that of
the United Stateu, ex<;ept that it was nLore buoted
and elad with feathers, On the hilla are man;
arumutic herba, resembling in taat-ej Btuell and ap-
pearance th(^ s&g^, hfasap, Tvurniwood, BOd.thern
■wood, juniper and dwarf cedar; a plant also
abont two or three ft?et high, similar to the cam-
phor Id sm^ll and taete, and another plant of tLe
Bame size, with a long-, narrow, amooth, soft leaf,
of an aj*re«able sniell and flarour, which ib a
fttvourite food of the antelope, whose necka are
often perfumed by rubbing against it.
Monday IS. — Wb proceeded under a fine breeie
from the Booth, aad clear pleasant weather. At
BflTeri mileH we readied the lower point of an
island in a bend to the Bouth, which ib two miles
in length. Captain Clark, who went about nine
miles aorthward from the river reiicb«i the high
grounds, which, like those we have eeen, are level
plaiuB without timber; here he oliaerved a number
of drains, which deecending from tlie bills pursue a
northeast course, and probably empty into the
llonae river, a branch of the Aesitiiboin, which
from Indiam a^tounts approachea very near to the
MlBBOuri at thin place. Like all the rivaleta of
this neighbourhood these drains were so strongly
impregnated with mineral ualta that they are not
fit to drink. He Baw alBO the retnaiiiB of several
campa of AeainiboinB: the low grounda on both
i^sidee of the river are extenatve, rich, and level. In
353
LEWIS AND CLAEK'a EXPEDITION
a little pond on the aortb, we hoard for the flrafe
time thia seaaon thE croaking of froga, which
exactly resemblffi that of the email frogs in the
TJnited Statea : there at* also in thfi&e plains great
quantities of geeue, and manj of the grouse, or
prairie hen, as they are called hj the K. W. *om-
poa; traders; the Dote of the male, an fi3T as
words caa rept^Hcnt It, is cook, toak. cook, coo,
eoo, coo, the first part of which both male and
female use when flying; the male too drums with
faie^ TringB "when he fliCB in the Bame "wAj, though
not so loud as the pheaeant; they apiiear to be
mating-. Some dewj elk, and goats were in the
low grounds, and buffalo on the sand beocbea,
but they were uncommonly ahy; we also aair a
black bear, and two white ones. At fifteen milca
we pflBsed on the north side a small creek twenty
yarda wide, wMch we called Goatpen creek, from
a park or encioeure fqr the pprpoge qf eatehing
that animal, which thoee who went up the creek
found, and which we preanme to haTe been left
by the AsBioiboins. Ita water ia Jroprepaated
with mineral salts, and thecoTintry through whieh
it flows consista of wdde -and very fertile plains,
bnt without any trees. We encamped at the diis-
taaice of twenty-three miles, on a eandpolat to
the south; wa posBed In the eyeniog a rock In
the middle of the river, the channel of which a lit-
tle above our camp, ia confined within eighty
yarda.
Tuesdsjr 16.— The morning was clear, the wind
light fhjm the S. F,. The country preeents the
Bame appearance of low plaine aad meadows on
the river, hounded a few miles back by broken
hille, which end in high level fertile lands, the
qnantity of timber ia however increasing. The
appearances of minerals continues aa UBual, and
334
UP THE MISSOURI.
to-day we fouod seTeral etones which seemed to
hare been wood, firat carbonated and then petri-
fied by the water of the HisHOiiri, which haa the
same ^Sbtt an man; vegetable gubAtances. There
la indeed reason to believe that the strata of coal
ta the hills cause the fire and appearances which
the; exhibit of being burned. WheaeTer tbeae
marka present themyelrtis in the bluSh on the
river, the coal is seLdom Beejn, and when fonnd in
the aeiglibourhood of the Htrata of butut earth,
the coal with the sand and sulphuroua matter
neually accompanying it, in pi^ciselj at the same
height and nearly of the eame tliicIuieBs with
thoBe strata. We passed three small creeks or
rather runa, wiiich rise in the hilla to the nortlu
Numbers of geeae, and a few ducks chiefly of the
mallard and blue'winged teal, many bufialo, elk
and deer were alao obHerred, and in the timbered
low grounds this moroing we were surprieed to
observe a great quantity of old hornets' oeetB:
we encamped in a point of woods on the south,
haring come eighteen miles, though the circuits
which we were obliged to make round sandbara
very much increased the real distance.
Wetfonsihiy, April 27.— '^s set off early, the
weather being fine, and the wind so favourable as
to enable ub to sail the greater part of the
course. At ten and three quarter miles we passed
a creek ten yai-d« wide on the south; at eighteen
miles a little run on the north, and at night en-
camped in a woody point on the south. We had
travelled twenty-six milea through a country
similar to that of yesterday, except that there
were greater appearances of burnt hills, furnishing
large quantities of lava and pumiceBtone, of the
last of which we observe some pieces floatiag
down the river, ae we had previouslj. done, bs
355
LEWIS ANtiCLAEK-S EXPEDinON
loTT as the Little Misi^ouri. In all tte copoefi of
wood are the reniaJriB of the ABBiiu"boin enca.inp-
mente; arountl us ars gre^t quantitiea of game,
Bvch as berdB of buSklo, elk, antelopes, soma
deer anil wolves, the tracta of bear, u. eurJew was
also Bflen, and we obtained three beavei-, thefleah
of which 19 more relished by the mea than any
other food which wo have. Just before we en-
camped we eaw Rome trdcts of Ipdiane, who had
passed twenty-four faourB before, and leit four
raftB, and whom we Boijpoaed to be a band of
ABBiriiboina on their return fkim war againet the
Indians on the Bockj moitntaius.
Thursday IS. — We had again a pleasant day,
and proceeded on with a ivesterly wind, "which
however changed to N. W. and blew bo hard that
we were obliged to Btop at one o'clock and ro-
matn four hours, when it abated and we then con-
tinued our course.
We encamped about dark on a ■woody bank
having made thirteen mileH. The country pre-
Bented the usual variety of highlande Inter^perBed
with rich plains. In odo of these we obBerved a
Bpeeiee of pea bearing a yellow flower, w^hich la
now in bloseom, the leaf and Btalk reBembling the
common pea. It seldoin risef< higher than sii
inches, and the root is perennial. Oa the rose
bushes we aUo saw a quantity of the hair qf the
buffalo, which had become perftctly white by ei-
poanre, and reBcmbled the wool of the sheep, ex-
cept that it wfta much finer aiid more eoft and
eilky. A buffalo which we killed yeatcrday had
shed his long hair, and that which remained was
about two iochefl long, thick, fine, aud would
have fumitihed five pounds of wool, of which we
have no doubt an eicellent cloth may be made.
Out game to-day was a beaver, a deer, an elk,
DP THE AUSSOURI.
sjid »ODie geese. The river has been crooked all
day and b^aricg towanJa the eooth.
On the hJlLs ^v« observed coasiderable qaantitiefl
of dwarf juniper, which Beldoai growH higher than
tiree fbet. We killed in the coarse of the day an
elk, three geese and a beaver. The beaver on thia
[Htjt of the Miseoari are in grediter (gillkntitieB,
larger and fatter, and their fur is more abundant
and of a darker colour than any we bad hitherto
seen ; their fUvoitrite food eeeiuB to be the bark of
the Cottonwood and willow, as we have aeeano
other species of tree that hELs been tonched by
them, and these thej gnaw to the ground through
a diameter of twenty incheH.
The P*xt day, I'riday, 19th, the 'wind was ho
high ftom DOrthweBt that we could aot proceed,
but bein^ less violent on
Satnrdaj 20th, we eet off about seven o'clock,
and had nearly lost one of the canoes as we left
the shore, by the falUng in of a larg« part of the
bank. The wind too became again so strong that
we could scarcely make one mile aa hour, and the
auddcD squallB ao daugerouB to the small boats,
that we stopped for the nig:ht among- some wil-
lows on the north, not being able to odvaDce
more than six and a half miles. Id walking
through the neighhunring plains we found a fiml
fertile soil covered with cottonwood, some boi,
alder, ash, red elm, and an andergrowiih of wil-
low, rosebuBhea, honeysuckle, red willow, goose-
berry, currant, and nerviceberriofi, and along the
foot of the hills great qttantltica of hyssop. Our
banters procured elk and deer w^hich ai% now lean,
and six beaver which are fatter and more polat*
sble. Along the plain there were alHO sotuel^ndiaii
camps; near one of theee was a ecafibld about
■eren feet highj on which were two eleds ivith
Vol. I.—17
357
LEWIS AND CLARK'S ESPEDITION
tlidr haraess, tind under it the body of a fbmale,
carefully wrapped in several dregeed buSalo
Bkiua; QeAr it lAy & ^f^g made Of buffalo skin,
containing a pair of moccasine, eome red aad blue
paint, beaver's oaili^, scrapers for dreesinf^ hides,
some dried rootB, eeyeral plaits of sweet grosa,
and aBmall quantity of Mandan tobacco. TheBe
thing's as well Blb the body itself bad probably
fklien down by act^ident, an the custom \b to place
them on the Hcafibld. At a little diBtani:e was the
body of a dog not yet decay^, w^hQ had met
this reward for having dragged thus far in the
sled the corpse of hia mistresH, to whom ac-
cording to the Indian usage he had been Bac-
riflced.
Suadaj- SlBt.—hOst night there M-&a a hard
white fi-oat, and this moruiug the weather cold,
but clear and pleasant : iu the course of the day
however it became cloudy and the wind roee.
The coontry ia of the same deHcription aa within
the last few days. We saw Immense quantities of
buffalo, elk, deer, antelopes, g«e^, and Aome
Swan and ducks, out of which we procured three
deer, four bqfialo calves, ^vhich la:St are equal in
fiavoar to the most delieiouB veal; also two
beaver, and an otter. We passed one larg« and
two small creeks on the south aide, and reached
at sixteen milefl the month of Whiteearth river,
coming in from the north. This river before it
reaches the low grounds near the Missouri, i& a
fine bold stream sixty yards wide, and is deep and
navigable, but it is so much choked up at the
entrance by the mud of the lliBBOuri, that its
mouth Ifi not more than ten yards "nide. Its
coarse, a» ftir as ive could diacers fVoin the neigh-
bouriug hills, la nearly due north, paaeing through
a beautiful and fertile valley, though without a
258
UP THE MISSOUHI.
tree or bush of any descnptioii. Half a mile hem
jond this river we enCftmped OH the «am(; didd
below a point of bigblaud, which from it« ap-
pearance w* call Cut bluff".
JJoiiday ^i'rf.— The day clear and coM; wo
paeeed a high bluff on tbe Dorth and plainu on tbe
south, in which were large lierda ol' liuffalo, till
brtakl^t, when the wind beciLme ao Htrong' ahead
that we proceeded witb difficulty even with the
aid of the towline. 8aiue of the partj now
walked acroHB to tlie Whiteearth riv«r, which here
at the di^tatice oi' foar mile^ ft^m ita mouth ap-
proafthcB very near to the Jliseouri. It contains
more waiter than it; usual in atreama i>f the same
mze at tliia seaeud, with steep batiks about ten or
twelve feet high, and the water is Diuch clearer
th«n th*t of the MiHftouri; the ealts which have
been meatiooed aa ccimnion on tbe Misaouri, are
here so abundant that in maoy placea the gronnd
appears i>erfei?tly wliite, and from this eireuni-
etance it may have derived its name; it watera aa
open country and in navigcble alrcoat to tta
source, ^-h(ch ie ngt far froni the 8aekaiikawan,
and judging from ka dze and course^ it is proba-
ble that it extendi^ as far uorth aa the iUYieth
degree of latitude. After much delay in conee-
qnenceof the high wind, we ancceeded in making
tleveu mileB, and encamped in a low ground on the
Bouth covered ivith cottonwood and rabbit ber-
ries. The hills of the Miaeouri near this plac«
esiublt large irregular brokco masBCB of rocks and
^^ Btonea, £Ome of which, although two hundred
^H tbet above the water^ eetm at some remote period
^H to have been eubject to its influence, beio^ ap-
^^^ parently worn sraooth by the agitfltian of the
■ water. The^ rocke and e-tooes consist of white
I and gray granite, a brittle black rock, flint, lime-
■ 2i:9
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
none, fr&estone, Bome amall epecimmfl of an exral-
lent pebble, and octaaionolly broken stratas of a
Itlauk coloured e^tone like petrified wood, which
makegood whetstunee. The naual appearances of
coal, or carbonated wood, and pumiccetoae etUl
coatiTiue, the coal beiii^ of a better quality and
when burnt nfforda a hot and lasting fire^ emit-
ting very little smoke or flame. There are large
herds of deep, elk, buffalo^ and antelopes in view
of as; the hufialo are not so shj as the reet, for
thej suffer us to approtwL within one hundred
yards before thej run, and then etop and reeume
their paature at a very Biort distance. Tha
wolvea to-day pursued a herd of them, and at
length eaught a calf that waa nnable to k^jp up
■with tha rest; the mothers on these ofrasionB
defending their yqung ae long as they can retreat
OB fast RS the herd, but seldom retumiiLg any
distance to eeek for them.
Tuesday 5-5.— A clear and pteaeant mornings but
at nine o'clock the wind became eo high that the
boate "were in danger of upsetting; v/c therefore
were forced to etop at a place of safety till about
fire in the ftfttrnoon, when the wind being lower
we proceeded and encamped on the north at the
distance of thirteen and a half miles: the party oq
flliore brought ua a bufialo calf and three blacks
tatted deer; the Band on the river has the same
appearances a» ugual, eic*pt that the quantity of
wood increase^.
We^JnesiJayM.—Tbe wind blew ko high during
the whole day that we were unable to movei such
indeed was its* violence, that although we were
sheltered by high timber the warts wet many
articles in the boats r the hunters went out and
returned witli four deer, two elk. and eoine young
woivea of the email kind. The party are very
2ti0
UP THE MISSOURI.
much Affli«t«l with eore e^yeB, which we preenma
are ocfaeioned by tlie vast quantitiea of eaod
which are driven ft'om the tsmidbtiTB Id eucb douda
as often to hide from us tJie vieworthe oppoeite
bank. The particlea of this saod are bo fine and
light that it tloatB for Tniles in the air like a
c&lumn of thick emoke, and ia so penetrating that
nothing' can be kept fVee fVora it, and we are com-
pelled to eat, drink, and hreath* it very copioasly.
To the same caase 'we attribute the disorder of
one of our watches, although her easea are double
and tipht; since without any defect in its works,
that we can discover, it will not run for more
than a few minutes without etoppiu^.
ThnrsdRy 2S. — The wind moderated thia mom'
Ing, but was Btlll high ; we therefore Bet out early,
the weather beiu^ bo cold that the water froze oa
the oare as we rowed, and about ten o'clock the
wind iDcrea«ed bo much tha-t we were obliged to
stop. This detention iVoin the wind and the rfr
porte froni our hunters of the CFOokedneeB. of the
river, induced ua to believe that we were at no
great distance from the YeilowBtone river. In
order therefore to prevent delay as much as pos-
sible, captain LewiB determined to go on by land
in Bearch of that river, tind make the nCceasary
observationB, »o am to be enabled to proceed on
immediately after the boats should join liim: be
ther^ore Eanded about eleven o'clock on the Boath
aide, accompanied by four men; the boats were
pTevented from going until Ave in the afternoon,
when they went on a few mllCH fnrther and en-
camped tor tbe night at the distance of fourteen
and a half mile^.
I'Yiday -W, — We continued our voyage in the
morning and by twelve o'clock encamped at eight
miloB distance, at thejunetian of the Missouri and
261
LEWIS AH
IK'S ESPEDltWil^
TellowHtone rivers ; where we Trere Boon joined by
captain Lewie,
On leaving us yesterday he puraned Me route
along the foot of the hilla, which ha actcended at
the distance of eight miles ; ft-om these the wide
plains ■watefed by the Miseouri and the YeUow-
Btone spread themaelres before the eye, occasion-
ally varied with the wood of the banks, enliveDed
by the irregular windings of the two rivera, and
animated by vast herds of bufiklo, deerj elk, and
anteiope. The confluence of the two riveTS waa
concealed by the wood, but the Yellowstone itself
■was oaty two miles distant to the south. He
therefore deece-nd^ the liilU and @n(;aniped on th^
bank of the river, having killed aB hecrosaE^d the
plain fonr buBhloeB; the deer alone are Bhy and
retire to the woods, but the elk, ant-elope, and
buflaJo suffered him to approach them without
alarm,, and often foUow^ed him quietly for SDtn6
distance. Thi^ morninjiC he sent s. man np the
river to examine it, while he proceeded down to
the janctLon: the ground os the lower side of the
Tellowetone near itB mouth, ie flat, and for about
a mile seema to he Bubject to inundation, while
that at the point of junction, as well as on the
opposite side of the Missouri, is at the neaal
height of ten or eighteen ftet above the water,
and therefore not overflown. There is more tim-
ber in the neighbourhood of tbii place, and on the
ItlisBOuri, as far below aa the Whiteearth river,
than, on any other part of the Missouri on this
side of the Chayenne: the timber consists princi-
pally of COttOQw-ood, with some email elm, aeh,
and box alder. On the sandbars and along the
mar^n of the river grows the email-leafed willow;
tn the low grounds adjoining are scattered rose-
buflhea three or four feet high, the redberry, ser-
2G3
Tieeberry and redwood. The higher plains are
dtter immediatdf on the rivet, in wbicli case they
are gent^raily timbered, and have an uiLdcrgTowth
like tlLat of the low grounda, with the addition of
tie broad-leafed willow, gooBeberryj chokecherry,
purple cun-ant, and honsyBUcklfi; or they are be-
tween the low grouade and the failta, and far the
most part without wood or »ny thing except
large quaatitieB of wild hysaop ; this plant rieea
about two (feet high, and lilse the willow of the
sandbars is a favourite food of the liufl'aloj elk,
deftc, geouBe, poMupine, hare, and rabbit. This
riTer which had been known to th« French an the
Bocbe jaone, or ae w* have oa-WeA it the Tellow-
Btone, rloes according to Indlaa information in the
iiocky moantains ; ita sources are near thoae of the
MiBaouri and the Platte^ and it may be navi-
^at«d in canoee almost to ita bead. It runs firab
through a mountainous country, bnt in many
parts fertile and well timbered; it then waters a
rich delightful laud, broken into valli?«i and mead-
owe, and well supplied with wood and water till
it reaches near the Miaaouri open meadows and
low g^rounds, anfflciently timbered on ita bordera.
In the upper country its course is represeDted Aa
very rapid, but during the two laat and largest
portions, it« current is much laoTQ gentle than
tliat of the MisBouri, which it resembles also In
being turbid though with leBB aediment. The maa
who was Bent up the river, reported in the eren-
iDg that he had gone about eight mile^, that dur-
ing that distance the river winda on both aidea of
a plain four or dve miles wide, that the cviirent
was gentle and much obatnicted by Bandbare,
that at Qve miles he had met with a large tim-
bered island, three miles beyond which a creek
ftUa in on the S. E, above a high bluff, tn wlilcli
263
LKWia AND (JLAltK'S ESTEDITION
ore BeTeral strata, of coal. The eouDtry as f^r aa
he could diecf rn, reaembled that of the MiBsouri,
and in the plain he met aeveral of the bighorn
flnimalfl, but they were too shy to be obtained.
The brf of the iello-wsbone, as we obaerved it
near the mouth, ia <!oinpoaed of sand Knd, iDud,
■without « Btoqe of any Mod. Jaet above the eon-
fliieace we meaeured the two rivecB, and found the
bed of the MiBSouri five hundred and twenty yards
TFide, the water occupying only three hundred and
thirty, and the (Channel de<!p; whUe the Veliow-
Btone, ineCuding iha sandbar, occupied ei^ht han-
dred and ttfty-ei^ht yards, with two bunclred aad
niaety-eeven yarda of water; the deepest part of
the channel is twelve feet, but the river ia now
falling and eeems to be nearly at its summer
height.
April Sr.— We left the mouth of the Tellow-
Btone. FroHi the point of junction a wood occu-
pies the Bpace between the two riverB, which at
the dietance of a mile comea vrithin two hundred
and fifty yards of each other. There a beantifnl
low plain commencee, and widening ae the rivera
- recede, extends along: each of them for several
miles, netng about half a mile fVom the Miwouri
into a plain twelve t^t higher than iteelT. The
I ' low plain l& a few inchea above high water mark^
and where it joiuB the higher plain th(>re Is a
channel of sixty or eeventy yards in width,
through which a. part of the Miseouri when at its
greatest beig'ht poeeee into the YellowBtone, At
two and a half miles above the juuctioD and be-
tween the hi^b and low plain is a small lake, two
hundred yards wide, extending for a mile parallel
with the Missouri along the edgi^ of tiie upper
plaia. At the lower extremity Of this lake-, abotit
fbtkT hqxidred yards from the iMjeeouri, and twice
264
trP THE MISSOtJIH.
that dietanw from the Yellowstone, le a sitnation
highly eJigible for a trading eatabttBhinent ; it ie in
the tigh. plain ivliich estends bact three miles in
Tridtlir and Geren or eight miles in length, along
the YellowBtoue, where it is bordert'i by an es-
tenHive body of woodland, and along the Mlesouri
with less breadth, till three miles above it ii» cir-
cumscribed by tha bills within a apace four yards
in "wjdth, A suflicient quantity of limeetone for
building may easily be procured near the junction
of the rivere; it does aot lie in regular etratae,
but iH in lai^ irrejjular masaeH, of a light colour
and apparently of an excellent quality. tJaniB too
is very abundant, and as yet quite gentle; above
all, its elevation recommends it aa prefbrable to
the land at the confluence of the liverB, wbicli
their variable chaanelH may render very iuewure.
The N". W. wind rose eo high at eleven o'clock,
that we were obhged to atop till about four in the
afternoon, whed w^e proceeded till dusk. Oil the
Bonth a beautiful plain e^paratea the two rivera,
till at about mi miles there ia a timbered piwe of
low ground, and a little above It bluflu, where tlte
eonntry riBes gradually from the river; the Bitua-
tione on the north more high and open. We ea-
camped on that 6ide, the wind, the a&nd which it
raised, and the rapidity of the current having
prevented our advancing more than eight mUea;
during the latter part of the day the river becomee
wider and crowded with eandbare : although the
game ie in such plenty we kill only what ii^ necee-
aarj for out Hubaistence. Fof eeveral days past
wB have seen great numbers of buffalo Ijiug dead
along the uhor*, end some of theni partly de-
voured by the wulvea; they have either sunk
through the ice during the winter, or been
drowned in attempting to croas^ or e!ae, after
SW6
UP THE MISaOTJET.
CHAPTER Vm.
Crnmaal appeonnc^ of gait— -The formlilKliIe characlw ot tb«
wMW l«w— Ptircuplnu rti-eraeBcriiMia— BettutllwlafywiraiiiM
cr Uie flUrroimdlnK country— I mnienfle quantlUaa at gamfr—
MUl r£7cr described— Est ran rdlnary charscter (if BIgdiT rive-r
— AD InslAJtCfi *>l \tn)xmn\an teuteKv ot life In b. irblw bvar —
SBTKiw escape of oae ot ttie tmn; fmin tbBt ftalmDl — A. still
more ramajkabie lustance — Musctestiell river described.
Sait'lay SS.— The day waa clear mid pleaeantf
and the wind having sliiffM to eoutheaetf we
could employ our Baila, and w<^nt twentj-four
miles to a low ground on the north opposite to
steep blufla: the eouatry on both sii^ea is much
broken, tin; hills approaching nearer to the river,
anfl forming bluffs, Bome oCa white and others of
& t^ dolouff and exhibiting the usual appfcarauceg
of mitierala, and aome burnt hille though without
any pii mjijestone ; the ealts are in greater quauti-
tiee than usual, aud the bauks aad saindbBfB are
covered with a white incmetation like froat. The
low grounds are lovel, fertile and partially tim-
bered, but are not eo wide ae for a ffew days past.
The woods are now green, but the plains and
meadowB ^e^m to have lee» verdure than those
below : the only atreaiuB which we met to-day are
two email runs on the north and one on the
eonth, which riae in the neighbouring hills, and
have very little water. At the diatance ofeighteen
milee the MisBOirri makea a Considerable bend to
the southeast: the game is very abundant, the
commou, and mule or blacktailed deer, elk, buT-
felo, antelope, brown bear, beaver, and geese.
The bearer have committed g^reat devaatarioa
207
LEWIS AND
Among the trees, one of which, nearly three feet
ID diameter, had been gnawed through by them.
Monday 29, — We proceeded earty with a moder-
ate wind : captain Levrib who was on ahore with
one hunter met about ei(fht o'clock two white
hears: of the strength and ferocity of this ftmmaJ,
the Indtani* had {^iven ub dreadful occountBi: they
il@Ter attack him but in parties of ^VX. or eight
persons, and eyen then are ollen defeated with
tJie ]oB8 of one or more of the party. Hav-
ing no weapons but bowe and arrow*, and the
bad guna with which thR traders aupplj them,
t^ey are ohUged to approach very near to the
bear; and at< no wound except through the head
or hetirt iij mortal, t]i«y frequently fall a aacriflce
if tbey nues their aim. He rather atta^ikB than
avoids a man, and such ia the terror which he
has jnapired, that the Indians who go in gue^t of
him paint themeelvea and perform all the auper-
etilioiiB riteg. customary when they make war oa
a neighboariug- nation. Hitherto those we had
Been did nut appear deeiroue of encounterini^ ns,
but although to a skilful rifleman the danger is
very much diminiahed, yet the white bear is atill a
tetrible animal : on at^proaching these two, both
captain I>ewie and the hunter fired and each
wounded a b«ar: on« of tbem mode hia escape;
the other turned upon captain Lewie and pursued
him seventy or eighty yards, but being badly
wounded he could not run so faat aa to prevent
him from reloading hie piece, which he again
aimed at him, and a third »ihot fVom the haater
brought him to the ground: he was a male not
quite full grown, and weighed about three hun-
dred poundu: the lege are somewhat longer than
those of the black bear, and the talons and tnska
much largei* and etrocger. The testicles are also
208
placed much fttrtfaer forward and snepeDded in
Heparate poucbee hom two to four iiiuhes aeunder,
"wliile tboBe i>r the block bear are Bituated Dock
between the tliigba ami in a aingle pouch like
tbo»e or the flog: ita colour is a j^llowieli brown,
the eyes umiiU, black, and piercing, the front of
the fore legs near tt^ feet is usually block, fl.nd the
fur IB Qner, thicker, nnJ deeper than that of the
black bear: acid to ivUicii, it is a more furious
animal, and very remarkable for the wounds
which it will bear without dyin^.
We are Surroanded "With, d-eer, elk. buffalo, ant^
lopee, and their companions the wolvea, who have
become more nunMTOHu and make gr**^ ravages
amoDg them^ the hills are here much more rough
and iiig:Ei, aad almost overhang the banks of the
river. There are greater apitearances of coal than
we have hitherto eeen, the etratae of it being in
some placea eJx ftet thick, and there are stratas of
burnt earth, which are always ov, the same level
with thcae of coal. In the eTeaing; after coming
twenty-five milea we encamped at the entrance of
a river which emptier itaeif into a beud on the
north 6ide of the Missouri: this stream which we
called Martha's river, ia about fifty yards wide,
with water for fifteen yards, the banks are of
earth, and ete«p, though not high, and the bed
principally of mud. Captain Clark, who aficeoded
it for three milefl, found that it continued of the
same width with a gentle current, and purauing
its conrse about north 30' west, through an di-
tenaive, fertile, and beautiful \'allej, but Avithout
a single tree. The water i« clear, and ha,8 a
brownish yellow tint; at this place the highlaada
which yesterday and to^iny had approached bo
near the river became tower, and receding from
the water left a valley aeven or eight nslea wide.
269
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
TttBsday 30. — The wind waa high from the
north during laet eTeniaf; and continued so this
moroing: we however contintied, and found the
iiTer more winding than usual and with a number
of sand islaade and bare, an one of 'which laet we
encamped at the dlBtauce of tweuty-foar milee.
The low grouade are fertile and extensive but
with very little timberj and that (!ottonwood,
very had of its kind, being too small for planks.,
and broken and dead at tbo top and unsound in
the centre of the trunk. We pa&sed some ancient
lodges of driftwood which do not appear to have
been lately iababited. The game coDtinues abuQ-
dant: wd killed the largest male elk we have yet
Been ; on placing it in ita natural erect position, we
found that it meoaut-ed five feet three iD<;hee from
the point of the hoof to the top of. the elioulder.
The antelopes are yet lean and the females are
with youu^: this fleet and quick-sighted aaimal ie
generally the victim of ite curioaityr when they
fixat Bee the huntera they run with great velocity ;
if he lies down on the groaad and lifts up his arm,
his hat, or his foot, the antelope returds on a
light trot to look at the objecti and sonietjines
goes and retume two or three times till they ap-
proach withiQ reach of the rifle: ho too they
Bometimes leave their flock to go and look at the
TFolvefl who crouch down, and if the antelope be
frightened at first repeat the eame manoeuvre,
and sometimes relieve each other till they dcKoy it
from the party when they eeixe it, But generally
the wolres take them ae they are croaaing the
rivera, for although ewift of foot they are oot
good Hwimmere*
WedaesdRy, ifdj- J.— The wind waa in our
fivonr and we were enabled to use the saila till
twelve o'clock, when the wind became bo high and
370
DP THE MiaaOUHT.
eqaall; that we were forced to come to at the
distaDce of ten miles oa the Bouth, in a loir
ground stocked with cottonwood, and rfmain
there duiriDg the day; one of the canoee beiiigf
separated from ua, and not able to cross over in
CQDBeqiience of the high waves. The coontrj"
around ih more pteoaaut than that throug^b which
p had passed for Beveral days, the hills bein^
r, tlie low grounctB wider and better eapplied
th timbeff which conmste priniipally of cotton-
wood: the undergrowth willow On the bnnks and
'Bandbare, roBebueLes, rEKlwillow, and the broad-
leafed willow in the low plaio^, while the high
country on both sides is one esteaaive plain with-
out wood, though the soil ia a dark, rich, mellow
loam. Our hnnters killed a buffalo, an elk, &
goat, and two beaTer, and also a biM of the
plo7er kind.
Thursday, 2d. — The wind continned liigh duping
the oight, and at daylight it begian to snow and
did not stop till ten o'clock, when the ground waa
covered an inuh deep, Jbrming a striking control
with the Tegetation which U now coneiderably
advanced ; some flowere having put fortik, and the
COttonwQod leaves as large as a dollar. The
wind lulled about five o'clock io the afternoon,
and we then proceeded along wide fertile low
grounds and high level plains, and encamped at
the distance of four miles. Our^ame to-day waa
deer, elk, aud buffalo: we alflo procured three
beaver who are quite gentle, as they have not
been hunted, but when the hunters are in pursuit
they never leave their huts daring the day: this
animal we esteem a ^at delicacy, particularly
the tail, which when bailed resembles in flavour
the flesh tong^ues and sounds of the codfish, and is
generally bo large as to afford a plentiful meaj for
271
LEWIS AND CIAEK'S EXPEDITION
two men. One of the iiuntera iu pasBing near aa
old Indiaa camp found several jraxde of itco-rlet
clotb, Buepended on the bougbe of a tree as a
eacriiice to the deity by the AHBiniboinB: theeuB-
tom of making theee offeriugu being common
among thftt people as indeed amon^ all the In-
dians OQ the MiB&O'iiri. The air 'wag sharp this
evening; the water froze on tb« oare as wa rowed,
and, in the morning,
Friday, 3d, the weather became quit^ cold, the
ice waa a qoarter of an inch thick in the kettlcj
ajtd. the snow sCill continued on the hills though
it has melted from the plains. The wind too
continued high flroia the weat, but not ho Tiolently
as to prevent our going oa. At two milee l^om
our eacAinpmeiit we passed a curiouB collection of
bushes about thirty feet hig'h and ten or twelve in
diameter, tied in the form of a niBcine and Ktand-
ing on end in the middle of the low ground : this
too we Hupposed to have been left by the Indiana
as a religiouH sacrifice ; at twelve o'clock the usual
hour we baited for diaaer. The low grouuclB on
the river are much wider tbao common, eome-
timee extending from five to nine milea to the
bighlande, which are much lower than heretofore,
not being more than fifty or sixty feet above the
lower plain: through all this valley traces ofthe
ancient bed of the river are every wtere visible,
and siocG the tiilLs have become lower, the stratas
of coal, burnt earth, and pumiceBtone have in a
great measure ceased, there being in f^t none to-
day. At the distance of fourteen miles we reached
the moath oi'a river on the north, which from the
unusual number of porcupines near it, we called
Porcupioe river. Thia i» a bold nad beautiful
stream one hundred aad twelve yards wide,
tbouffh the water ta only forty yarde at its eo-
272
VP THE MISSOURI.
trance: captain Clark wlio aucended it sevArol
I* inile« and parsed it above where it enters the bigh-
landB, found it continued nearly qf the ^am^ width
I' and about knee deep, ajid as ikr as he could dis-
tinguiab for twenty miles from the hilla, ita i^ourae
■waa fhiin a little to the east of north. There waa
much timber on the low grOunda: lie found Home
limestone aluo on the Burf^e of the earth in the
course oflua watk, aod »a-w a> range of low moun"
tainJi at a' distance to the west of north, wboae
direction waa northwest; the BdjaiDiDg country
[ being every where level, fertile, open, and exceed-
inglj beautiful. The water of this riveP ie trans-
parent, and ie the only one that is bo of all those
that flill into the Missouri ; before entering a large
Bandbar through which it discharges itself, ite low
pounds are formed of a stiff blue and blaek €lay,
and ita banks which are itom eight to ten J%et
high and aeldom if ever overflow are compoeed of
the same inateriale. From the quantity of water
which this river contains., it^ direction, and the
nature of the country through which it paaaea, it
is not improbable that itB Bources may be near
the main body of the SashaBkawan, and as in
high water it can be no doubt navigated to a
considerable distance, it may be rendered the
meanR of intercouree with the Athahaaky country,
from wliicli the Qorthweet company derive bd
many of their valuable f\ire.
A quarter of a mile beyond thie river a creek
ibito in on the aonth, to which on account of its
distance from the mouth of the Miesourt, we gave
it the name of Two-thoasand mile creek: it is a
bold stream "with a bed thirty yards "wide. Three
miles and ahalf above Forcupine river, we reached
Bome high tiniber ou. the north, and encamped
JQSt above an old channel of the river> which is
Vol. I.— 18 273
no"w dry, We eaw vast quantitiea of baffaloe, elt,
deer, E>riiicipallj or the long tailed kind, antelopes,
bearer, geese, ducks, braatj and some swan. The
porcnpinee too are oumcFOUH, atkd ao careleeB and
clumay that we can approach very near without
dlBturhiDg; them as they are fbeding on the young
willow*; towftrde evening we alsp fbund for the
first time, the iie»t of a goose among unme drift'
wood, all that we hare hitherto seen being on the
top of a broken tree on the forks, and invariabljr
from fifteen to twenty feet or more in height.
Saturday 4> — We Tvere detained tiH nine in order
to repair the rudder of one of the boats, and
when we Bet out the wiud w«8 fthead ; at six. and
a half mileB we passed a small creek in a deep
bend on the Bouth with a sand island opposite to
it, and then paasin^ along an exteneiT'e plain
which gradually rises IVom the north tdde of the
river, encamped at the difitance of eighteen milea
in a point of woodland on the north: the river U
this day wider than usual, and crowded with
Bandbars on all Bidea: the country is level, itrtile,
and beautiful, the low grounds eitensiTe and con-
tain a much gt^ater portion of timber than \b
common : indeed all the forepart of the day the
river was bordered ~with timber on both aides, a
circumetance very rare on the KliBsouri, and the
firet that has occurred since we left the MaodaDa.
There are ae usual vast quantitiee of game, and
extremely gentle; the male buffalo particularly
will scarcely givft way to ii6, and as we approach
will merely look at ub for a moment, as some-
thing new, and then quietly reeuoie their f^edingr
Id the courae of the day we passed some old
Indian bunting campa, one of which eoofilBted of
two large lodges fortifled with a circular fence,
twenty o^ thirty tbet in diameter, and made of
274
UP THE MISaoUBI.
timber laid horizontally, the beams overlaying
each other to the height of Ate feet, and eoTerrf
with the tmnha and limbs or tree« that havt.
drifted down the riTer: the lodges theroBelves are
formed by three or nDore Btrgng' sticky about tlw ,
Biee of a man'a leg or arm, and twelve feet long-,
which are attached at the top hj a nithe of small
willowe> and spreading out so aa to form at tho
base a circle of ten or tburteen foet in diameter:
ftgdinst these Are plai^ piecee- of driftwood and
fallen timber, neaallj in thr^ ranges one on tha
other, and the interBticee are covered with leaver,
bark, and etraw, bo aa to form a conical figure
abont ten feet high, with a email aperture in one
Bide for the door. It is, however, at beat a very
iioperl^t shelter agalnet th6 inclemeiLCies of the
seaflon.
SuJifiay 5, — We had a flne moroiDg, and the wind
being from the eaet we need our eaila. At the
dlHtance of dve milee we came to a emal] island,
and twelve miles farther encamped on the north,
at the distance of Keventeen railed. The country
like that of jestertlaj is beautiftil in the extreme.
Among the vast quantities of game around us, we
diDtinguiah a ema]] epeciee of goaae difiedng con-
siderably from the common Canadian gooee; ita
neeh, head^ find beak, being much thicker, larger,
and shorter in proportion to itB 6i*e, which ia
nearly a third smaller; the noise too reaenibling
more that of the brunt Or of a young goase that
haa not yet fully acquired its note; in other
reapecta tta colour, habits, and the number of
feathers in the tail, the two species correapond;
this Hpeciea al^o asBociat^a in flocks with the larga
geeae, but we have not seen it pair off with them.
The white brant is about the size of the common
brown brant, or two thirds of th« common gooa^
275
LEWIS AND CLABK'S EXPEDITION
thaq which it is also els Uchee ehorter fVom the
extremity of the wlogB, though the beak, head,
and neck are lar^r oiid stronger: the body and
■winga are of a beautiAiE pure white, eicept the
black fbathers of the first and second joints of the
Vriugs; the beak fijid leg's are of di reddish or fieeh-
coloured white, the eye of n moderat* ejze, th«
pupil of a deep eea-ffreeo incircled with a ring of
yriiowleh brown, the tail coneiet-e of sixteen
feathers equally long, the fleah ia dark and an well
as its note differs but little from thoae of the
tommon brant, whom in form and ha.bits it re-
eemblee, and with whom it eometinieB unites in a
common flock; the white brant also aesodate by
themBelves la large flockR, but as they do oot
seeta to be muted or paired 03", it is douhtM
■whether they reside here during the eummer for
the purpose of rearing their j-^oung.
The woWea are also very abundant, and ore of
two Bpeciee, Firet, the entail w^glf or burrowing
dog of the prairies, wbich are found in almost all
the open plains. It ia of an iatermediate size be-
tween the fox and dog;, verj delicately formed,
fleet and active. The ears are large, erect, and
pointed; the head long ftnd pointed, like that
of the foi ; the tail long^ and bushy ; the hair and
fir of a pale reddish brown colotifj though much
coarser than that of the fox; the eye of a deep
Bea-green colour, smatl and piercing; the tulona
rather longer than those of the woll' of the Atlan-
tic states, width animal as far ae we can perceive
fa aot to be found on this side of the river I'latte.
These wolves uaually aesociate in bands often or
twelve, and are rarely if ever seen alone, not being
able singly to attack a deer or antelope. They
lire and rear their youag in burrows^ whieh they
fix near 6ome paaa oi- epot much frequented by
27(i
XTP THE inSSOtTRI.
^S^mp, and aaily out in b. body agaioat any animal
which they think they can overpow&r, but on the
■lightest alarm retreat to tbeir hurrowB making a
noise exaictly like that of a Bmall dog.
The second speties la lower, ahortei' in the legs
and thicker than the Atlantic wolf; their colour,
which in not aSected by the Beaeone, is of every
' variety of shade, ftom a gray or blackUk brown
to a cream coloured white. They do not burrow,
' nor do tli<?y bark, but howl, and they frequent the
' woods and plains, and skulk along the skirts of
the buffalo herda, in order to attack the weary
or woaHd«<J.
Captain Clark and one of the hunters met thla
evening the largest brown bear we have Been. Am
they tired he did not attempt to attack, but fled
with a most tremendoue roar, and euch was ita
'*itraordin&ry tenacity of life, that althDiig;h hft
had live balls paaeed through hia lunffB and five
other woundfl, he uwam more than bnti' ncr oi^s tbe
iy«rto a eaadbar, and survived twenty minuteB.
le weighed between five and aix hundred pounds
at least, and measured eight fbet seven inches and
a half from the nose to the extremity Of the hind
' ^t, five feet t«n inches and a half round the
bretwt, three f^t eleven iacbe« round the neck,
one foot «leven inches round the middle of the
fbreleg, and his talouB, five on each foot, were
four inches and three eighths in length. It differa
from the common black bear in having ita talona
much longer and more blunt; ita tail ahorter; its
I l|fl4r of a reddish or bay broivn, longer, finer, and
more abundant; his liver, lung«, and heart, much
larger even in proportion to his eize, the heart
particularly being equal to that of a large oi ; his
maw ten timee larger; his testieleB pendant from
the belly and in sepaj-ate pouctu» four InclieB
377
LEWIS AND CLARK'S ES^PEHITION
Apart: b£«ndes tiBh and fteah he feeds on roots, and
every kind of irild fruit.
Tte antelope are now lean «nd with jgyng, eo
that tbej- may readily by caught at this seaaon,
aa ttey crosB the river from S. W. to N. E.
Monday 6. — The morning; being fiijr and the
wind faTourable, we set anil, and proceeded on
Tcpy well tbe greater part of the d&y. The coun-
trj continues lerel, rich, and beautiful; the lovr
grounde wide and comparMively with the other
parte of the MiflBouri, well supplied "with wood.
The appearances of coal, pumitretone, and burnt
earth hare ctaaed, though the ealts of tartar or
vegetable salts continue on the bank« and sand-
bars, and sometimes in the little rarines at the
base of the low hills. We passed three ^trsamv OD
the Bouth ; the drat at the distance of one mile aud
a half fVom oup camp was about twenty-five
yards wide, but although it contained some water
in standing pools it dischargee none; this we
C&Ued Littledry creek, about eight miles beyond
which is Bigdry cre*k, fifty yards wide, without
aoy water ; the tlurd ie six miles lUrthcr, aad baa
the bed uf a large river two hundred yarde wide,
yet without a drop of water; like the other two
this Btream, whith we called Bigdry river, con-
tinuea its width uudiminished as far aa we can
discern. The baiLka are low, the channel formed
of a fine brown sand, intermixed with a email
proportion of little pL'bblfB of varioua colours, and
the country around flat and without tniea. They
had recently diecliarged their waters, and from
their appearance and the nature of the country
through which they pass, We concluded that they
rose in the Black mountains, or in the level low
plains which are probably between this place and
the mouotaias^ that the country being nearly of
273
CP THE MlSeOUBI.
tike same Mud aad of tlie same latitade, tbe T&iOs
of spring melting the Bnowa about the Haote tinie,
couBpire wit^ tbem to tbrow at odw VBut qaa-atU
ties of water down these chimueU, wMch are tbes
left dry during: the Bunimer, autumDj and winter,
when there ia very httle rain. We had to-day a
eligEit apritikliug, but it lasted a very ehort time.
The game ia in auch plenty that it has become a
mere annwement to supply the party with pro-
Tisioae. We made tweoty-fiTe miles to a clump of
treeB on the north where we poMed the night.
Tneedaj' 7, — The mornlag was pleaaaat and wa
prctceedftd at on early hoar. There ia much drift
wood fl.oa.ting, aad what ia Contrary to our ex-
pectation, although the river is riuDg, the wat«r
ia somewhat clearer tb3^ usual. At eleveo o'clock
the wiad became bo high that one of the boate
wae nearly Bnni, and we were obliged to atop till
one, when we proceedul on, and encamped on the
Bduth, above a large sandbar projecting from the
north, having made fifteen miles. On the north
side of the river are the most beautiful plains we
have yet seen ; they lige gradually IVom the low
groundH on the water to the height uf fifty or
Bisty feet, and then extend in on unbroken level as
far as the eye can reach : the hilla on the aouth
are more broken and higher, though ot some die-
tanee back the country beconiea le^el and fertile.
There are no more appearances of burnt earth,
coal, or puiniceBtone, though that of salt still con-
tinueB, and the vegetation Beeins to have advanced
but little since the twenty-eighth of last month:
the gftme 1b as abundant aa ueoal. The bald-
eagles, of Ti'honi we see great numberg, probably
fbed on the carcoeee of dead animals, for on the
whole Missouri we have seen neither the blue-
crested Heher, nor the fishlng-hawkB, to aapplj
27&
LEWIS AKD CLARK'S ESTEDITION
them with their favourite food, and the watef of
the river is ao turbid ttiat no bird wbich feeds
eiclusivelj' on ^Hh can procure a aub«iet(^QC«.
Wednesclaj' *'.---A light breeze from the east car-
ried ua aixteea niil«B, till we baited fur diiiucr at
the entrance of a ri"ver on the north. Captain
Clark Tvho had walked on the south, on ascending
a high point OfipOBite to its entrance discovered a
IbtbI and beautiful country which it watered ; th^t
its course £'or twelve or lifte«u miles was N. W.
when it divided into two nearly equal braochea,
one purauing a direction nearly northj the other
to the W. of S. W. : its width at the entrance le
one hundred and fifty jards, and on going three
miieB up, captain IjcwIb found it to be of the same
breadth, and Bometimea more; it is deep, gentle,
and has alargeq^uaatity of water; its bed ia prio-
eipally of mud, the banks abrupt, about twelve
Ifeet in height, and formed of a dark, rich loam
and blue clay; the low grounds near it are -wide
and fertile, and poBsess a considerable proportion
of cottonw^ood and irilloTv, It seemg t-o be navi'
(fable for boats aad canoes, and tbis circumetaace
joined to its conree and the quantity of water,
Trhjeli indicates that it paeaea through, a large
eiteat of conntry, we are led to presume that it
may approach the yaekaBhawan and afford b
CommuaicatioQ with that river. The wat«r has a
peculiar whiteneee, such as might be produced by
a taijleBpooa ibll or milk in a dish of tea, and thjB
circumBtance induced na to call it Milfc river. In
the evening we had made twenty-seven miles, and
encamped on the south. The tountry on that
Bide eoneiats in general of high broken hilh, with
much gray, btack and brown graoite scattered
over the surface of the ground. At a little die-
taiiCG Horn the river there ia no timber on either
260
dde, the wood being confined as below to the
marg'in of tli» rivtT ; so that uttlese the tontrn-rj is
particularly m^jjcioiied, it U always UDdt^r^tood
that the upland 1b perfectly naked, and that ire
consider the low grounds well tainber«i if even a
fifth be covered with wood. The Hiid liquurite is
found in t^fent ahandance ou these hillhi, aa is also
iks white appl?. As uuual we are surrounded by
bafialo, elk, common and blatktailed deer, ■beavep,
antelopea and waives. We ahBerved a place where
an Indian had recently taken the hsLr off an antC'
lope's skiti, and some of the party thought they
digtinguiahed imperfrctty some gnioke and Indian
lodges ap Milk river, mftrks which we are by HO
toeans deairoTis of realisiuj^, as the Indians are
probably ABainiboina, and might ba very trouble-
some.
Tbnraday, 9tb.—W& a.^ain had a fovoHFable
wind and sailed along very wWI. Between fout
and flTe miles "we pa»Hed a large island in a deep
head to the north, and a large eaadbar at the
upper point. At fifteyn and s, quarter miles we
reached tlie bed of a moat extraordinary river
which preaente it8(?lf on the aouth : though ae wide
aa the Missouri itself, that is about half a rniie, it
does not discharge a drop of water and contains
nothing but a Few standing poola. On ascending
it three niilee we found an eminence flrom wbJcL
we aaw tin) direction of the cliaanel, first south
for ten or ten miles, then turning to the east of
Boutheaat ae far aa Ve <;ould mxt it paases throug-h
a wide valley without timber, and the suti-ound-
ing country coneiats of waving low hilla inter-
Bpensed with some hundaome level plains; the
banka are abrupt and tonaist of a blacli or yellow
clay, or of a rich sandy loam, but tiiough tixey do
not rise more than eix or eight ffeet above the bed,
381
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
they exhibit do appeoraiice of being overflowed:
the b«d is eatirely coiupoeed of a liglit brown
eand, the partlclea of wljich like those of the Mia-
eouri are extremely fine. Like the dry riTere we
pa«eed berore, thie eeemed to ha-Te discharged ita
TOftters recently, but the watermark indicated that
its gTes.t«et depth hud not been more than two
fe«t : this etreaiQ, if it deeerve the name, we called
Eigdry river, Abowt a mile below ia a large creek
on the same aide, which ia also perftctly dry : the
ndnetal «alta and quartz ate in large i^nantitiee
near this neighbourhood. The eand of the Mis-
souri fVom its mouth to thJB placp ha? bwn mixed
with a subetance which we hud presumed to be &
granulated talc, but whidi ie most probably this
quartB. The game is now in great qBantities,
particulnrly the elk and bufiaJo, which la^t ie so
gentle that the men ftre obliged to drive them ont
of the way with eticks and atones. The ravage^
of the beaver are very apparent: in one place the
timber was entirely proetrated for a apace of three
acreB in iVont on the river and one in depth, and
great part of it removed, although the trees were
in large quontitiefi, and gome of them aa thick as
the body of a man. At the distance of twenty-
four miles 'we encamped, a(fer ninldng twenty-
£ve and a half milee, at the entrance of a BmaQ
creek in a bend on the uorth, to which we
gave the name of Werner'a creek after one of oar
men.
For eevei-ol days past the riv^ haa been aa wide
as it generally is near its mouth, but a« it ie much
shallower, crowded with sandhnra, and the colour
of the water haa become much clearer, we do not
yet despair of reaching the Rock mountaiuB, for
which we are very anxiouB.
Fridaj-, lOtb. — We had not proceeded more than
263
trp THE MISSOUBI.
four and a quarter milea when the Tiolence of the
winii forced ufl to halt for the day under some
timber in &■ bend on the saath side. Th« ^vind
coTi tinned hi^h, the clouds thick and black, and w«
liad ft slight BprinltliDg of rain ^veral tiint>B in tb«
eonree of the day. Shortly after our lauding a
do^ came tii as, and as this induced ae to believe
that we are near the hunting grounds of the Afh
fflniboina, who ai^ a vicious ill-dieposed people, it
was neceseary to be on our guard: vm th(<r«fora
faspected our arms whith "vre found in good order,
and aent eev«ral hunters to scour the country, but
they returned ia the uTeuing ha%'ing Been no tents,
nor any recent tracks of Indiana. Uilefi and im-
postbumea are very common among tbe party,
and sore eyes continue In & greater or less degree
with all of uh; for the impoathnmeBi we uae emol-
lient poultices, and apply to the eyee a aolutioQ of
two graiae of white rttriol and one of Bugar of
lead with one ounce of water.
Saturday, 11th. — The wind blew very hard in.
the night, but having abated this morning ^k^
went on very well, till in the afternoon the wind
arose and retarded our progress; tlie current too
was etroDg, the river very crooked, and the banks
as usual eonatantly precipitatiDg' them&elvee in
large masaea into the water. The highlands are
broken and approach nearer the river than they
do below. The soil however of hpth hills and low
grounds appear a« fertile ae that fhrther down the
river: it conelets of a bla«k loohlag loam with a
small portion of Band, which cover the hilla and
blufifa to the depth of twenty or thirty feet; and
when thfO'Vrti in the water dieBOlves as readily aa
loaf-Hugar, and effervesces like marl: there are
aleo great appearanees of quartz and mineral
ealta: the first is most eommonly seen in the f^es
283
LEWIS AMD CliABK'S EXTEDITTON
of the blnffa, the second is found on the bills as
well aa the low ^rounde, aiid m the allies which
come down from the hills; it lie-in a crust of two
or three inches in depth, and may be ewept up
with a ftather in large quajitities. There ia no
longer any appearance of coal, burnt earth or
pumtcestone. Wc&uw and yieitcci Bome high IuUh
OD the north side about three miles frnm the river,
whose topB were covered with ths pitch-pine: thia
is the first pine we have seen an the MiH^ouri, and
it ia like that of Virginia, except that the leaves
are aqntewhat longer; among this pin^ is also 9,
dwarf cwiar, BOmetimaB between three or four feet
high, but generally spreading itself like a vine
along the Burfoce of the earth, which it covers
very clOBCly, putting out roots from the under
eide. The truit and amell resemliFe those of the
common red cedar, but the leaf i^ flper and more
delicate. The topB of the LIUb where theee plauta
fjow have a eoil quite different from that just de-
Bcrihedi the baeia of it ia usually yellow or white
Eiay, and the general appearance light coloured,
saiidj, and barren, some scattering tufts of eedge
being almost itii on]y herba^, About five in the
afternoon one of our men who had been afflicted
with bilea, and eudered to walk ou shore, came
nmning to the boats with loud cries and every
symptom, of terror and distreas: for some tinke
after v^e had takt^n him on board he was SO miich
DUt of breath as to be unable to describe the cauHe
of his anxiety, but he at length told ua that about
a. mile and a half below he had ehot a brown bear
which immediately turned and was in close pur-
Bnit of him; but the bear being badly wounded
could not overtake him. Captain Ijewia with
eeven men irpmediu-tely went in search gf him, and
haviag found hie track followed him by the blood
2Si
UP THE MISSOCm.
for a mil^p and found him concealed in eorae thick
brush wood, a,nd shot hiin with two b&Ha through
the skull. Though somewhat smaller than that
killed a (few dajB- ago, he was a mQn^trous atiimal
and a- most terrible enemy : our man had shot him
through the centre of the lunge, yet he had pur-
aued Mm furioualy for half a. mile, then returned
more than twice that distance, and with hta
talODi^ had prepared himBelf a bed in the earth
two feet deep and Ave feet long, and was perfectly
alive when they found him, wtiicb was at least
two hocrB after he received the wound, The won-
derful power of life which these animals poBsesB
reuderthetndreadfhl; their very trark in the mud
or sand, which wo have i*ometitiies found eleven
inches long and seven and a quarter ^vide, ex-
clusive of the talonH, ija alarming'; tiu-d v^e had
rather encounter two Indiana than meet a single
brown bear. There is no chance of killing them,
by a single shot untese the baU goea through the
brains, and this is very difficult on account of two
large mueclee which cover the Hide of the forehead,
and the sharp projection of the centre of the
frontal bon^e, "whicfi is also thick, Ovt encaipp-
meat was on the sonth at the distance of sixteen
mileB from that of last night; the fletice and skin
of the bear were a heavy burden for two men, and
the oi! amounted to eight gallons.
Sunday, 12th. — The weather being clear and
calm,, we set out early. Within a mile tps came to
a amatl creek, about twenty yai-d« wide, emptying-
itself on the south. At eleven and thrcu quarter
miletj we reached a point of woodland on the
eouth, opposite to which ia a creek of the same
widtli as the lost, but with little water, which we
called Pine creek. At eighteen and three quart*r
miles we came tO On the ^outh oppo^t? to the
2&5
LEWIS AND CLAKK'S EXPEDITION
lower point of a willow ialand, situated in a deep
bend of the river to th* southeast: h*re we po-
maioed during the da;, the wind having rieea at
twelve BO Etigli that wecould not proceed; itcon-
tinuei] to blow violently all night, with occasional
sprinklings of rain from snnset till midniglit. On
ijoth sidtie of the river the country ia rough aiiid
broken, the low groiindB becoming narrower; the
tops of the hills on tbe Dortb GxhibitBsatae scat-
tered pine and c«dar, on the south the pine has
Dot yet commenced, though there is some cedar on
the sides of the hlUB and in the little ravines. The
chofcecherry, the wild h^seop, wige, fleshj-leaJfed
thorn, And particularly the aromatic herb on
ivhich the antelope and harefted, are tO he found
OH the plains and bills. The soil of the hille has
now altered its texture coneiderably : their baBe«,
like that of the rirer plains, Is as URual a rich,
blact loam, while from the middle to the summits
they ars composed of a Ught brOvra-COl oared
earth, poor and sterile, and intermixed with s.
eooree white sand.
Monday, 13tb. — The wind was so strong that
we could not proceed till about one o'clock, when
we had to encounter a current rather stronger
than naual. In the Course of a mile and a half we
paHsed two HmaU creeka on the south, one of
eighteen the other of thirty yards width, bwt
neither of tbem containing any water, and en-
camped on the eonth at a point of woodland,
having made only seTeii miles. The country 1b
much the aame as yesterday, with little timber in
the low grounde, and a Bm^ll quantity of fiiue and
cedar on the northern hitla. The river however
continues to grow cleareTj and tltia as well aa the
increaeed rapidity induces u^ to hope for eome
change of country. The game is aa OBual ao abon-
286
"UP THE mtssoiirt;
dant that we can get without dlMeiiltf ail that
1b neceasary,
Tuesdaj, 14th. — There was aome fog on the
river thiH morning, which is a very rare qcflur-
reuce. At tlie distance or » mile and a half we
reached an island in a bead on the north, wltich
contitiaed tor abont half a mile, when at the head
of it a large creefe comes in on the north, to which
We gavt the name of Gibeons treek. At sevea
and a half miles is a [KiiDt of rocks on the sonth,
nboT9 a- creet qn the game side, "which we vailed
Sticklod^ creek: fire mUes further is a large ereek
OB the sooth, which like the two othera has ao
mnniog water; and at slsteea and a half miles a
timbered point on the north, where we encamped
for the bight. The country is like that of yeater-
day, except that the low grounds are wider : there
are aleo many big'h bts^k blufis along the bojika :
the game too iB In great abundance. Towards
Bvening the men in the hindmost canoes discovered
a large brown bear lying in the opengrounds,
about three hundred paces from the rirer: six of
them, all good hnnters, immediately went to at-
tack hjm, and eoucealing themaelves by a gmall
eminence came uuperceiyed within forty paces of
him: four of the huDteni now fired, and each
lodged a ball in hlB body, two of them directly
through the Innge: the tbrioua animal sprung up
and raji opeumouthed upon them; as he came
neaF] the two hunters who had reserved their fire
gave him two wounds, one of which breaking hia
ehoulder retarded hiet motion for a moment; bat
before they could reload he was so near that they
were obliged to run to the river, and before they
reached it he had almost overtaken them: two
jomped into the canoe ; the other four separated,
and concealing themselves in the willows fired as
287
f^«t as each egald reload ; thej struck bim Beverol
tiiciee, but instead of weakening the moneter each
allot Beeitiefl onlj to direct him towarde the
hunter, till nt laet he puraued two of them so
cloBely, that they threTv aside their gTine and
pouches, asd jumped down ft perpendicular bank
of twenty feet into the rirer ; the bear sprang after
them, and w^s within afew f«etofthehiiidnioat,
when one of the hunters on abore shot him in the
bead and fiually killed him: they dragged him to
the shore, and found that eight halls had poe^c^d
through him in different directions; the bear was
old and the meat tough, eo that they took the
ekin only, and rejoined ua at camp, "where we bad.
been aa much terriiiiid by an aceideut ofa difierent
kind. This wae the narrow escape of one of our
canoea eontaining all our papera, inHtrumenta,
medicine, and alnioat every article indispenaabia
for the HQccees Of our enterprise. The canoe being
under sail, a sudden squal] of wind struck her
obliqaejy, and turned her coniaderably. Themaa.
at the helm, who waa unluckily the Avorat Bteere-
man of the party, became alarmed, and mBtead of
putting her before the wind luffed her up into it.
The wind wae so hifrh that it forced the brace
of the equareeail out ofibe haod of the man who
was attending it, and imitantly uppet the canoe,
which would hare been turned bottom upwards
but for the reeiBtance made by the awning. Such
was the confuHioa on board, and tlie ware« ran
eo high, that it wn* half a minute before she
righted, and then nearly full of wat-er, but by
baling out aUe wag kept from Binking uutdl they
rowed aehore : besidee the Ioh^ of the Uveti of three
men who not htdng- able to awim would probably
haye pCTiehed, we should have been deprived of
nearly every thing neceBBary for onrpnrpoaea, at
2S8
A distance of between two and three thouBaod
mileii ft-oni any place wljere we eould suppij? the
deficiency.
We(Ine/i<1ay IK — Aa aooa as a slight ahower of
rAin hod posBedj we epread out the a.rticleB to
dry; but the weath^ was eo damp and cloudy
that they derived Uttle benefit from eipoBijre,
Our huqters procured u« deer, buffblo, and
teaver.
Thursday Jtf, — The morniDg was fair and we
were enabled to dry and repack our Btorea; the
lose we euataltK^ i» chktly in the ueditiuee, tnaay
Articlea of which are completely spoiled, and
others conisiderably injured. At four o'clock we
embarked, and a&jsr making seren miles encamped
OB the north sear eome wood ; the coantry on
both sides is broken, the low grounds narruver
and with lees timber, though there are Rome ecatr
tered pine and cedar on the ateep decliritiee of the
hills, whii'h are now higher than usual, A ivhite
bear tore the coat of one of the men which he had
Iflfl on shore; and two of the party wouuded a
lar^ panther who waa jeasting on a deer. We
caught some lean antelopea as they were swim-
ming the river, and killed two biiii&,lo.
Friday 17. — We set out early and proceeded qn
very well; the banks being pcni and the eliore
bold we were enabled to use the towhne, which,
whenever the banliu will permit it, ia the safest
and most expeditious mode of adcutiding the river,
except under a sail with a steady breeze. At the
distance of ten and a half mllea we came to the
mouth of a Binall creek on the eouth, helow whiqh
the hills approach thu river, imd coutinue near it
during the day: three miles further is a large crt^ek
on the north, and ag:uin six and three quarter
mileB beyond it, another larg;e creek to the south,
Vol. l.—Vd Si89
LEWIS AM> GL\»K'a EXPEDITION
w'fiicb coDtaia a small quantity of nutaing water
of a brackiflh taate. The laat we called Rattle-
anake creek ftom our seeing that animal near it.
Although no timber can be obem-ed on it from
tte Missouri, it throws out large quantities of
driftwooiJ, among which w*r* Bome pieeea of coal
broQgtt down by the atream. We continued oa
oue mile and a quarter, and encamped on the
Boutli after making twenty and a hall' miles. The
country in general ia rugged, the hills high, with
their eammita and sid^s partially covered with
piae and cMar, and theer baaea on both sideB
washed by the river: like thoB<j already mentioned
the lower part of these hillB i^ a dark rich loam,
while the upper region for one hundred and fifty
(feetconaietBof a whitish brown sand, ao hard as
in many places to resemble stonCj though In fact
very Uttle stone or rook of any kind i§ to b* 6Kn
on the hills. The bed of the Misfiauii is much
narrower than usual, being not more than be-
tween two and three hundred yards in width,
with an uncommonly large proportion of gravel;
but the sandbare, and low points covered with
willows have almost entirely disappeared: the
timber oa the river consists of scarcely any thing
more than a&w scattered cottonwood trees. The
■aline incrustations alon^ the banks and the foot
of the hillB are more abundant than usual. The
game is in great quantities, but the huflalo are
nob BO numerouH Ae they ^vere some days ago:
two rattlesnakes were ^eeu to-day, and one of
them killed: it resembles those of tbe middle
Atlantic states, being about two l^t bix incbee
long, of a yettowish brown on the back and sidea.
yariegated with a row of oval dark brown spots
lying traneverHely on the htuek from the neck t»
the tail, and two other rows of circuEar spots iJf
290
TIP THE MISSOnM.
the Bame colonr on the aidtiB along the edge of the
scuta: there are one hundred and Bevent^-nx
6cutfv on the belly, and Beventeen on the tail.
Ca-ptain Clark saw !□ his ^xtureioiiB a fortified
Indian camp which appeared to have b&enrecentlj
occupied, aud wae, we presumed, made by a party
of Miniietarefie "who went to war lant Alapch.
Late at night we were roused hy the aergoant
of the guard in consequence of a Are Tvfaich had
communicated to a tree overhanging our camp.
The wind wa« so high, that we had not removed
the CAinp rnore ths,n a, few minutea wh^n a large
part oi' the tree foil precisely oa the spot it had
occupied, and wouM have cm»bed uh if we hod
not been alarmed in time.
Satai^itj' 1^, — The -wind continued high from
the west, but by nieana of the toirUne we "were
able to make nineteen mileH, the ^andbarH being
Eoiv few in mjmber, the river narrow and the
curreut gi^ntle; the willow has in a great measure
disappeared, and even the cottonwood^ aJmoatthe
only timber remaining, is growing acarce. At
twelve and three quarter miles we came to a credit
on the norths which was perffectly drj. We en
camped on the aouth opposite the lower point of
au island.
Sunday JS. — The last night waa disagreeably
cold ; and in the mormng there was a very heavy
fog which obscured the river 60 much aa to pre-
vent our seeing the way, Ttiis is the first fog of
any degree of thickneBH which we have experi-
enced : there waa also last ereniog a ibll of dew,
the Beeond which we have eeen since entering thia
extenHive open country. About eight o'clock the
fog dispersed, and we proceeded with the aid of
the toivline: the island near which -we were en-
eamped, was three quarters of a mile in lenstt.
291
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
The country resemblee that of >'e8terdaj, high hills
closely bordering the river, In the aib?rnooii the
river becitme i!rooked, and contained more aaw-
yers or floatiDE timber than we have seen in the
same space since leaving the Platte. Out g:Bjne
couMsted of deer, beaver, and elk: vre aleo killed
» brOTTn betir, ivbo, although shgt through the
heart, ran at his ueunl pace D&arly a quarter of a
nule before he ftU. At twentj-one mi]e» is a wil-
low inland Haifa mile in length, ou the noith aide^
a quarter of a mile beyond which is a ehoal of
rapid water under a bluffr the "wat^r continued
Tery strong for eome distance beyond it : at half a
mile we came to a eaudbar o« the uorth, ftom.
■which to our place of eneanipment wae another
half mile, making in all twenty-two and a qnarter
mileB. The eaUoe HnbijtanceB which we hare meii'
tiotied tontinue to appear; and the men are much
afflicted with sore cyee and imposthuraes.
Monday ^0. — Ae usua] we set out early, and the
tiaokfl being couYenient for that purpose, we UBed
the towline: the river is narrow aud crooked, the
water rapid, and the countcy niiicli like that of
yesterday: at the distance nf two and a quarter
mile-s we paseed d, large Creek with hut little
water, to which we gave thu name of I'lowiiigfty
creek, from the quantity of thoss inwcte found in
its neighbourhood. They are extremely trouble-
Bome, infesting our meat whilst couldng and M
our meals. After making seven uuIcb ws reached
by eleven O'clock the month of a large river on the
Bonth, and encamped for the day at the upper
poiut of ita junction with the Miaisonri. This
Btrvani which we Buppose to be that called by the
Minnetnrees the Mnacleshell river, empties into the
Missouri two thouaimd tiro hundred aud Hevecty
mil«g above the mouth of the latter river, and in
292
TIP THE MISSOTIET.
Ifttitui3e il" 0' 24' 6 north. It ia one bundrfsJ
and ten jardB wid<j, and contaiiis more water
than streams of that eize UBtiallj" do in this tonn-
try; ita current is by no means rapid, and there ia
fiveTj llppearlmcc of its being susceptible of navi-
gatioa by cauoeH for el congiderable distance; its
bed 19 chiefly formed of coarae sand and graye-l,
with an ncca^Eonal luixture of black mud; the
banks abrupt and nearly twelve i^t high, ho that
thfcy are aecurts from being overflowed : the water
ie of a gresniah jellow i^aet and much more trana-
parent ttian tliat of the Miiwotir!, which itself,
tliough clwirer than below, BtJll retains itti whitiBh
hue and a portion of ita eedtment. Oppoeite to
the point of junction tho current of the Mieeouri is
genttCj and two hundred and twenty-two jbltAh in
width, the hfd priticipallj of nmd (the little sand
temaining being ^pholly confined to the points)
and still too deep to uge the settingp'^'^' I^ thia
hti, afiweBuppOBe, the Muecleehell, oar Indian in-
formation IB, that it riupB in the first chain of tlie
lioeky luoutitainB not for from the Bourcea of the
TellowBtone, whence in its course to thia place it
waters a high broken country, well timbered par-
ticularly on its borders, and intersperatd with
haudftome fertile plaina and meadows. W> bay*
reason, however, to b<iliev«, from their giving a
idmilar account of tha timber where we now are,
that the timber of which they apeair is similar to
that which we have seen for a few days past,
which coneiste of nothing more than a few strag-
gling small pin^aqd dwarf cedar, qn the Bummita
of the hills, niae- tenths of the ground being totally
destitute of wood, and covered with ashort grass,
aromatic herba, and an immense quantity of
prickly pears : though the party who eiplored it
for eight miles represented Iciw grOouda on. ths
LEWIS AJTD CLARE'S EXPEDITION
rirer as well enpplied Trttli cottonwood of b
tolerable eiae, a-nd of cd excellent soil. Tbey also
reported that tbe country is brokea and irregular
like that near our CEimp; that about fire mileq
ap n b)(nd«ome rirer about fifty yards wide, which
WB named after Chaboueau'B wife, Sahcaj&hweaJi,
or Bird woman's river, discharges itfielf into the
MnBEltshell on the north or iipiwr Hide. Another
party found at the foot of the BOuthem hills,
about four miles from the Mieaouri, a fine bold
Bpring, which in this country i^ bo rare that since
yre left th? MandauB we liave found ouly one of a
Bimilar kind, and that was under the bluffs on the
Bouth mde of the Mieeouri, at «ome distance trom
itr and about five miles below the Tellowatone;
Trith this esception all the small fountaiflB of
■wtdch we have met a number are impregnated
with the aftlte which, are so s.baadant here, and
with which the MiBsouri ia itself most probably
tainted, though to us who have been bo much ac-
customed to it, the taste is not perceptible.
Among the game to-day we observed two large
Owla, with remarkably long feathers resembling
ears on the sides of the head, which we presume
are the booting owls, tboag^h they are larger and
their colourB are brighter thaa tboBe common in
the United States.
Tnesdajr 51.— The morning being very fine we
were able to employ the rope, and made twenty
■ miles to our camp on the n'prth. Tbe shores of
the' river are abrupt, bold and -coinposed of a
black and yellow clay, the bare being formed of
black mud, and a small proportion of fine sand;
the current strong. Ia ita eouree the MisBoari
makeB a eudd^n and eitenaive bend towarda the
south, to receive the waters Of the MuBcleehell.
The neck of land thus formed, though itaelf high
as4
UP THE MISSOURI.
Is lower than the Harrounding countrj, and makea
a waving vaSiey eatendiiig for a great distaoee to
the northward, with a fiirtile soil which, though
without wood, produces a line turf of low grai*8,
Bome herba and. vSMt qiiflntitieB of prickly pear.
The country on. the south i» high, broken, and
crowaed with some pine ftod dwittf cedar; the leaf
of this pine ia longer thaa that of the common
pitch OF red pine of Tirginia, the cone in longrer
and naiTOwerj the imbrications wider and thicker,
and the whole frequeatlj covered i*ith t-oain.
During the whole day the bends of the rirer are
short and eudd«n; and the points covered with
Bome Cottonwood, large or broad leaved willow,
and a BmEtll quantity of redwood; the under-
growth consiHting of wild ro&ee, and the bushes of
the small faoaeyDiickle.
The mineral appearAncee on tbe river ore as
neual. We do not find the grouse or prajrie hen
BO abundant as below, aud think it probable that
they retire {>Dm the river to the plains during thla
Beoson.
The wind had been moderate during the fore
part of the day, but continued to rise towards
evening, and about dark veered to northwest, and
biew a storm all night. We had encamped on a
bar on the north, oppoeite the lower point of an
ielaudj which from thiu circunLatance ^we called
Wiady island ; but we were ao annoyed by clonds
of duHt and aand that we could neither eat nor
sleep, and were forced to remove our camp at
eight o'clock to the foot of an adjoining hill,
which shielded un in Bocue degree &om the wind:
we procured elk, deer, and bu^alo.
Wednesday ^2. — The wind blew ao violently that
it was deemed prudent to wait till it had abated,
*3 that we did not leave the camp till ten o'clock,
295
LEWIB AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
■when we proceeded principally by the towline.
We passed Windy baland which i* about three
quarters of a milo in length; and five and a half
pijlea above it a- larg;« island in a bend to ths
north: three miies beyond thtfl we came to the
entrance of a creek twenty yards wide, though
with little water, which we called Grouae creek,
from observing near ita mooth a quantity of the
prflirie hen with pointed taila, the first -we h&ve
Been in audi numbers for several days: the low
grounds are eomewtat wider than usaal and
apparently fertile, though the short and Hcanty
grase on the hills does not indicate much rLchnesa
of soil. The country around ie not bo broken as
that of yeaterday, but ie still waving, the eouthem
hills possessing mare pine than iiE^uai, and some
ttppi^aring on. the northern hills, "which are accoin-
panied by the UBua] salt aud mineral appearances.
The river contLntieB about two hundred and fifty
yarda wide, with fewer sandbarB, and the current
more gentle and regular. Game is no longer in
such abundance, aincft leaving' the MusCleabell. We
have caught very ft w fleh on this side of the Man-
danSj anij thes« were the white catiieh of two to
five pounds. We killed a deer and a hear : w^e have
not eeeu in tins Quarter the black bear, common
in the United States and on the lower parta of the
Mii^ouri, nor have we discerned any of their
traclts, wMch may easily be distinguished by the
ehortMSB of its t-nlons Erom the bro"vvn. grizzly, or
white bear, all of which seem to be of the eame
fkmily, whiGh agBumeB those colourt) at different
eeasona of the year. We halted earlier than ueual,
and encamped on the north, in a point of woods,
4t the distance of aixteen and a half miles.
39S
1
TIP THE MieSOOM.
CHAPTER IX.
13m portr wn'.lDUfi ilielr routij—iHacrlpUim ot Jndltli rlTer—
Indlait luofte of UiEtlnfr toft buffaJo— Slaoghtef riTer deactibed
— PbenomuniL at naturu — i>r walls on Uie banlcs o( tb^ Mlinoiiri
— Tbe ixuiy encuni) do Ebe beals <>[ Um rlfcr la BswrUla
vblcb ol tibe streams ccnttltute tbe MiA<!i:iiul— C&pta.ln Lewis
lesvL-g thD party to tJtplorB the northern fork, bdA taptoln
ClarK P»p|ores ISp BoulJiern — Tfia aifTtiun fling (^ouqtry fle-
sca-lb«d in tb« route ul ca^LalD LevlB— Narrow eacape of wte
ol his paitr.
ThnTKiJay 2S. — Last night the froHt was severe,
and this tnomitig thfc ice appefifed along the edges
of the rivflr, and the water ftoze on our oars. At
the distuBPe of a. mile we patsewi the eqtrance of &
creek on the north, which wei Dumed Teapot creeh ;
it IB fifteen yards wide, and although it haa ncn-
nliig water at a small distance iVom Ite mouthy
yet it dischargea none into the Mieaouri, reeem-
bling, ^Fe believe, most of the crcehB in this hilly
country, the waters of whiuh are absorbed by the
thirety soil near th* river. They indeed aSbrd but
little water En any part, and even that is ho
atrongly tainted with ealta that it ia unfit for use,
though all tte wild animals are Tery (bud of it.
On extveriniMit it was found to be moderately
purgative, but painful to the inteetinea in its
operation, Thie <rreek aeemg to come fronia range
of low hilia, which run ftoni east to west for
seventy mile&, and have their eaBtern estremity
thirty milea to the north of Teapot creek. Just
above its entrance ia a large aaeemblage of the
hurrowing' aq^uirrela on the north side of the river.
At nine miles we reached the upper point of on.
island Lu a bend on the south, and opposite the
297
LEWia AND CLiEK'S ESPEDITIOI^
centre of the island, a amoll dry creek on the
Udrth. Half 111 laile furtier a email creek falls in
on the game eide ; and isix and a hulf Diilea beygnd
this another on the aovitli. At four flad a half we
passed a small i&land in a d&ep bend to the north,
and on the same Eude in a deep northeaBtern bend
of the river another Braall island. None of these
creeks however poaMssed anj water, and at the
entranceji of the islands, the two firet are covered
with ta,U tottopwood timber, and tbe last with
willowB only. The river hag beuome more rapid,
the country much the same ae yeaterday, except
that there m rather more rocks on the face of the
hills, and some gmall f^pnice pine appears among
the pitch. The wild roses are very abundant and
now in bloom ; they differ from thoee of the United
States ODly in having the leaves and the bush it-
self of a eomewhat emaller aze. We find the mos-
quitoes troubleaonie, not-withstanding the cool^
neas of the morning. The buffalo is scarce to-daj,
but the elk, deer^ and antelope, are very numerouB,
The geese begin to lose the feathers of the wingg^
&qd are unable to fly. We saw five bears, one of
which we wounded, but in ewimmiug A-om na
BcroBH the river, he became entangled in some-.
drifCwood and sank. Vi'e formed our camp on the
north opposite to a hill and a point of wood in.
b bend to the south, having made twentj-eeven.
miles.
Friday 24. — The water in the kettles frow one-
eighth of an inch daring the ni^ht ; the ice appears
along the margin of the river, and the cotton-
wood trees which have lost nearly all their leaves
by the frost, are putting forth other buds. We
proceeded ^^ith the Cine principally till about nine
o'clock, when a fine breeze eprung np from the
S. K. and enabled ud to Bail very well, notwith-
^88
TTP THE MIBSOUBL
etanding the rapidity ofthe current. At one mile
and a, hairie A. lar^ £r^k tliirty y arda wide, and
containing Bome water which it empties on the
north ride, over a gravelly bed, iatermixed with
eocie Btone. A mini who was sent up to explore
the country returned in the evening, after having
gone ten miles directly towards the ridge of moun-
tains to the nort)i, wliich ia the source ofttiidaa
well as of Teapot creek. The air of these high-
lands IB BD pure, that objectB appear mvi-eh n*-arer
than tliey really are, eo that although our man
went ten mileB without tbiuking himeeir by any
means half way to the mountains, they do not
ftom the river appear more than fifteen miles
distaat ; this B^eatn we called Northmounfcaia
creek. Two and a. half mileB higher ia a creek on
the eonth which i« fifteen yards wide, but with-
out any water, and to wliich we gave the name
■of Littledog ereekj from a village of burrowing
Bquirrels oppotdte to its entranee, that being the
name given by the JJYench watermen to those
ajiimaU. Tlirefi miles from this a email creek
■enters on the north., five beyond whtch is an
ialand a quarter of a. mile lu length, and two
miles further a small riYer: this falls in on th«
south, IB forty yards wide, and dLBcbargpa a baud-
some stream of wat*r; its bed rocky with gravel
and sand, and the bauke high : we called it South-
mountain ereekj as from its direction it seemed to
rise in a range of mountainft about fifty or sixty
milea to the S. W. of ita eiitrancB. The low
grouiida are narrow and without timber; the
country high and broken ; a large portion of biaofe
rock, and brown sandy rocl; appears in the fate of
the hills, the tops of which are covered with scat-
tered pine, spruce and dwarf cedar; the eojl ia
^aerally poor, aandy near the topB of the Mjia,
259
LEWIS AKD CLABK'S EXPEDITION
sjid nowhere producing much grasB, the low
gjoTinda beinij covered with little else thaii the
hyaaop, or Bouthern wood, and the pulpy-leafed
thorn. Game La more acare-e, particularly beaver,
of which we have eeeii but ftw for several dayg,
and the abundance gr scarcity of which aeema to
depend on the greater or leys quantity of timber.
At twenty-four end a half milEa we reached a
point of woodland on the Eouth, where we ob-
served that tho trees had no leaves, and encamped
for the night. The hiyh country through which
we have passed for e.ome days, and where we DOW
are, we auppu«e to be a coatiDaatioii of what tLe
French traders called the Cot« Koire or Black
hUlH. Tha couatry thuB deiiomiuated coneists of
high broken irregrjlar hilla and edort ebaina of
mountaias, sOmetimea one hundred and twenty
miles in wdth, sometimes narrqTver, but alwaya
much higher than the conntrj on either Bide.
They commeoce about the head of the Kanzae,
where thfty diverge; the firet ridge going west-
ward, along the northern ehore of the Arkanaaw;
tihe Bee Dd apprcachea the E ock ntountaiiLB
obliquely in a course a little to the W. of N'. W.
and after pagsiug the Platte above its forks, and
interaecttDg the Tcllowetone near the I^tighend,
crosaea the Missouri at thia place, and probably
Bwell the country an far as tlie Saekaahawan,
though aa they are represented much aniallcr here
than to the aouth, they may not reach that river,
Saturday, ,?5tJj.— Two canoeB which were left
behind yesterday to brinj^ ou the ^&inG, did not
join us till eight o'clock thiii morning, when we
Bet out with the towline, the use of which the
banks permitted. The wind was, however, ahead,
the current Btrong, particularly round the pointe
agoiuBt wMch it happened to aet, and the guUiea
200
UP THE MISSOORI.
from the hilla haTing brought down quantities of
BtOng, these projected int'O the riTer, forming- bar-
Herg for forty or fifty feet round, which it wa«
Tery difficult to pss». At the distance oftwo and
three quarter milea w« paeeed a Hiuall island in a
deep bend on the Bouth, and on the Bame eide a
creek twenty jarda wide, Iriit -mth no running
%?ater. About a mile further is an ietatid between
two and three miles in length, separated ftom the
northern ehore by a oarrow cbtuinel, in wUichia
& sand ielaad at the distance of half a mile fVom
its lower extremity. To thia large ialaad we gave
the name of Teapot ialand ; two milea above -which.
ie an i»lci.tid a mile long, and situated on the
south. At three and a half miles is another small
island, and one mile- beyond it a second thrw
quarters of a mile io length, on the north side.
In the middle of the river two tniles above this ia
on Island with no timber, and of the same extent
aa this last. The conntry on each side is high,
broken, and rocky; tht rOCk beihg either a aofl
brown Bandstoae, covered -with a thin stratum of
iimeetone, or else a hard blayk rugged granite,
both usually in horizontal stratae, and the sand-
rock overlaying the other. Salte and quartz as
-well as some coal and puniiceHtone still appear:
the bars of the river arc compoacd principally of
gravel; the river low grounds are narroiv, and
afibrd scarcely any timber; nor is there much pine
on the hills. The buffalo have now become
Bcarce : we buw a polecat this evening, which waa
the first fnr eeveral days : in the course of the day
we also aaw several herds of the tiLg-horTied aui-
maU itmong the steep cliffH on the north, and
killed several of them. At the distance of eighteon
luileH "n'e eocaniped on. the south, and the next
morning,
SOI
LEWIS AND CLARK'6 EXPEDITION
Sand&y, 26th, praceeded on at aa early hour hj
nteanB of the tovrUne^ aMiig oar oars merely i&
pasein^ tbe river, to lake advanCdg^ of the beet
Itanks. Tbere are now Bcarceljr anj low groiuKls
on the river, tte hill* Iwing hjg-h and ia maiij
places presaiiig on both radee to the verge of tba
water, Tbe blai^k rock ha« ^rea plaw to a rerjr
aoft eandHtone, which eeeme to be traahed away
feflt bj the river, and being throwB into the river
renders its navigation more difficult than it waa
yesterdi-y: above this sandstone, a^nd t^iward^ the
enmmitfl of xbe hilU, a hard freeet-oae of a yellow-
iah brown colour Bhows iteelf in eeversl Btrataa of
noeEiual tiuckneas, tretjuently overiaid or incrusted
by a thin stratnin oriimestone, which seems to be
formed of Concreted ehells. At eight abd aQnarter
milee we came to the mouth of a creek on the
Dorthj thirty yards wide, with eome ruantng
water and a rocky bed: we called it Wiodeor
creek, after one of the party. Four and three-
quarter milefl beyond thin we came to another
creek in a bend to the norths which is twenty
yards wide, w^ith a handeome tittle etream of
water ; there is however no timber on either aide
of the river except a- l^w piae« on the hille. Here
we aftw for the first time since we left the iAsM-
dana H!veral soft ehelied turtles, though thie may
be owing rather to the Beason of the year than to
any scarcity of the animal. It was here that alter-
Aecendiujo; the highest eummite of the hilla on the
north side of the river, that captain LeitiB first
canght a distaut >1ew of the Hock mountaiua, the
object of all our hopes, and the reward of all oar
ambition. On both Bidce of the river and at no
great dietance from it, the mountains followed its
Courjse : above these, at the distance Of fifty milSH
&om UB, a^ irregutar range uf mountains spread
soa
trP THE MISSOURI.
themaelvea from west to northwest from Mb posi-
tion. To the north ofthese a few elevated pointe,
the moHt remarkable of which bore north fi5'
treet, appeared a.buTe th6 hofizoa, atld Oa the euH
flh^ne an the BDOwe of their BummitB be obtained
a dear aad Batiefectory ti&w of thoee mountains
which close on th^ MiB&ourl the passage to the
Paclflc. Four and & half milea beyond this creek
we eanje to the upper point of a Btnall sand
ieland. At the distance of five miiee between high
blufik, we paaaed & Terj flifficult rapid, reaching
quite acrose the river, wher* the water ih deep, the
channel narrow, and gravel obetnicting it on each
Bide: we had great difficulty in ascending it, al-
though we ueed both the rope and the pole, and
doubled the crewH : this ia the moet considerable
rapid on the itiaeouri, and in fact the oidj place
where there is a Buddcn descent: aa we ivere
labouring oTer tiem, a female elk with itg fawu
swam down through the waTea, which ran Tery
Ugh, oud obtained for the place the name of the
Elk Rapids. Just above them ia a email low
ground of cottonwood trees, where at twenty-
two and a i^uartfi]' mlle^ wa &xed our encamp*
ntent, and were joined by captain Lewis, who had
been on the hilU during the afternoon.
The country has aow become deaert and bar-
ren: the appearuncea of coal, burnt earth, pumiee-
«tone, Balte, and quartz^ continue ae yesterday-
but there is no timber except the thinly scattered
pine and apruce on the auniinita of the hilla, oi-
along the etdee, Tlie only animals we hare ob-
seryed are the elk, the bighorn, and the bare, com-
mon in this country. In the plain where we lie
are two Indian cabins made of sticke, and during
the last few days we have passed several otliers
in the points of timber on the river.
303
L'EWTS AND CLABK'B ESPEDITTON
Monds-y, 37. — The wind was bo high that we
did not etart till ten o'clock, and even then were
obliged to use the line during tte grcat*^r part of
"the day. The riv^r hae become very rapid with a
Tery perceptible deeceut: ita general width iB
about two hundred yards: tlie h1ioq.Ib too are
more frequent, and the rocky pointB at the month
of the guiUea more troublesome to paes: great
qoantities of tliia Htoiie lie iii tbiJ river and on its
banks, and aeeui to have fallen down as tlie raia
va«bed away the clay and sand in whicU they /
were imbedded. The water la bordered by high
rugged bin QH,t:unipoued ofirrvgular but horizontal
Btratai^ of yellow and brown or black tlay, brown
and yellowteh wiite sand, soft yellowish white
sandatone: bard dark brow^n freeetooe; and alM>
large roand kidney formed irregular separ-
ate maee^s of a bard black ironetone, im-
bedded in the clay and Baud; some coal or
carbonated wood also makes its apjtearauce
in the cliffs, as do aluo its uyual attendants
the pamiccutone and burnt r^rtb. The salta
and quartz are Ivss abundaut, and generally
Speaking the country is if poseible more rug-
ged aud barren thaa that we paseed yeuterday ;
the only growtJi of the hillii being a Jfew piae,
aprnce, and dwarf cedar, intersperBed with an oc-
casional contrast once in the {^ouree of some milefl,
of aeveral acres of level gtouad, -ft-iiith supply a
scanty subsiattince £i:>r a few little cottonwood
trees.
Soon after Betting out we paseed a small antdm-
bered iBtand on tlie south ; at about seven miles
we reached a conBiderabte bend which the river
xnakee towards the southeast, aud in the eveiung,
afber making twelve and a half miles, encamped
QD the south near two dead cQttonwood trees, th»
UP THE MISSOURI.
onlj timber for f\iel whicli we could discover Iq tha
Dnghboarliood.
Tae^siia;}', S8. — The weather waa dark and
clondy ; the air amotj, and there ftll a ft w drop^
df rftin. At ten o'clocic w^e had again a eligbb
Bprinkling- of rairij attended n-ith distant thaniJer,
which VH tbe Oret we have heard Biot^e leaving the
Mandana. We employed the line genep«lly, with
the addition of the pole at the ripplea and rockj
pointB, which we find more numeroiiB and trouble-
some than those we poHsed yteterday. The water
is very rapid roand these points, and we are
SOmetiniea obliged to Ht«er tho canoev- tbrPUgb tbe
points of sharp rockB riBiag a fe'w inches above tfae^
enrfaee of the water, and eo near to each other
that it our ropes give way the force of the cur- >^
rent drivea the aides of the canoe ag^ainet them,
and tauBt ifievitably npset them or daah them to
pieces. TUeHe corde are very elender, tMiing almost
all made of elk-skin, and much worn aad rotted
by expoaare to the weather: several timee they
gave way, bat fortnnately always in plaeee where-
there was room for the canoe to tnrn without
striking the rock ; yet with all oar precaationB it
Was trith infinite risk and labour that we paesed.
theae pointe- Aji Indian pole for hvilding boated
down the river, and waa worn at one end as if
drag^^ along the ground in traveltingi several
other articlea were also brought dowa by the cur-
rent, whieb indicate that the Indians are probably
a.t no great distance above ue, and judging from,
a football which resemblea those used by the Min-
netareea near the Mandane, w^ conj^ture thati-
they must be a baud of the JllinnetareeB effort de
Prairie. The appefirance of the river and the sur-
rounding country continued as usual, till towarda
evening, at about fifEeen miles, we reached a lar^
Vol. I.— 20
305
LEWIS AXD CLAEKS EXPEDITION
creek on the nortli thirty-five j^arda wide, dl&*
char^Dg BOme Ti^ater, fuid nam^ ait«r one of our
men Thompson's creek. Here the country aa-
Biiined a totally difiiTent aapeet; the hille retired
oa hoth sides tVom the river which now apreada
to more than three timefl its fortnei" siae, and la
filled with a number uf Bm&ll huDdBOine ielandg
covered with cottonwood. The low grnundg on
the river are agaia wide, fertile, and enriclied with
trees; those on the oorth are particularly wide,
the hillB being comparatiTely low and opening
into three large valliee, which extend themaelyee
for a conniderahle distance towards the north:
these appearancea of vegetation are delig'htful
after the dreary hills over which w^e have pureed,
and we have now to congratulate oarselves at
having: escaped from the laet ridn^e uf the Black
mountainB. On leaving Thompeon's creek we
paaaed two small ialands, and at twenty-three
miles difitatit^e eticamptid among ^otne timber on
the north, opposite to a. email creek, which we
named Pnll creek. The bigliorn in m grta-t quanti-
tiefi, and muBt bring forth tlieir young at a very
early season, oh they are now hali" grown. One of
the party saw a large bear also, fmt being at a
dietance from the river, and having no timber to
conce&l hinir he Would uOt venture to fire.
Wsdnesdsjr, 2!i. — Last night we were alarmed
by e, new sort of eu^my. A buffftlo ewam over
from the opposite aide and to tie epot where lay
one of our canoes, over which he clambered to the
Hhore; then taking fright he ran full speed np the
bank towards oiip fltws, and pa-s&ed within eigh-
teen inches of the beads of norae of the men, before
the sentinel could make him change hia coiir^er
Btlll more alarmed he ran down between four Area
and within a few inches of the headfi of a eecoad
Boe
Ci" THE MISSOUBI.
row of the men, ami tvduld have broken into our
lodge if the barking of the dog had not atopped
him. He sudclenly turnud to tlis right and waa
oot of Bight in a momeiit, lea'viDg us all Id con-
faaion, every one seiziQg his rifle and inquiring the
cause of ths alarm. On learniiii^j wiiat tad hap-
pened, we had to rejoice at autTeriug no more
injury than the damage to Rome guiie w!iii:li were
in tlie cujioe whith the buSklc;) crog^^rd.
ia the morning eorlj w<i i«ft our camp, and pro-
ctieded ae uijual ly the cord. We poaBcd aa islajid
and two eandbars, and at the diataiiee of two and
a half milea we came to a handficjme riTer whicii
discharges itaelf oa the south, and Trhich -wb asn
c«nded to the distance of a ntile and a half; we
called it Judith'e river; it rises m the Hock moun-
tains in about the same place with, the Mascbehell.
and npar the Yellowstone river. Its entrante ia
one huadred yarda wide from one bank to the
other, the water occupying about seventj-fiva
yards, anJ in greater quantity than that of the.
MaacleHhell river, and thoug'h more rapid ■equaUy
Davigablt', tlii-re being no atooes or rocks in ths^
bed, which is cojapoaed entirely of (jravel and mud
with Bome mmd ; the water too 16 clearer than any
which we have yet eec-n ; and the low }|;rotiiidaj a*
fiir as we could di*«Cerii, wider and more woody
than those of the Mitowuri; along ita hauku we
obeerved some box-alder iiiterniixfd witti tlio Cot-
tonwood aud the willow; the undcrgrowtli con-
sisting of roHebushes, honeyBuckles, and u little
Ted willow, 'J'lu're waa a gr<!at abuudaiice of the
argaleaor bighorned animals in the high country
through which it pitBaea, and a great number of
the beaver in its watera: just above the entrance
of it we Baiv the flres of oae Uuudred and twenty-
ux lodges, wiiich appeared to have btxii deeerted
307
LEm'IS A\D CLARK'S EXPEDITION
about twelve or &fte<?ii days, and an the other
eidfl of the SJiesouri a liirge encftmpment, ap-
parently made by tJie Bame uatiou. Un4!3c&miiiing
ftJlne tnOteasitlB trhith wefounii there, our ludian
woman said tliat tliey do not bslang ta herown
nation the t>nake IndiaMU, but shtr tliuugbt tliat
tbey mdicat<Hl a tribe on this Bide of tlie Rocky
mountainB, and to the north of tba Minaourij in-
deed it is probublB that the^ are the Minnetarees
of fort de Prairie, At tlie distance of sii and a
lialf niLles the hilU again tLpproochod tiie brinli of
"the nver, and the stones and rocts washed down
fivm them form a very b^d rapid, with tocIlb and
xipplee more Qumeroue aud diUicult than those we
passed on the '27tb and :^^tti: here the Bame ecene
waa reneTced, and we lifid agaiu to struggle and
]abotir to preserve our amoM craft from Iwing: loat.
!Near this spot are a Tiw trees of the aeli, the fir^t
-ffe have swQ for a gr«a-t diatanee, and from which
tee named tbe place Aah I^pLdy. On tbeae hilla
there le but little timber, but the salta, coal, and
other mineral apjiearances eoutinue. On the
north we paeeed a precipici; about one hundred y
And twenty feet high, undtr which lay scattered
the ft'aginenta of at least ont^ handi'L'd caruaae^ of
buSUloes, altEioajfli tkd wat^r which hud washed
away the lower part of the lull luust have carried
<iff many of the dead. Thtsi; buffaloes hud been
chased down the precipice in a iray very (common
On the Missouri, and by wliisli vast iierds ar*
destroyed in a moment. The modi* of hunting is
to Belwt one of the most a^tivs and fleet young
mea, who ie disguiBed by a buffalo Hkiu round
bis body; tbe ekla of tbe head with the t^are and
horna faatened on hia own head in eueh a waj as
to deceive the buffalo: thus dreased, he lixea him-
Igelfat a convenient distance between a herd at
3ua
trp THE MISSOURI.
buSblo and any of tbe river precipices, which
Bometimea extend far aome mileB. His compan-
ioQB in the meantime ^t in the rear and side of
tlie herd, ajid At s, giTCn si^al ehOTv themselTes,
and advance towards tte bnffalo-; thej ingtautly
t»1ie the alarm, and finding the huntere bedde
them, they run towards the disguised Indian or
decoy, who leads tiieia on at ftill epeed towards
the riyer, when suddenly ttecuring himself in eorae
crevice of the tiiff w'aieh he he-d previouslj- fised
on, the herd Je Itlt on tbe briiil; of th« precipice;
it U then in vain for thij foremoet to retreat or
even to atop ; they are pressed on by ttie hindmoet
rank, who, H^in;^ no daji^r but from the hunters,
goad on those before tliem till the whole are pre-
cipitated and the Btiore is strewed with their dtad
bodies, i^ometiinea in tliiK perilous seduction the
Indian is Iiimself either trodden underfoot by the
rapid movements of tte buffalo, or missing his
footing in the cliff is urged down tlie precipice by
the falling herd. The IndiauB then select as mneh
meat aa they wirsh, and the rest ia abandoned to
the wolves, and creates a moat dreadi^l stench.
The wolves who had laeen ffeaeting on these car-
cases were very fat, and bo gentle that one of
them wae killed with a epontoon. Above this
place we carae to for dinner at the riiataace of
seventeen miles, opposite to a bold ranning river
of twenty yards wide, and falling in on the aoutli.
From the objects we had juet passed we called
thiB stream Slaughter river. Its iow grounds are
narrow, and contain scarcely any tinjber. Soon.
after landing it begua to blow and rain, and aa
there waa nu prospect of getting wood for fiiel
ftirther on, we fixed our camp on tho north, three
quartera of a mi!e above Slaughter river. After
the laboars of the day we gave to each man a
ma
LEWIS AND CLAHK'S EXPEDITION
4rAin, and such ^vas the eSi»t of long aLstitieucd
from i^pirituoua liquors, that from the small qnan-
titj- of half a gill of rum, several of the men wer&
■confliderably affected by it, and all very mudh es-
hilarated. Onr g-ame to-day conaiBted of an elk
and two beaver.
Tbti!-!i'la,y, 50.— The rain -n-hich commenced last
■eveniiig continued ivith little iutermisBioTi till
el?T(?u this m.orning', when the high wiod which
accompaaied it having aljated, we set out. More
rain luLfi iiovv falleii than we have hod since the
lut of September laat, and many circuraatancea
indicate our approach to a climate differing con^
Biderably- from, that of tlie country through whieh
■we have been passing: the air of th« open country
ia (wtouisbiQgly dry and pure. Observing th&tthe
caae of our Hextant, tliougli jieriectly BeuaonBd,
Bhrank and the joints oEwned, we tried several
experimental by which it appeared that a table-
apoonful of water exposed io a saucer to the air
would evaporate in thirty-six hours, ivhen the
mercury did not stand higher tlian the temperate
point at the greatest beat of the day. The river,
notwithatanding thfl rain, is ntuch clearer than it
was a few inya yast; but we advance with (^reat
labour and difficulty; the rapid current, theripplea
and rocky ]iointB rendmTig the navigation more
emharrasKiiig than even that of yesterday, in addi-
tion to wliich the banks are now so slippery after
the rain, that the men who draw thecanoeB can ,
ficarcely walk, and the earth and stone iroaataatly
falling down the liigh hluSa make it dangeroaa to
yasa under them ; fitiil however we are obUg-ed to
make une of the cord, ah the wind is strong ahead,
the current too rapid fur oars, and too dt*p for
the pole. In thiB way we p&«*?d at thedietanw
of fire and a half mileH a smalt rtvalet la a liend
310
FP THE MiaBOTTRI.
■ oa the north, two loilea nirthcr aa ielaod oa tha
same side, haJf u mili; beyoDtl wLicb came to a
grove of trees at the entrance of a run in a bead
to thfc Bouthj and HjaGaioped for the night oil the
northera ahore. Tie eight nilJea which wt mode
to-day cost us much trouble. The tur -waa cold
and rendered more diaagreeable hy the rain, "which
Ml ID. Beyeral elij^ht eliowera in the comae uf the
da.;; our corda too broke several timet!, but for-
tunately without injury to the boats. On aBCcnd-
ing the hilla near the rirer, one of the party found
that there was SnOW mixed irith the tain Oil tha
Jiejghta: a httle baclc of these the country become^
perftctly lerd on both tiideft of the rivw. There w
now DO timber on the hille, and only a few scat-
tering cottonwood, ash, bos-alder, aud willowa,
along the water. In the courBe of tlko day we
passed Several encamp menta of Indians^ the most
recent of which seenicd to have been evaendted
about 0V0 iveeka eiuce, and from the several ap-
parent dat«B we Huppoeed that they were made by
a. band of about one hundred lodges who were
ttavelLing slowly up the river. Although no part
of the ilisaouri from the Minnetareea to this place
exhibit aigUfl of perinadeiit aettlemeutd, yet iLune
veem exempt fi'oin the tr&neient visita of bunting
parties. We kpow that the Minnetareea of the
MiseouTL extend their excursloua on the aouth aida
of tJie river, aa hl^h as the YellowEitane ; and tha
AflsimboinH visit the uorthem Hide, moHt probably
a« high aa Porcupine river. ASI the lodges be-
tween that place and tha Ilocky mountuios we
Bupposcd to belong to the MimietareeH of fort da
Prairie, who live ou tiie aoiith fork of the &aa-
koahawan.
Friday, 31.—VfB proceeded in two perioguee,
leaving the canoea to bring on the meat of two
311
LEWIB AND CLABK'S EXPEDITION
TjaffaloeB killed last evening. Soon after we set
otf it began to rain, and tEiougfi it ceased a,t noon,
the weather continued cloadj' during the rest of
tlie day. The ohstruCtioUB of yesterday still re-
^BJJL and fatignie the meii exc^s^tTely; the baii]^
are eo olippery in sooie placce and the miid bo
adliesive tliat ttey are unable to wear their moc-
caains ; one fourtli uf the time they are obligeij to
be up to their armpits in tie cold water, and
aometitnes walk for several yard* over the eharp
fragments of rocks which have fallen fVom the
lilU : all this added to the burden of dragsing the
fceavy canoes is very painful, yet the men bear it
"With great pati«ace and good humour. Once the
rope of one of the periogues, the only one we had
made of hemp, broke short, and the periogue
Swnng aud juat touchftl A point of rock which
almoHt overaet her. At nine miles we c^me to a
high w&U of black rock rieiug from the water's
edge on the south, above the cliffs of the river:
I^B eontinued about a quarter of a mile, and woe
eucceeded by a high open plain, till three milea
ftarther a aecotid wall two hundred feet Jdgh rose
cm the same aide. Three miles f\irther a wall of
the same kind about twp hundred feet high and
twelve in tiiickness, appeared to the oortb: theae
hilla and river cliffs exhibit a most e^itraordiaary
and romantic appearance: they rise in moat placea
nearly perpendicular ttom the water, to the height
of between two and three hundred feet, and are
' formed of very white sandatone, bo soft as to
yield readily to the impreseion of water, in the /
npper part of which lie imbedded two ar three
thin horizontal stratae of wliite freestone InBensi-
ble to the rain, and on the top is a dark rich
loaTD, which forma a g'radualjy ascending plain,
fi-am a mile to a mile and a half in extent, Vrhdn
31^
^
UP THE inaaotnu.
the Mils a^in rise abrupt] j to tie hptgtt of abont
three hundred feet more. In trrcUinif iIqwq tie
difi^, the water has worn th« Boft eandstoae into
a thousand groteaqae S^reHr araoQg which with
a little fancy may be discerned elegant rangea of
freeBtone bnildinga, ■withcolutnnBTariously eculp-
tnred, and supporting long and eJegant g-alleriee-j
while the parapets are adorned with statuarj ; on
» nearer approach they repreeeot every form of
elegant rniDs; columnB, Bome with pedeatale and
capitala entire, others mutilatal and prostrate,
and some riaing iiyramidally over ea^h other till
they terminate in a ehaep point. Tiieee are varied
by niches, alcoves, and tli«cii8tomary appearances
of desolated magnificence; the illusioQ i^ ULcreased
by the unmber of martlnB, who have bailt their
globular uesta in the niches and hover over theBe
columna; aa in our country they are accuetomed
to frequent lar^ atone atnictur^. As weadvaTsce
there seems no end to the visionary enchantment
which BuiToiinde ns. In the midst of thisfantELstic
eceuery are va«t ranges of walle, which eeem the
productions of art, bo regular is the workmao-
ahip: they rise perpendicularly from the river,
Hometimea to the lieigbt of one hundred feet, vary-
ing in thicknesa from one to twelve ffeet, being
equally broad at the top aa below. The stones of
which they are formed are black, thict, and dur-
able, and composed of a large portion of earth,
intermixed and cemented with a email quantity of
Band, and a eonaiderable proportion of talc or
quartz. These stones arc almost invariably regu-
lar pof oUelipeds of unequal si«es in the wall, but
equally deep, and laid regularly in ranges over
each other like bricks^ each breaking and covering
the interstice of the two on which it reata; but
though the perpendicular interstice be destroyed,
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
the hdri^ontal one extendi entirdj through the
whole work: the etonea too are proportion*d to
the thictjiesg of the wall ia which they are em-
ployed, beiu^ largeii't in the thickest walls. The
tlunner walls tire compoHed of a ein^le depth of
the paralleliped, while the thicker one* conHiat of
two or more depths; these walls pass tlie river &t
fleveral places, rising from the waters edge miich
H.boYe tli@ sandstone blafik which they peem. to
peuetratej thenwthej croBQ in a straight line oa
either Bide of the river, the plaioB over which they
tower to thfi height of from ten to seventy feet,
nntil they !oae theraselTee in the second range of
hUia: Bonietimea they run jjar&lltl in aftveralrangeft
near to each other, eometimee intersect each other
at right angles, and have the appearance of "waUs-
of ancient houaea or gardens,
Thefaefl of eomeof these river hilla, ib compoaed
of very eicellent freestooe of a li^ht yellowlBli
brown colour, and among the clifi» we found a
epecies of pine which we had not jet actin, and
differing (Vom the Virgiiua pitth-pine in having a
shorter leaf, aad a longer aud more pointed cone.
The cool appears only Id email quantities, as do
the burnt earth and pumiceatone; the cotneral
ealt^ have abated. Among the animals are a
great number of the bigtorn, a few buffalo and
elk, and Kome mule-deer, but none of tiie com-
mott deer nor »nj antelopesr We saw but could
Dot procure a heautiful fox, of a coEour vailed
with orange, yellow, white, and black, rather
emaller than the common fos of this country, and
ahout the eame size aa the red fox of the United
States.
The river to-day has b^en fVom aboat one hun-
dred and fifty to two liundreil Mid iii^y yards
wide, with bat little timber, ^t the djetaiicc of
UP THE MISSOnBI.
two miteB and a half from the last Btone wallj }■
a Btream on the north side, tw<;ntj-eiglit jarda ia
width, aad with eome ruuning -prater. We en-
camped juHt abore its mouth, having made eigh-
teen mikfl.
Sa-turdAj; Jane i.— The weather was cloudy
■with a few drops of rain. As we proceeded bj- the
aid of our cord we fqqnd the river cliffs and bluffb
sot BO bigh as jeirterday, and the CDuutrj moti
level. The timber too ia En greai-er abundance on
the river, though there w no wood on the hig-h
ground ; coal however appears iu the bliifls. The
river ia from two hundred to two hUndrL-d and
flftj- feet wide, the current more geutle, the water
"becoming etill clearer and fbwer rocl(j points and
Bhoala thsLB. we met jet^terday, though those
whieh we did encounter were equally difficult to
•p&BR. GameLH by no mwiaa in Bueh plenty as be-
low; all that we obtained were one blgliorn, and
a mule-deer, though Tve saw in the plains fl. quan-
tity of buffalo, particularly near a Bmall lake
about eight miles from tLe river to the south.
NotwithBtaiidiiig the wind was ahead all day, we
dragged the choopb along the diatnnce of twenty-
three miles. At fonrteen and a quarter miles, we
came to a siUAll iulund opposite a bend of the
river to the north: two and a half uiiles to the
Tipper point of a eniall island qn the north; live
mileB to aQUtbcir island on the Bouth eidc and op-
posite to a bluff. In the nest two ruilea we paeaed
an island on the aonth, a second "beyond it on tha
north, and readied nGar a high hlulTon the north
a tbdrd on which we encamped. In the plains
near the river are the chokecherry, yellow and red
currant-buehes, ae well as the wild rose and
prickly pear, both of which are now in bloom.
From the topa of the river hilla, which are lower
al5
than aeaal, we enjoyed a deligbtnil view of the
ricii fertile plains an botb eides, in. manf places
esteadlD^from the riTer cS.Sa to a great di&tance
bafik. Iq theae plains we meet occaeioDallj' large
bankB of pure sand, whieh were driven apparently
by the Bouthwest winds, and there deposited.
The plains are more fertile some dietance from the
rirer than near ite baaka, where the Eurfuiie of the
earth is very generally strewed with email p«bbles,
which appear to h« smoothed and worn by the
agitation of the waters with which they were no
doubt once covered, A mountain or part of the
North mountain approaches the river within eight
or ten mileB, bearing north from our encampment
of last evening ; and this morning a range of liigh
mountaiiis beariDg S. \V. from ue aud (apparently
ruoQiag to the weetword, are eeea at a great die-
tancecDvered with snow. In tha evening we had
a little more rain.
SundAj; 2. — The wind blew Tiolently laat nightj
and a alight shower of rain fell, but this morning
wa« Ibir, We eet out at an early hour, and al-
though the wind was ahead by meoue of the cord
went on mueh better tbao for the last two days,
ea the banks were well calculated for towing. The
current of the river ia strong hut regular, its tini'
ber lucreoeea in quaatity, the low grounds be-
come more level and extensive, and the blufi^ on
the rivers are Low^er than usual, la the course of
the day we had a small ebower of ruin, which
lasted a few nunutea only. Ab the game ia very
abnndant we think it necessary to begin a collec-
tion of hides for the purpose of making a leathern
boat, which we intend constructing shortly. The
huntars who were out the greater part of the day
brought in six elk, two bu&alo, two mule-de«r
and a bear. This lost animal had aearly cost as
816
TIP THE MISSOTJm,
the lives of two oronr hnntera who wer* together
when he attacked them ; one of them nftrrowly
esCELp^ being caught, and the other after rnnning
a. coDsiderable dista.Dce, cCQCCll'Ied himseirill BOmtf
thick hu^ahee, and while the bear waa In quick
purauit of his hiding place, hie companioD caiue up
and fortnnately shot the animal through the
head.
At eii and a half mile* we reached an igland on
the nortbern Bide; one mile and a quarter tience
re a timbered low ground on the Bouth : and in the
next two and three qaarter miles wfi pasBcd three
email iBlands, and came to a dark hluffon the
«outh: within the fbllowlng mile are two Bmall
islands on the name bide. At three and a q^uarter
miles we reached the lower part of a much larger
island near a northern point, and aa ~we coae-t^d
along ItB Bide, within two mlleB passed a KmaUer
inlaud, and half a mile above reached the head of
another. All theec ielanda are Bmall, and moBtaof
tbem contain some timber. Three quarters of a
mile bejond the last, and at the distance of eig^h-
teen mileefrom our encampment, we came to ibr
the night in a handsome low cottonwood plain on
the Bouth, where we remained for the purpose of
making Bome celeBtial obaervatioQB duriiLg the
night, and of examining in the morning a large
river which comes in oppobite to ue. Accordingly
At an early hour,
Monday, 3d, we crOBsed and fixed our eamp in
the point, formed by the junctioa of the rirer with
the Missouri. It now became an intereating ques-
tion which of these two etreams is what the
JUinnetarees call Ahmateahza or the MisHOUri,
wbdch thej described as approacbing very near to
the Columbia. On our rij^ht deciBLon much of the
fcite of the expedition depend^j since if after ae-
317
LEWia AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
cendiug to fhe Bock; mountauis or bejoud them,
we Bhould find that the river we were followis^
did not come near the Columbia, and be obliged
to return, we ehould not trnJy lose the travellin^f
season, tn'O mOlithe cf whi«h had ^Ir^^d; elapsed,
but probably dishearten the men su much a^ to
indace them either to abandoa the enterprise, or
yield lis a cold obedience inatead of the warm and
sealoua Bupport which they had hitherto afforded
as. We detenuiaedj therefore, to eianiine well be-
fore we decided ou our future course ; and for tM»
porpo^ despatched two canoes with three men up
each of the Btreama with orders tu aecertaiu tli&
width, depth, and rapidity of the current, eo ae ti>
fudge of their coraparative bodies of water. At
the Bame time particB were seat out hy land to
penetrate the country, and discover from the ris-
ing grounds, if possible, the distant bearings of
the two riverpj; and all were directed tc return
towards eveaing. While they were gone we oa-
cended together the high grouodB in the fork of
these two rivers, whence we had a very extenaire
prospect of the Hurrounding country: OH every
side it was spread into one Ta«t plain covered
with verdurcj in wliicli iiinujnerahle herds ofbTiF-
folo were roaming, attended by their eutmies the
wolvea; some flockB of elk aUa were Been, and the
eoiitary antelopee were scattered with theiryomiff
OTCr the face of the plain. To the south was a
range of lofty mountains, wMcb we supposed to
be a continuation of the South mouutain, stretch-
ing themaelvee fVom ^oatheaat to northwest, tuid
terminating abruptly about eouthweab ft'om oa.
These were partially covered with bdow; but at &
great distance behind them was a more lofty ri.dge
completely covered with snow, which geebied to
fpUow.ibe, B^nK difpcUon as the Brst, reachinK
SIS
UP THE MISSOUHL
I from weat to the north of northwest, where their
iBhowj tope were blended with the horixan. The
[idirection Qf the rivers could not towever be long
' dietinguiBhed, aa they were boob loet in tbo extent
of the plain. On our return we contiuued oup
e^samioation ; the width of the north branch la
-two hundred yards, that of the soutlt ia three
hundred and aeTentj-tivOv Tho north, althongh
Tiarrower and with a gentter current, ie (Jwpec
than the south : lt« waters too are of the eame
whitish brown colour, thicktiesH, and turbidneae-.
they run in the flame boiling and rolling manner
which has nniformly charatteriied the Missouri;
find its b(^ is conipoeed of Bome graTcl, hut prin-
Cipallj mud. The south fork ia deeper, but its
wPrterB are perfectly transparent: ite current is
rapid, but the eurfuce Bmooth and unruffled; and
its bed too is composed of roand and flat smooth
eton^ like those of rivers issmng from a moun-
tainona country. The air and tharact^r of the
north fork so much resemble those of the Miseonri
that almoe-t all the party believe that to be the
true eourae to be pursued. WehoweTer, althoujjh
we have given no decided opinion, are iuLlined to
thiak otherwise, becauBC, although this "branch
doee g;ive the colour and character to the Mis-
souri, yet theae very cirtamat^ttcea induce aa
opinion that it rises in and runs through an open
plain country, Bince if it came I'roin the mountaJjiB
it would be clearer, unlees, which fi-om the pod-
tion of the country ie improbable, it paaeed
through a vast extent oflow ground after leaving
thfiw: we thought it probable that it did not eveo
penetrate the Uocky TOOuntaina, but drew its
Bourcee ftqiu the open country toward* the lower
and middle parts of the SaskaEhawan, in a direc-
tion north of thiB place, What embarraaeee UH
319
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
mo^ is, that the Indiane who uppeair^d to be weU^
acqnflinted trith. the geography of the country,
have not mentioned tins northern river; for "the
river which scolde at all others/' ^ itiB termed^
oiuBt be accordiag to their accoaat one of tha
rivers which we havo paased ; and if thia north.
fork be the Mieaonri, why have tte^ not deeig-
nated the south branch which they must also
have paseed, in order to reacb the gr^at J^Ils
which tbey mention on the Mie^outi? la the eveu-
ioff OLf parties returned, alter aecendiag the rivers
in canoes for aomE! diQtancQ, then contimiiDg on
foot, juBt leaving theniBelvea time to return by
nijfht. The north fork was teaa rapid, and there-
fore afforded the eaeiest navigation : the shallow-
est water of tha north waa five feet deep, that of
the BDuth six feot. At two and a half miles up tha.
north forli m a small river coming in on the lefb
or weatera 6ide> sixty feet wide, with a bold eur-
rent three fbet in depth. The party by land had
goae up the eouth fork in a strAight line, Borneo-
wiiat north of west for aeven miles, where they
discovered that this little river e&me witiiin one
hundred yards of the Bouth Ibrli, and on returoing
down it found it a handsome stream, with an
mnch timber an either of the larger rivern, con-
sisting of the nan:Off and wide-leafed Cottonwood,
some bircli and box-alder, and undergrowth of
willowa, roeebuehee, and currant-a; they also eaw
on this river a great number of efk and some
heaver.
AU these accounts were however very ftur fhim
deciding the important question of our future
route, and we therefore determined each of ns to
aacend one of the rivers during a day and a half's
march, or farther if neceesary, for our satisfaction.
Our taiktere killed two bu^aloj bIx eLk, and four
820
tJP THE MlSSOURt-
deer to-da;. Along the plaiua near the JimctioD
are to be found the prickly pear io great quanti-
tiea ; the chokechflrry ia aiao Tery fl,bundant in the
riTfir low groundB, ae WeU as the ravines along
the river blaffit; the jellow and red currants are
not yet ripe ; the gooseberry ie beginniBg to ripeD,
and the wild rose which dqw eovera all the low
groanda near the rivera is in full bloom. The
fati^es of the last few days have occaaioned some
filing off in the appearance of the men, who not
having been able to wear moccaains, had th«r
t^t much bniie^ and mangled in panging over the
atonee and rough ground. They are however per-
fectly chEterniJ, and have aa undiminished ardour
for the expedition.
Ttiead&y, June 4. — At the same hour thie raom-
ing captain Lewia and captain Clark aet out to
^splore the twO' rivere; captain LewiB with tr\i ,
men crosBed the north fork, near the camp, below
a small lelaad fVom which he took a course N.
30° W. for four and a half mileB to a commanding
eminence. Here we observed that the North
mountain, changing itjs directioa parallel to the
Miesouri, turned towards the north and termi-
D&ted abruptly at the distance pf about thirty
miles, the point of termination bearing N. 43' E.
The Sonth mountain too diverges to the Math,
and terminates abruptly, its extremity bearing
8. 8 ■ W. diatant about twenty milea : to the right
of, And retreating from this eitremity, is a sepb'
rat« mountain at the distance of thirty-flv« miles
in a direction S. 33 W, which iVom its resem-
blance to the roof of a barn, we called the Earn
mountain. The north fork, whieh is now on the
left, makes a considerable bend to the northwest,
and on its western border a range of hills about
ten miles long, and bearing ftom this spot N.
VoL I.-21 321
60" W, rune parallel with it: north of this range
of WIU IB an elevated point of the river bluff od its
south Hide, bearing N. 72' W. about twek* milea
from ub; towards thia he directed his course
flcroBa a hi^li, Wei, dry open p3ain; which In fHct
embracer the whole countrj to the foot of the
mountains. The aoilis dark, rich, and fertile, yet
the graee by ng means eo luiuriattt as might have
beea expected, for it is short and scarcely more
than sufficient to cover the ground. There are
Taat quantitiee of prickly pears, and mjriadB of
grasehoppers^ which afford food for a epwiee of
curle"*T which is in gre-a-t numbers in the plain. He
then proceeded up tie river to the point of obBer-
vatiou they bad fixed on; from which he went
two milee N. 15' W. to a bluff point on the north
Mda of the river: thence his conree wan N. 30=
W. for two miles to the entrance of a large creek
on the south. The part of the river along which
he passed is from forty to sixty yards wide, the
curreat ntrong, the water deep and ttirbld, the
baokB falling in, the Baits, coal and mineral ap-
pearances are aa UBua!, and in every reepect, ex-
cept ae to size, thia river resembles the MiBaourL
The low grounds are aarrow but well supplied
■with wood: the bluBfe are principally of dark
brown yellow, and some white clay with fVeestoae
in some ploceB. From thfa point the river bore
N. 20' E, to a bluff on the south, at the distance
of twelve miles: towards thia he direct^ hiB
course, ascending the hills which are about two
hundred ibet high, and pasmng through plcins for
three nii|e^, till he found the dry ravines so steep
and numerouB that he resolved to return to the
river and follow Ita banlis. He reached it about
four miles fVom the be^nning of hie course, and
eneainped on the north in a bend among some
322
TIP THE MISSOUEI.
bashes which sheltered the part; f>om the wind:
the air woe very cold, the northweat wind high,
and the raja wet them to the sldn. Besides the
game juat mentionttl, he observed 'bua'alo, elk,
wolves. Foxes, and we gat a. blalreauand a weasel,
tuid wounded a large brown bear, whpm it wa«
too late to pursue. Alongr the river are immenBd
quantities of roses which are now in AiU bloom,
and which make the low grounds a perf^t gar-
den.
Wednesdaj-, 5.— The rain fell dating the greater
part of the laqt night, and in the morning the
weather was cJoudj and cold, with a high north-
west wind: at suariBe be proceeded ap the river
eight miles to the bluff on the left Hide, towarda
which he had been directing hia course jesterday^
Here he found the bed of a creek tweaty-Bve jarda
wide at the entrance, with some timber, but no
water, notwitliijtandmg the rain.; H m, im3e«4,
BfitoaiBbing to obaerve the vast «juantit!eB of
water absorbed by the soil of the plains, which
beLng opened in large crevices preaenta a fine rich
loam: at the mouth of this Btream (which he
called Lark creek) the bluffB are verj ateep and
approach the river eo that he ascended them, and
croeelag the plains reached the river, which from,
the last point bore X. 50' \V : four miles from thia
place it extended north two mileB. Here he dis-
covered a lofty mountain standing alone at tho
distance of more than eighty miles in the direction
of N. 30° W. and which ftoni its conical hgure be
called- Tower mountain. He then proceeded oil
these two hills and afterwards in. diUerent courBea
sis miles, when be again changed t^r a western
courae acroae a deep bend along the south side : in
making this paeaage over the plains be found
them like those of yesterday, level and benutifui,
•d-23
LEWIS AND CLABK'S ESPEDITION
with great quantitiee of buffalo, and eome
trolvea, faxes, and antelope^, and liiter^ect^ Dear
tli« river by deep raviaes. Here at tLe distance of
from oae to uiue milee fi'oui the river, he met the
largeet village of barking Bquirrels which we had
yet Heea; for he paased a aklrt of their territory
for seven miles. He aJeu eaw near the hiQs a
flock of tbe mountaici cock or a large Bpecie^ of
heath Jien with a Jpng pointed tail, which the
Indians below had iuforiDed ds were commoa
aiDOELg the Bock mouataioB. Havliig finiiihed hia
couree of ten niilee west acroHi^ a bend, he con-
tinued two milea N. 80 W. and from that point
discovered BOme lofty mountains to the north-
west of Tower mountain and bearing N", 60" W.
at eighty or one handred niileH dUtance: here he
encamped oa the north Bide in a baadeome low
ground, on which were several old stick lodgea:
there had been but little timber on the river in the
forepart Of the day, liut bow there ie a greater
qaantity than usual. The river itself is about
eighty yards wide, from six to ten feet deep, and
hae a btrong steady current. The party Itad
killed five elk, and a mule-deer; ani by way of
experiment rooBted the burrowtng Bquirrels, which
thej found to be well flavoured and tender.
Thursday, 6, — Captain Lewis "was now con-
vliieed that this river pursued a dire<:tiou too far
north tbr our route to the I'aciflc, and therefore
resolved to return; but waited till noon to take a
meridian altitude. The cloudB, however, which
bad gathered during the latter part of the night
Continued and prevented the observation: part of
the men were seut forward to a commanding
eminence, six mvlea 3, "0 W; from which they
saw at the distance of about fifteen milea H. 60'
A', a point of the south bluS' of the river, which
TIP THE MlSSOmtl.
ttenc? bore northwardly, In thetr absence two
rafts bad been prepared, and w\i.en they retumed
about uoon, the party embarlied: but they bodd
foand that the rafta were bo smaU and elend&r
that the baggage Tv-as Tret, and therefore It waa
necessary to abandon thetn, and ga by land.
They therefore crOHsed tbe plains, and at the dis-
tanee oftwelve miles came to the river, through a
cold etorm fVoia the northeaBt, accompamed by
ehowers of rain, The abniptQe6& of the cliffit com-
pelled them, after going a few miicB, to leave the
river and meet the ^torm in the plaitiB. Here they
directed tb«ir course too far northwardj in conse-
quence yf which they did nqt meet the river till
late at night, after bavuig tiavelled twenty-three
mileH since uoon, and halted at a little below the
entrance of Ijark creek. They had the good for-
tone to kill two hnffalo which supplied them with
enpper: but spent a very oncomfortAble night
without any shelter from the rain, which contin-
Tied till momjp^,
Frid&y, 7, when at an early honx they coatimied
down the ri"ver. The route waa extremely ua-
pleaaant, ae the wind wa« high from the X. E.
accompanied with rain, which made the ground so
alippery that they Were unable to "wali over the
bluffri which they had passed on ascending the
river. The laud ia the most thiraty we have ever
£eeo; notwitliBtaudlng all the rain wJiicb boe fall-
en, the earth is not wet for more than two inches
deep, and reeemblea thawed ground; but if it r&
goirea more water to saturate it than the com-
mon soils, on the other hand it yields its moisture
with equal difficulty. In paaaing along the side of
cue of theee bluffe at a narrow pass thirty yarde
in length, captain Lewie elipped, and but for a
fortunate recovery, by meaaa of his epoDtoon,
325
LEWIS ATTD CLABK'9 EXPEDITION
■woald have been precipitated Into the river over
a, precipice of about muety feet. He had just
reacted a spot where hy the GseiBtance of his
epontoon he could stand with tolerable saffetj-,
whea he heard a voice behind him cry out. Good
God. captain, what ehall I do? he turned instantlj
and fouad it w&b WiodBor, -who had lost his foot-
hold about the middle of the narroir paes, and
had elipped down to the very vergf of the preci-
pice, ■where he lay on his bclly^ -with hie right arm
and leg over the precipice, trhile with the othet
leg and arm he wae with difficulty holding on to
keep himself from being: dtwhed to pieces below.
HiB dreadful rituation wafi inatantly perceived by
captain Lewie, who stifling" hia alarm, talmly told
him that he "was in no danger; that he should
take his kniib out of his belt TPlth tiie right hand,
and dig a hole in the side of the bluff to receive
his right footr With great presence of mind he
did this, and theo raiiied himself ob liiu itneea;
captuin Lewis then told him to take offhiemoc-
cafiius and come forward on his haiide and kneeB,
holding the bnif^ in one hand and hia rifle in the
other. He immediately Crawled in this way till he
came to a secure spot. The men who had not
ftttenipted tide paeeage were ordered to returg
and wade the river at the foot of the bluff, where
they found the wat-er brenet lugh. This adventure
taught them the danger of crOBeing the alippery
heights of the river; but r& the plaiijA were intCT'
eected by deep ravines almost as difficntt to pass,
they continued down the river, Bometimea in the
mud of the low grounds, Bometimea up to their
arms in the watBr, and when it became too deep
to wadej they cut footholds with their knivcB in
the sides of the banks. In this way they travelled
through the rain, mud, and wat*r, and having
320
LEWIS AND CLAEK'3 EXPEDITION
CHAPTER X.
Selnrn oF captHln Lewis— Aixhiusl of captAFi) ClaA's reseaicbea
^im Uls ei{iloniig iiftrc)'— Perilous situation oc one or bla
pwtr— Tansy ilvur descrtbad— The party atUl believing the
soutfaem !oi}s. tbe MUskitI. cupta-lc Lewis re§olTaj lo asveod It
—Mode ot mating a plaqe W dupofllp proVlBlOBf, OsLlSd MCUb—
Ciit>tBlnL8vrlAi»pLoKHtlieBi)iiUifirn fur£— P&llaaf UitMlBsourl
dlscovereii, which aacertalns tlie questJon—QoiDaiicIc scenery
pt Uie purroundlnS' coDotry^M'ajTDW tscape o[ CHplfUa lAiWla —
The main tx>cly u&iWr captain Clark apDriMcb wtuiin ttre ml]«e
of (be talli. end prepaj-e for maUog a portage over tbe ra,pfdg.
Saturday, A— It continued to rain moderately
all laat Qi^ht, and tbe morning wob doad; till
about ten o'ctock, when it cleared off, and became
a has day. They breakfasted about Bunrise and
then proceeded down the river in the same way oa
they had done yeaterday, except that the traTel-
ling TTBa Bomewhat better, aa they had not ao
often to wade, though they passed some very
dangeroue bluGe. The only timber to be Tound is
in the low groimda which are occasioaatly on the
rirer, and these are the haunts of iDDumerable
birdB, who, when the sun began to ehine. Bang
Tery delightfully. Among theeft birds thty dia-
tinguiehed the beown thrueh, robin, turtledove,
linnet, goldfinch, the large and Binall blackbird,
the wren, and eome others, Ab they eame along,
the whole of the party were of opinion that this
llrer was the true MlBSOuri; but captain Lewis
being fully persuaded that it waB neither the main
Btreain, nor that which it would be advieable to
a*tcend, gave it the name of Maria's rivet. After
travelliug a]l day they reached the camp at Ave
o'clock in the oiternooa, and found captain Clark
A-2B
1
THE MlSaOURL
and the partj ypry aaxiiiua fot their eaffety, as
th«j had Btaid tivo dajs longer thpo had been
expected, and ae ca-ptain Clark hsuJ r^turaed at
the appointed time, it was feand that the^ had
met with aoaie amdent.
Captain Clarlt on aetting out with five men on
the ith, went etYen miii^B on a course S. 25° W.
tQ a spring; thence he went S. 20' W. for eight
miles to the river where was an ialand, fVoni
which, be proceeded in a course N. 4^' W. and ap-
proached the river at the diutance of three., five,
and thirteen milea^ at whitli place ttey encamped
in an did ludian lodge mode of sticks and bark.
IncroastQg the plainB they observed eeveral herds
ofbu^alo, ^ome mule-deer, antelupee and tvolvag.
The river is rapid and cloeel; bemuied in bj high
bluffB, crowded with bars of gravel, with little
timber on the low groundfi, and none on the high-
lands. Near the camp this evening, a white bear
attacked one of the mta, whosfc giiu happening to
be wet, would not go offj he in^tantlj- made to-
wards a tree, but was so clowly pursued, that as
he ascended the tree he struck the bear with hlg
foot. The bear not being able to climb, wiuted
till he should b« forced to tome down; and oa the
pest of the patty were separated from him by a
perpendicular cliff of rocks, which they could not
deocend, it wae not m their power to give him
any aaeiatance: fortunately however at last the
bear became affrighted at their cries and firing,
and released the luan, In the afternoon it rained,
and during the nig^ht there fell both rain and
snoWj and in the morning,
Jatie S, the hills to the S. E. were covered with
enow, and the rain continued. Thej pTQci>eded on
la a course X. 20' \V. near the river several miles,
till at the distance of eleven miles tJiey reached a
32Q
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
ridgc, fVom the top of which oa the north side
thej CQutd pJainl; discera a mguntajn tQ the 9.
find W. at a great distance covered with anow; a
higli rid^ projectiag horn the mouiitainB to the
BOUtheaBt approacIieB the river on the eoutheast
aide, forming Bome cliffa of dark hard etone. The^
Also aa,w that the riTCr ran for A great dietance
Tpeet of south, with a rapid current, from which
ea well as it» continuing of the same width and
depth, captain Clark thoug'ht it ueelees to advance
any Airther, and therefore returned acrosB the
level plain in a diwctlon north 30' east, and
reached at the distance of twenty iml*s the little
river which is already mentioned aa falling into
the north fork, and to which they gave the nani«
of Tansy rirer, from the great quantity of that
herb groiving on ita banks. Here they dined, and
then ptoeeeded on a ffew miles by a place where
the Tansy breaks throujjh a high ridge on its
north side and encamped,
Tlie next day, 6th, the "weather waa cold, raw
and eloudyj with a hig-h northeast wind, They
Bet out early, down the Taney, whoee low
grounds resemble precisely, except ae to extent,
those of the MiaBouri beibre it branches, contain-
ing a great proportion of a species of cottonwood,
with a leaf tike that of the wild cherry. Ailsr
halting at twelve o'clocli for dinner, they afcended
the plain, and at five o'clock reached the camp
through the raiDj which had Mien without inter-
mission since noon. During his ahaence the party
had been o<£upied in dressing bIudb, and being;
ahle to reet themselves were nearly i^eed from
their lameneae and Hwolleu feet. All this night
and the whole of the followLug day, 7th, it rained,
the wind being from the Bouthweat ofTthe moan-
tains : yet the rivera are falling, and the ther*
830
UP THE MISSOURI.
Uiometer 40° above 0. The ram continued till the
next day, 8th, at ten o'tlocb, Vrhen it cleared off,
ftftd the weather became fine, the wind high frqjq
tie eouthweet. The rivers at the point liave now
fellen si]£inch.ea aince our arrival, and this morn-
ing the water of the aouth fork be<;ame of a red-
dish brown tulourj while the north hranoh cou-
tinued of its usual whitish appearance. The
moimtaiiia to the south are covered TvitU anow.
Sandaj, 9tli. — We now consulted upon the
couree to be pursued. On comparing; our ob^crvo-
tioDS we were more than ever couvincwl of what
we already BUBpected, tliat ilr. Arrowamitli is
incorrect in laying down in the chain of Rocky
jnoimtaiTis one remarkable mountaLa called the
Tooth, nearly aa far eoath as ■iit', and said to be
BO marked from the diiacoverieB of a Mr. Fidler.
We are now within one Imndriid ciileB of the
Socky mountaina and in the latitude of 47° 24'
12' S, and therefore it ia highly Improbable that
the MisHOuri should make euch a bend to the
Bouth b^ore it reaches the Rocky mounCaiiia, aa
to hare sulf^red Mr. Fidler to como a& low au
45" along the eaetera boi-dera witliout touching
that river: yet the generalcourseof Maria's river
from thi* place for fll'ty-nine mileH, as far as cap-
tain Lewis ascended, waa north liO" "west, and the
Bouth branch, or what we consider the Missouri,
which aapttiin Clark hmd eianiioed aa IHr oe forty
five mllea iu a straight line, ran in a course south
29 weat, and as far ao it could be Been went
considerably weat of south, whence we conclude
that the Missouri itseif enters the Rocky moun-
tains to the north of 45". In writing to the
preeideut flroni oui' winter quart«re, we tad al-
ready taken the liberty of advancing the aoutbem
extremity of Mr. Pidler'e diucoverieu about a
&A1
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
degree to the oortliward, and thiB iVom Indian in-
formatioD aa to the bearing of the point at whi^
the MiSKOUd enters the mountain; but we think
aotual obuorTation Tvill i^Iate it one degree etill
farther to tfie northward. This ioformation. of
Mr. Fidler how^everj incorrect aa it la, affords au
additional rbaaoa for not puieuing &[aria'a river;
for if he came as low even an 47' and Baw only
Bmall stnjaraa corning down from the mountainaf
it is to be preaumed tliat tliese riruieta do not
penetrate the Rocliy moiiiitains so far an to ap-
proach Any aavig'able branch of th« Coluinbia,
and they an most probably the remote waters of
Home nortUern brancli of the Mi^eouri. In abort,
being already in latitude 47" '24' we tantiot resi-
Bonably hope by going ft,rther to the northward
to find btft'ivetn this p]a£e and the Saskaebawaii
any etream which can, as the Indians aBHUF« m
the Ali&souri does, posHeea a uaTig&ble curreat for
Botne distance in the Rocky uountaiofi: tbe lo-
diauB had aBaured ua alao that the water of the
Mieaouri was nearly transparent at the falla ; thia
i» the case Tvith the Koutbera branch; that th&
fiillfi lay a little to the eouth of sunset fVom
them; this too is in fATqur of the eouthern forfe,
for it beoTB coDsiderably Booth of thie place, which
is only a few minuteB to the northward of fort
tlandanj that the fb.lle are below the Rocky
mouataina and near the northern termination of
one range of those mountains : now there is a
ridge of mquntains which appear behind the South
mountains and terminate to the southwest of wa,
at a aufflcient diutance JVom the unbroken chain of
the Kocky mountaina to allow apace for aeveral
falls, indeed we fear for too many of them. If too
the Indians had ever paeeed any atreani as large
ae this southern fork on their way up tJie Mie-
332
UP THE SOSSOUHT.
BDTlri, ttey would have mentioned it; HO that their
BileDce BpemB to prove that tbie braucb maet be
the MiflBOuri. The body of water also which it
discharges must have been act[ULred from aconeid-
«j-abl& di^tatic^ in the laOiiQtaiaa, for it could not
have been collected in the parched plains between
tb« Y«'IIowetone and the Bocky moaatoan^, «inw
that country could not oupply Douriehmentforthe
dry channels which we passed on the south, and
the travels of Sir. Mdler forbid ua to belieye that
it could have been obtained from the mouataios
towards the northwest.
Thege gbeervatipne, whleh sati^Qed pqr mind$
•completely, we communicated to the party; bat
every one of them were of a contrary opinion ;
aad much of their belief depended on CruBatte, an
experienced waterman on the Miasouri, 'who gave
it as hie decided judgment that the north fork was
the genuine MiHsouri, The men therefore men-
tioned that although they would most cheerfblly
follow UB wherever we should direct, yet they were
afraid that the south fork would Boon terminate
In the Rocky mountains and leave ua at a great
distance from the Columbia. In order that noth-
ing might be omitted which could prevent oar
falling into su error, it wae agreed that one of us
should ascend the southern branch by land until
we reached either the falls or the monntaine. In
the meantime in order to lighten our burdens aa
much aa poaeible, we determined to deposit here
One of the periogues aud ftll the heavy baggage
which -wp could possibly spare, aa well as some
provision, salt, powdecj and tools: this would at
once lighten the other boats, aud give them the
crew which Lad been employed on board the
periogue.
Mondaj', 10. — Thfi weathee being Riir and plea»>
333
LEWIS AND CLABK'8 EXPEDITION
ant we dried all our baggage and merch&tidiae
and made oui- deposit. These holes, or cach&B ae
they are called bj the lliBHouri trad^rti, are Tcvy
eQmiPDD, particalariy amoQg those who deal wlti
the Sioux, Ba the skius aad merchandiee wtii keep
perfectly eound for yeaxB, and ar* protected from
robbery ; our cache is huilt in this tnanner: In the
high plaib oa the north aide of the MiuHouri and
forty yards froin a Bteep bluff, we chose ft dry
Bituation, aad then deBciibing a eniall clrclB of
about twenty tnchee diameter, removed the eod as
gently and carefully aa poaBible; the hole ie then
flunk perpendicularly for a foot deep, or more if
the ground be not firm. It ia noT? "worked gradu-
ally wider as they descend, till at length it b^
comes six or eeTen ftet deepj shaped neatly hke a
kettle or the lower part of a, large Btjllj with the
bottom somewhat sunk afc the centre, Aa the
earth Ib dug it ia handed up in a vessel and car^
fully laid on a skin or cloth, in ■whith it ia car-
ried away and usually thrown into the river or
concealed so as to ie&ve nq tra«e of it. A floor of
three or four Laches In thickneBB Ib then made of
dry Bticke, on which ie thrown hay or a hide per-
fectly dry. The g^joda being well aired and dried
are laid on this floor, and prevented fVoni touch-
ing the wall by other dried etickB in proportion a^
the merchandise is stowed away: when the hole is
nearly fuLl, a eklTi its laid over the goods, and on
thlB earth ia thrown aad beaten down until with
the addition of the Bod firat removed the whole ia
on a level with the ground, and there remains not
the Blighteet appearance of an eicavatlon. In
addition to this we made another of smaller dt-
meneions, in which we placed all the baggage,
eome powder, and our blackamith's toola, having
previoUBly repaired Buch of the took we carry
33J=
UF THE MISSOUTET.
■with Tia as req_wire mending. To guard ag'ainst
actldent, we hid tirp parcels of lead and powder
la the two distiDCt places, The red pmogim was
drawn op on the middle cf a small ieland at the
entrance of Maria's rirer, and secured hy being
flistened to the trees from the efi^b of atif flooda.
In the evening there TraR a high wind ftom t!i&
aouthweat a«cqmpanied with thunder and rain.
We now made another observ^atioo of themeridian
altitude of the buq, and found that the mean lati-
tude of the entrance of Maria'a river, as deduced
from three obeervatione, ia 47" 2u' IT" 3 north.
We aaw a email bird like the blue thrush or cat-
bird which -we liad not before metj and also ob-
ecrved that the bee-mortiQ or kingbird iBcomiuon
to this country although there are no bees here,
and in feet we have not met with the honey-bee
since leaving the Osage river.
Tuesday, 11. — This morniTig captain Lewia with
four nien eet oot on their expedition up the aouth
branch. They Boon readied the point where the
Tansy river approaches the MisBoiiri, and obaerv-
ing a large herd of elk before them, deseended and
killed several, which they hung up along the river
so that the party in the boate might see them as
they c)Li>ie along. They then halted for dinner;
but captain Lewia who had been for aonie days
afflicted with the dysentery, was now attacked
■with violent paiaa attended by a higli fever and
■wad unable to go on. He therefore encamped for
the night under aome willow boughs: having
brqught no medicine he dete-rmined to try an
experiment with tiie amaU twigs of the choke-
cherry, which being stripped of their leavea and
cut into pieces about two inchee long were boiled
in pure water, till tjey produced a strong black
decoction of an astringent bitter taste; a piat of
335
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITTON
tbis he took at Bunset, and rei>ea.ted the dose
hour afterwards. Bj ten o'clock he was jwrfectlj"
relieved ft-om pain, a gentle perspiration eoBued,
hie fever abated, and in the morning te was quite
recovered. One of the men caught several dozen
flah of two specie: the Sret is about nine inches
long, of a white colour, round in shape; the
mouth is beset both above and below *itli a rim
of fine sharp teeth, the ej9 moderately large, the
pupil dark, and the iris narrgiv, and of a yellov-
ish brown colour : in form and size it reeembleH the
white chub of the Potomac, though ita head ia
proportionabty smaller; they readily bite at meat
or grasHhopperB ; but the fieah thougt 80(t and of
a fine white tolour is Hot highly flavoured. The
second species la precisely of the form and about
the eize of the flab known by the name of the
hickory ehad or old wiife, though it diflere from it
in having the outer edge of both the upper and
lower jaw set with a rim of tetth, and the tongue
and palate also are deluded by long aharp teeth
bending inwards, the eye is very large, the IriS-
wide and qf a silvery eoloar; they do Pot inhabit
muddy water, and the Savour is much superior to
that of the former epeciee. Of the first hind we
had Been a few before we reached Maria's river;
but had foand none of the last before we caught
them ia the Missouri above its junftion with that
river. The white cat continues na high as Maiia'g
river, but they are ucarce in tlus part of the riveTj
nor have we caught any of them duce leaving tha
Mandana which weighed more than six pounds.
Of other game they saw a grtat abundance) even
in their ehort march of nine miles.
WednBsday, 12. — This morningcaptainLewisleft
the bank of the river in order to avoid the 9t«ep
ravinea which generally run from the shore to the
336
UP THE MTSSOUET.
distance of one or two miles in the plain : having
reached the opened country he -went for twelve
inilea in fl. eouree a little to (he ■west of aoutliw^est,
when the sun becoming warm by nine o'clock, he
returned to the river in queet of water atn3 to kill
eomething for breakfaat, ther« being no water in
the plain, and the buffhlo diacoTering them before
they came within gunshot took to flight. They
reai^hed the banks in A hftndaOnie openlon' ground
with Cottonwood, after three miles walk. Here
they saw two large brown beara, and killed them
both at the firBt fire, a drcuiaatance which has
never before owurred since we have seen that ani-
mal. Having made a meal of a part and hung
the remainder on a tree with a note for captain
Clark, they again aec«nd^ the blufffe into the
open plaioB, Here they saw great numbera of the
bniTowing squirrel, also Bome woIveB, antelopee,
mule-deer, and TaBt herds of bnfffelo. They eoon
crossed a ridge considerably higher than the but-
ronnding plains, and ft-om ita top had a beantiibl
view of the Hocky mountains, which are now
completely covered witb aiiow: their geoerftl
course ie fVom Boutheaet to the north of north-
weflt, and they seem to coasiat of several ranges
which BUCceBBiTely riae above each other till the
moBt distant mingles with the clouds. After trav-
eJling twelve miles they again niet the river, where
there was a handaome plain of cottoawood; and
althongh tt wa^ not Bunset, and they had only
come twenty-seven miles, yet captain Tjewis ffelt
weak n-om his late disorder, and therefore deter-
mined to go no fVirth*r that night. In the coni'se
of the day they killed a quantity of game, and
saw Bome aigns of otter oif well as braver, and
many tracks of the lirown bear; they also caughli
great quantities of the white fish mentioned yea-
¥ol. I.— 22 33T
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITION
terday- With tht broftd-kafed tottonwood, which
}iaq rprmed the principal timber of the Missouri, is
here mlsed a^qothf r specie differing jVom the first
only in the DarrowueBs of ita leiif tuid the greater
thidneBB cif" ite bark. The leaf is long, oval,
acutely iminted, about two and a h&lf or three
ineh^ long and from three quarters of an inch td
&n inch in nndth; it is smooth and thick, some-
tioiee Bligbtly grooved or channe3ed, with the
margin a little aerrate, thfl upper disk of a com-
moD, the lower of a whttiah green. This sijeciea
Beema to be preferred by the beaver to the broad-
leaved, probably because the former afforda &
deeper and softer bark.
37jvre(Jflj' IS, — They Left their encampment at
Buuri&e, and asceadiDg the river liiSle went for blx
miles in a course generally eouthweet, over a
country which though more waving than that of
yesterday may Htill be consideted Itvel. At the
eitreniity of this course they overlooked a most
b^utiful plain, where were iaQnitely more buffalo
thaa we had ever before eecB at a eingle vipw.
To the Bouthweat aroae £rouL tbe plain two mooa-
tains of a singular appearance and more like ram-
parts of high fortifications than works of nature.
They are ftquare flares with aides rising perpen-
dicularly to the height of two hundred find fifty
feetj formed of yellow clay, and the toys seemed
to be level plains. Fiuding that the river here
bore coaaiderably to the south, and Ibarfa.1 or
passing thefUlla before reaching the Kocky moun-
tainSj they now changed their couroe to the south,
and leaving thoae insulated hilla to the right pro-
ceeded acroes the piain. la this direction captain
l^ewifl had gone about two miles when hie ears
were aaluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of
-water, and as he advanced a spray which seemed
338
UP THE MI8S0DRI.
driven by the hig-h Bouthwest wind arose ahoT*
tb* plain like a column of emoke and vanished in
an iiistajit. Towards tbia point he directed bin
Hteps, and the noise increasing aa he approached
eoou becatiie too tremendotm to be mistaken Tor
any thiBg but the great falls of the SliHSOuri.
Having trarelled seven miles after first hearing the
Bounil be reached the falls aboiit tivelve o"c!ock;
the bills aa be approached were difficult of access
and two hundred feet high : down these he hurried
■with impatience and seating bimaelf on eomerocks
under the wntre of the falls, enjoj&d the suhlini*;
spectacle of this stupendoUa object which since the
crt^ation bad been laviB-hing' its mag^ificeqce tipOQ
the desert unltiiowa to civilization.
The river immediately at its cascade is three
hundred yards wide, and is pressed in by b. per-
pendieular cliff on the left, -wliich rieee to about
one huudred (feet and extends up tbo stream for a
miJe; on the right the hluiTiB also perpendicular
for three hundred yards above the falls. For
ninety or a hundred yards from the left cliff, the
water falls in one smooth even sheet, over a preci-
pice of at least eighty feet. The remaining part of
the river precipitates itself with a more rapid cnr-
rgnt, but being received as it falls by the irr^gulnr
and Bomewhftt projecting ri>ckB below, forms a
splendid prospect of perfectly white foam two hun-
dred yards in length, and eighty in perpendicular
elevation. Tliia spray is dissipated into a thon-
sand shapes, sometimes Syit^g up ill cohimns of
fifteen or twenty ftet, which are then oppressed by
larger mafiees of the white foam, on all which the
Ban impreesee the brigbt«st colours of the rain-
bow. As it rieea ftom the fall it beats ■with fnry
against a ledge of rocks which extend across the
river at one hundred and fifty yards trom the
339 *'
lEWISAW) CLARK'S ESPBDITION
precipice. From tbe perpendicular cliff on the
aorth, to the diBtance of one hundred and twentf
jrardB, the rocks rise only a ftw fbet above the
■water, and when the river is high the stream flnda
a channC^l acrOea them Tortf ^"arda widt, and near
the tii^her parts of the Isdge wLich ih^n ri^e about
twenty feet, ami t«rminftt« ftbniptlj within eighty
OF oioety yarda of the eowthern Bide. Between
them and the perpendicular cliff on theeouthj the
whole body of water runs with great BWifCneM.
A few fimail cedars grow near this ridge of rocks
wtiich serves ae a barrier to defend a small plain
of about three acrea shaded with eottOQWOod, at
the lower extremity of which ta a grove of the
aame tree, where ore Beverol Indian cabioa of
Bticka ; below the point of them the river is divided
hj a large rock, several feet above the surface of
the water, and extending do^m the etream for
twenty yarda. At the dietaaee of three hundr^
yards from the same ridge Ls a second abutment of
solid perpendicular rock about Bixty fe«t high, pro-
jecting at right angk^B from the email plain on th«
north for one hundred and thirty-four yards into
the river. Aftei- leaving tUa, the MisBOiiri again
Hpreade itself to its usual distance of three hun-
dred yarda, though with more than its ordinary
rapidity.
The hanterH who had been Bent ont now re-
turned loaded with buffalo meat, and captain
Lewie encamped for the night under a tree near
the fiills. The men were again despatehed to hunt
for food agaiqet the arrival of the party, and cap-
tain Lewis walked down the river to discover if
possible Bome place where the caaoes might be
safely drawn on shore, in order to be transported
iieyond the fallB. He returned however vrithout
discovering any sutih spot, the river for three ntiCes
340
DP THE MISSOURI.
b^Iow bein^ oqe coatimied Bucceseion of rapida
and cascades, orerhBDg with perpendicular bluflii
' fl-om one hunilred and Sfty to two tundri^d l^t
high; in short, it Beeme to have worn itself a
channel throQf^h tbe solid rock. In the aitertidon
they caught in the Talk some of both kinds of the
■white fish, and half 9- doien troat from ^xt««n to
' twenty-three iDcbea long:, precisely reeembling la
I Jbrm and the position of ita fine the mountain or
' Bpeckled trout of the United States, except that
I the apecka of the former are of a deep blatk, while
those of the latter are of a red or gold colour:
they have long sharp t«eth on the palate and
[iHsngue, and generally a small speck of red on eacli
I ^de behind the front ventral fins ; the fleah \g of a
I pale yellowieh red, or when in good order of a
rose-coloured red.
FYiday 14. — This monung One of the men was
sent to captain Clark ivith an aeeonnt of the dis-
covery of the falls, aud after employing the rest in
preserving the meat whi<:h had been kilted yester-
day, captain Lewis proceeded to examine the
rapids above. From the falls he directed hie
conrse southwest up the river: after pasiiing one
continued rapid, and three small cascades, each
three or fqar feet high, he reached at the distance
of five milee a second fall. The river ia about four
handred yards wide, and for the distanue of three
hnodred throws itself over to the depth of nine-
teen feetj and bo irregularly that he gave it the
name of the Crooked fhlla. From the southei-n
shore it extendi obliquely upwards about one hun-
dred and fiits J8,rd«, and then forms an acuta
angle downwards nearly to the commeucemeut of
four small islands close to the northern side.
Trora the perpendicular pitch to these islands, &
distance of more than one hundred yards, the
341
LEWIS AND CLARE'S EXPEDITION
water glides down a eloping rock with a velocity
aJmoijt ^ual to thttt of it« fall. Abore tble 1^11
the rivpr becde suctdeDly to the norttward; while
viewing thia plrtcB cajjtain Lewia heard a loud
roftr above him, and (^rOHning the point ol' a hill
for a ftw huadrtd jardia, he saw one-of the most
tcautU'ul oljjccts iji nature: the whole Miesouri is
auddeniy Btopptfd by oue ehelymg rock, whicii
without a single alche and with aa edge aa
Btraight and reg-ular as If formed bj art, etretchea
itaelf ftora one aide of the river to the other for at
least a quarter ofa mile. Over this it precipltatea,
itsetf tn an even T3iiint*rrupted sheet to the per-
pendicular depth of flftj feet, whence dashing
agaitiut the rockj bottom it ru^heis rapldlj dowD,
leavLUf; behind it a Bpray of the purest foam
o«ro98 the river. The aeene which it presented
waa indeed aingularly "beautiful, since without any
of the wild irregular Bilblimitj Of the lower falls,
it combined all the regular elegances which the
&iicf of a painter would select to form a. b^autif^l
waterfall. The eye had scarcely been regaled with
thia charming prospect, when at the diatance of
half a mile captain Lewis obetrTed another of a
alinilar kind : to this he immediately hastened, and
found a cttscadu Btretcbing across the whole river
for a quarter of a mile with a descent of fourteen
feet, though the perpendicular pitch was only six
ftet. Thia too in any other neighbourhood would
hare been an ohjeet of great magiiiticence, but
after what he had ju^t aeen it became of J^ecoudary
interest; hie cnriosity being however awakened,
he deteriaiawl to go on even should night over-
take him to the head of the falls. He therefura
pursued the southwest course of the river, which
was one constant EucceHuioa of rapide and antall
Ea*cades, at every one of which the blufla grew
342
UP THE MISSOURI.
loweT, or the bed of the rtfer became mor* on a
level Tvith the plains. At the diBtfl-ncB of two and
& half milea he atriveal at another cataract of
twentj-rix fwt. The rivw in here eii haoilred
yardfi wide, but the deecent is not iin loedEately
perpendicular, tiioug^ti the riv<ir falls generallj-
■with a resTlJir and Bmooth sheet; for about o;ie
third of the descent a roefc protrudes to a Hni&U
distance, recGiTes the water in its passage and
g^vw it ft curve. On the south side k a bpautiful
plaia a few feet aboTe the level of tie fklla; ou the
north the coimtry ia more broken, and there is a.
hill not fer from the rirer, Juet below the falia ia
a little iftlaod in the middle of the river ■well
covered "with timber. Here on a cottonwood tree
an eagle h»d Gxed its neet, and seeiued the nndi«-
pnted miatreee of & spot, to conteat whose do-
miiiioQ neither man nor beant would venture
across the gulfS that surround it, and which Is
ftirther secured by the miat riaing from the FaWs.
This aolitary bird Could not escape the DbHervfl-
■fcion of the Indianti who made the eagle's neet a
pa.rt of their deBcription of the foUa, which now
proves to be correct in alraoat every particular,
except that they did not do juetiee to their height.
Jnst above this ia a caacade of about five ftet, be-
yond which, as fiir a^ could be diseerned, the
velocity of the water seemed to abate. Captain
X/S'wis now amended the hill wrhJcJi Tvae behind
him, and saw irom its top a delightful plain ex-
tending from the rivet to the base of the Snow
mountains to the south and Bouthweat. Along
this wide level country the Miasouri pitraued ita
winding conrae, filled with water tO ita even and
graasy banJcB, "while about four miles above it was
joined by a large river flowing from the north-
weat through a valley three milee in widthj and
S4^
LEWIS AND CLAItK'S EXPEDITION
distinguished by the timber which adorned its
shores; the Missouri iteelf Btretcbea to the south
in one unruffled stream of ^ut€r aa if uncoiiscioaB
of the rougliueHS it must eoon encouoter, and
bearing on its bosom vast doclta of geese, while
biimeroua herds of bilBalo are Cb«diiig on the
plains i^'hich surround it.
- Captain Lewis then descended the hill, and
■directed Iiia course towards the river falling in
ftom the west. Ho floon met a herd of at leaat a
thousand butfalo, and being desirous ofprovidiog
foe supper shot one of them; the animal iinme-
dia.t«lf began to bleed, and captain Lewi^ TPho
lad forgotten to relqad hie rifle, w«B latently
watching to see hiia fall, when he beheld a lar^
brown bear who waa stealing on him unperceived,
and waa already within twenty steps. In the
first moment of aurpriae he lifted hia rifle, but rtv-
njembering instantly that it Was not charged, and
that he had not time to reload, he felt that there
■was no safety but in Sight. It was in tlie open level
plain, not a bush oor a tree within three hundred
yards, the bank of the river eloping and not more
than three Ibet high, ho that there vas no possible
mode of concealment; captain Lewie therefore
thought of retreating in a quick walk as f^t aa
th^bear advaoiced towards the nearest tree; bat
as Boon as he turned the bear ran open mouth
and at full speed upon him. Captain Lewi^ ran
about eighty yards, but Ending that the animal
gained on him fa«t, it flashed on hii^ mind that b^
getting iato the water to eueh a depth that the
bear would be obliged to attaet iiinj awimming,
there was still eome chance of hie life; he therefore
turned abort, plunged into the river about waiat
deep, and facing about preBented the point of hia
gpoDtoon. The bear arrived at the water's edge
344
tJP THE MTSSOTTEI.
ivithiQ twenty f^t of him, but qb evdod bs he pnt
tiiDself in this position of defence, he aeemed
frightened, and wheeling ftbout, retreated with as
iitu4^h pr%Epita.ti(>ti aa he bbd pursued. Very glad
to be released ftom this danger, captain Lewia
feturnod to the ehore, and oljierTe>d hiiB run with
great speed, sometimes looking back lu if he ex-
pected to be puraued, till he reached the woods.
Ke could not conceive the cause of the Hudden
alarm of the be&r, bnl cougratulatM himeelT on
hia escape when he saw his own track torn to
pieces by the furious animal, arnJ learnt trom the
whole adTeDtnre never to aufier his rifle to be a
moment unloaded, He now reeunied hie progrees
in the direction wliich the bear had taken towards
the western river, and found it ahandaonie stream
about two hundred yards wide, apparently deep,
with a gentle current; itiB waters elear, and its
banks, which were formed priucipallj of dark
brown and blue clay, are about the eame height
ae those of the Missouri, that is (torn three to five
ifeet. What waa Hingular was that the river doca
not seem to overfEow itA banks at au; ^ason,
while it might be presumed fVom Ita vicinitj to the
monntainB, that the torrents arising IVom the
meiting of the suowa would eometimea cause it tn
swell beyond ite Unuts. The contrary fact would
induce a belief that the Rocky mountains yield
their anowa very reluctantly and equably to the
sun, and are not often drenched by vcfy heavy
rains. This river is no doubt that which the
Indiiuis call Medicine river, which they mentioned
as emptying into the Missouri, just above the
fkile. After examining Medicine river, captain
Lewia eet out at half after six o'clock in the even-
ing on his return towards the camp, which he
estimated at the distance of tivelve miles. Ing'C>-
34o
LEWIS AND CIABK'e EXPEDITION
Ing through the low gronndfl on Medicine river
he met an ouimal which at a distdcce he thought
TTos B wolf, but on coming within siity pacee, it
proved to be Bocie brownUh yellow animal etand-
ing near ite burrow, which, when he carae nigh,
crouched and Beamed as if about to Bpring on him.
■Captain Lewis flred and the beast diaappeared in
ita burrow. From the track n.nd the general ap-
pearance of the animal h« suppostd it to be of the
tiger kind. He then w^ent on, but a^ tf the beaats
of the forestB had couBpired against bimj three
buffalo bulla which were fteding with a large herd
at the distance of lialf a mile, left their tompaii'
ions and ran at flil] speed towardB him. He
tnrned round, and Unw^illing to give up the field
advanced towards them; when they came within
ft hundred yflrde, they Btopr>ed, looked at liim for
Bome time, and then retreated aethejcame. He
BDw pursued hia route in the dark, reflectmg on
the Htrjinge adrenturea and eights of the dayj
which crowded on his mind eo rapidly that he
ehould have been inclined to believe it all enchant-
ment if the thorns of tho prickly pear piercing; hie
feet did not dispel at every moment the iUueion,
He at last reached the party, who had been rery
anxiotia for hia Baffety, and who had already de-
cided on the route which eo^h should take in the
morning to look for him. Being muth fatigued he
>bupped and slept well during the night.
SnturrJuy, J^.-'The men were again sent out to
bring in the game killed yesterday and to procure
more: they also obtained a number of fine trout
and flGvcral Binall eatfiah "n-eijirhiag about four
pounds, and differing fljom the whit* catfish lower
down the Minaouri. On aAvaking this mOming
captaiti Le^vig found a large rattlesnake coiled on
the trunk ofa tce« under which he had been sleep*
UP THE MiaaOITRE.
lag. He killed it, and found it lik« thoHe Tce tiad
eeen before, dilTtriD^ frum. those of the Atlantic
6tate6, not in its colours btit iu the form and
arrangemeiLt of tliiau; it liad one iiimdftd and
BCventj-fiLs Btutd oO. the abdoineii, and eeyenteeu
half-foriDftd ecuta on the tail, Tliere ia a lieavy ^/^
dew on the yrrass &bout the eaiDp every raoraiag,
■wliicli no douht proceeds Itom tiie luist of the
fklla, as it takes lA&as nowhere in the jilaiiu nor
on the riTer exGept here, The mesaenger sent to
captain Clark returned with iciforniation 6f Ida
liaviug arrived Jivo miles telow at a rapid, which
he did not think it prudent to aecend Qnd WOuJd
wait till captain Lewis and his partj rejoiaed hira.
Ou Tuesday; lltb, the day when captain Lewis
left u&, we remained at the eatraate of Maria's
riyer a.nd completed the depoalta of all the articled
■with which we could diapense. The morning had
been fair with a high wind it-om the aouthwest,
which shifted in the evening to tiortb'.v&stj when
the weather hecame cold and the wind high. The
next morniii^,
Wednesdny, 13, we left our encampment with a
fiiir daj and a southweat wind. The river was
sow so CFQwded with islands that within the dis-
tance of ten milea and a half "we passed eleven pf
diiferent diiuciiiaiona bt^ore reaching a iiigh blaek
bluJT in a head i.n the left, where we uaw a great
aimiher of awallowe, Withiu one mile and a half
ftirther we poi^wd four amall islands, two on each
aide, and at fifteen miles from uur encampment
reached a spring which the men called Urrog
BpriDg: it is Qu tbe northern shore, and at the
point where Tonay river approaches within one
hundred yards of the ^[LEsauri. From this place
we proceeded three milBa to a low bluff on tho
north opposite to an island, and spent tbe night
347
LEVFI3 AND CLAKE'S ESFEDITION
in an old Indian encampment. The bluSa under
whieh ■«■& pasHed Were Composed of a blackish clay
and coal for about eightj feet, above which fgr
thirty or forty t^ 14 a brownieh yellow Gartli.
The river U very rapid and obstructed by bars of
gravBl and Btuae of different Btapes and Blzee, ea
that three of our canoes were in great danger in
theconree of th*day. We had affeTP drops of rain
about two o'eiocli in the aftemooE. The only
animala we kiiied were elk and deer; bnt W* saw
grt^at Dumbere of rattlesnakiHi.
Thursday, 13. — The moroiDg was f^ir and there
■was some dew on the ground. After pasBcng two
islands we reached at the dintance of a mile and a
half ft small rapid stream fifty yards wide, empty-
ing itself on the eouthj rising in a mountain to the
Boutheast about twelve or Blleea miles distant,
aqd at this time covered 'n'ith enow. Ae it is tJie
channel for the melted snow of that mountain we
called it Snow ri\-er : oppoeite to its entrance la
another island: at one mile and three quarters ia a
black blufi* of state on the south, nine miles be-
yond which, aifer paaeing t-en ielanda, Tve came to
CQ the Bouthem shore near an o]d Indian fortified,
camp, opposite the lower point of an ieland, hav-
ing- made thirteen miles. Tiie niituber of islande
and flhoalB, the rapidity of the river, and the
quantity of large ston^a, rendered the navigation
very disagreeable; along the banks we dietin-
guished eevep&l low blutr« or cliffp* of «lQte. There
were great numbers of geese and goslings ; the
geeee not being able to fiy at this bbusou. Goose-
berries are ripe and in great abundance ; the yel-
low currant is also coiamoa, but not yet ripe
Our game consisted of Ijufiiilo and goata.
Flidfij, i4, — Again the day is fine. We madft
two Tmlee to a amall island in the aouthern bead>
SIS
UP THE MISSODBl.
ftRer paMin^ eewerftl bad rafiids. The Cnrrent bo-
cornea indeed swifter aa wt; aece'Dd, aad t!i« cQPoes
frequeotly receive wftter ae we drag them with
difficulty along. At the diataoce of aix nn\ea w6
reached captain Clark's camp on the fourth, which
is on the north aide and oppoeite to a iar^
^aveCCf bar. Herd the mAd sent hy cAptaia
LewiB Joined ub with the pleaeing intetligenc« that
he hod discovered the IHIIa, and woh convinced
that th« course we were purenin^ wa« that of the
trae MisBoari. At a mile tuid a half we reached
the upper point of an island, three-quarters of a
mile beyond which we encamped on the south,
Attec making only ten and a quarter mileg. Along
the river was but little timber, but much hard
elate ut the blufiB.
Saturdayt 15. — The morning heing warm and
tair we set out at the usual hour, but proceeded
with great difflcnity in £on»ec|iicuce of the in>
creased rapidity of the current. The channel I4
constantly obstructed by rucks and dangerous
rapIdB. During the whole progreas the men are ia
the water hauling the eanoes, and walking on
sharp rocks and round Htones which cut their ibet
Of cause them to fall. The rattlesnakes too ore act
numerotia that the men are constantSy on their
guard against being bitten by them; yet they bear'
the fatigues with the maet uodiminiBhed cheerful-
ness. We hear the roar of the fal]i» very distinctly
thifl momlng. At three and three quarter nulea
we came to a rock in a bend to the 8outh| r&
eentbling a totrer. At six and three quarter milea
we reached a large creek on the south, which after
one of our mea we called Shieldu's creek. It 13
rapid in its course, about thirty yarda wide, and
on sending a person five mileB up it proved to
have a fMl of fiiteen feet, and eome timber ou its
LEWIS AND GLiJJK'S EXPEDITION
low groTiiid. AboTB this river the blufis of thR
Mieaoiiri are of red eartli mixed with btra.ta.a of
black BtotiC; below it we paeaed some white clay
in the banks which mi^es with ■water in every
respect like floor. At three and three quarter
milefl we reached a point on the north oppoBite an
island and a bluff; and one mile and a ijuarter
f\irther, after pasBirif^some red blufifi, came to on
the nortli aide, having^ made twelve miles. Here
we found a rapid so diificult that we did oot
think proper to Qttemjit the passage this evening,
and therefore eent to eaytain LewiH to apprise
him of our arrival, We aaw a number of gmBe,
duckfi, crowB, and blackbirds to-daj, the two
former with their yonTi^. The river rose a little
this evening', btit the timber is etill eo scorcft that
we could not procure enough for our ubb durjog
the oiglit.
Sunday, June 16. — Some rain M\ last night, and
this morning the ^feather waa cloudy and the
wind hig'h from the southweBt. We pafiaed the
rapid bj doubly maiinin^ the peiiogne and canoea,
and halted at the distance of a mile and a quarter
to ejtamine the rapids above, which ive found to
be a continued succeBsion of cascades as far as the
■view extended) which was about two milea.
About a mile above where we halted was a large
oreek falling in on the south, opposite to which ia
a large aulphur spring falling over the rocka on
the north; captain Lewis arrived at two (torn the
J^lls about five milea above ub, and after Gonsnlt-
ing: upon the eabject of the portage, we c roused
the river and formed a camp on the north, having
come three quartera of a mile to-day. From our
owTi observation we had deemed the aouth side to
be the most favourable for a portage, but two
men eeot out for the purpose of es-anuniDg it, re-
TIP THE mSSOTTRI.
ported that tlie cr«ek and the ravliieii iuterB^t«d
the plam 80 deeply that it waa impQa«tbi« tu ciuhb
it. Captain Clark tbcrcfore reBolved to examiQe
more minatel^ what was the beat route: the lour
canoes werb unloadt-d at the cainp and then eent
across the riverj where by meana of strong- coi-da
they were liaiiled over the first rapid, whence they
may be ^aeily drawn into the creek. Finding too,
that the portage would be at all ereats too Iodj;
to euablti an to carry the boats oa our labouldere,
sis men were set to work to make wbeela for
carriagea to transport them. Since leaving
Maria's river the irife of Chabobefiti, our inter-
preter, has been dangerously ill, but ahe now found
great rt^lief from the mineral water of tlie Bulphux
spring. It ia situated about two hundred yards
from the Miaaouri, into which it empties over a
prficipiee of rock about twenty-fivti ftet high.
The water ia perfectly trflHaparent, BtrODgly im-
pregnated with fiulpbur, aad we guj^pect iron &\bq,
fm the colour of the hills and bluffy in the neigh-
bourhood inriicatea the presence of that metai. In
ebort tiie wat«r to all appearance is precieely
Mmilar to that of Bowyer'e sulphur Bprinj in
Virginia.
Monday IT. — Captain Clark set out with five
men to explore the country; the rest were eni'
ployed in bunting, making wheels and in drawing
the five canoee and all the bag-gn^ up the creek,
which we now called Portage creek; frono. this
creek there is a ^adual ascent to the top of the
high plain, while the bluHk of the treek lower
dowa and of the Missouri, both above and below
its eutrauce, were bo eteep as to have rendered it
almost impracticable to drag them up ti'om. the
Miseouci. We found great difficulty and some
dan^r in even ascending tJie creek thus far, in
B51
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
coneecLueQce of the rapida and rockB of tlie channel
of the creebj whicli just above where we bronght
the canoes has a fall of five ftet, and bigh and
steep bluflk beyond it: we were very fortunate io
finding juBt below Portage creelt a cottonwool
tree about twenty-two iucheB in diameter^ aad
Iarg% euDugh to make the carriage wheels: it woe
perhapB the only one of the aame siie within
twenty mileB; and the cottonwoodj which we are
oblige to employ in the other parte of the wori,
Ik extremely soft and brittle. The nia^t of the
white periogue which we mean to leave behindj
supplied UB with two ailetreea. There are vast
quantitieB of buffalo feeding on tlie plaine or
watering in the river, which ie aleo strewed with
the floating carcaaea and limba of theae animala.
They go in large herds to watee about the falls,
and aa all the passages to the river near that
pIm9 are narrow and eteep, the foremost ore
presBed into the river by tha impatiGnce of thooe
behind. In this way we have seen ten or a dozeD
disappear over the flLlla in a few minutee. They
afibrd excellent food for the wolves, bears, and
birds of prey; and ihi^ circumatance may account
for the reluctance of the bears to yield their do
minion over the neighbourliood.
TueHrfiy IS.— The periogue was drawn up a lit^
tie below our camp and aecured in a thick copee
of wiliow buBhea, We now l>egan to !larm a cache
or place of deposit and to dry our gooda and
other articles which required inspection. The
wagons too are completed. Our hunters brought
ns ten deer, and we phot two out of a herd of
buSato that came to water at the eulphur spring.
There ia a flpeciea of gooaeberry growing abun-
dantly among the rocka on the sidea ofthecliflb:
it is now ripe, of a pale red colour, about the 6i»
352
UP THE MTSSOURI.
of the common gooBetnerry, and like It is an ovate
pericarp of noft pulp envetnping a number of small
■whitish coloured aeetle, and consisting of a yellow-
ish B-limy nmcilaginOua sabBtfLnCer With a BTrEfit
tB«te ; the surface of the berrj in coveivd ■with a
glutinous adheeLve mi^tter, and ita Ihiit tliough
ri{)e retaiQB ItB withered corolla. The shrub iteelT
seldom rieeB more than two feet high, ia much
branched, and haa no thome. The leavea reaemble
thoB« of the commotk j^oo^bct-ry escepfc in beijig
smaller, and the berrj is supported by separate
peduncles or footstafka hjvlf an inch long. There
are aleo immeuBe tjuaDtitietJ of graBehoppere ofa.
brown colour in the plaioB, and they no dnnbt
contribute to the lovvnetwi of thi; grasB, which ia
not generally more than three inches high, tbongh
it ia Boftj narrow-leafed and afforda a fine pasture
for the buffalp.
Wednendnjr 10, — The wind blewviolentlyto-day,
as it did ycBterday, and as it does (tequently ia
this open country, where there is not a tree to
break or oppose its force. Some men were sent
for the meat killed yesterday which fortunately
had notbeeu discovered by the wolvee. Another
party went to Hedjcine riv^r in queat qf elk, which
we hope may be induced to resort there, trom,
there bein^ more wood in that neighbourhood
than on the Minsouri, All the reat were o&cupied
in packing tlie baggage and mending their mocca-
Bins, in order to prepare for the Ijortflge, We
eaught a number of the whitefitib, but no catfish
or trout. Our poor ludiaa woman, who hud re-
covered 80 far as to walk out, imprudently ate a
quantity of the white apple, which with eome
dried fish oceaBtoaeii a return of her ffever,
The meridian altitude of the Bun'a lower limb, a6
observed with octant by back observAtiou, wa*
Vol. J.-23 353
LEWia AND CLARK'S ESPEDITION
53° 12'f giTin^ a« the latitude of our camp, 47"
8' 59" 5.
Tfiursduy 20. — Aa we were deeiroua of ^tting
meat eaougli to last ub during the liortage, bo
that the men mig-ht not be diverted llrom their
labour to look for food, we sent out four hunters
to-day : they killed eleven buflJilo. This was in-
deed an eaay labour, for there are raat herd^
coming constantly to the opposite bank of the
riyer to water ; they seem also to make much use
of the mineral water of the sulphur spring, but
whether from ehoice, or because it is more con-
Teuient than the river,, we cantiot determine, aa
they sometimes pass near the spring and go on to
the river. Besides this spring, brackish water OF
that of a dark colour impregnated with mineral
Baits, Biich an we have frequently met on the Mia-
souri, may be found in email quantiticB in eonie of
the steep ravines on the north eid^? of the river
opposite to us and at the falls.
Captain Clark returned this evening, having
examined the whole couree of tbe river and fixed
the route moBt practicable for the portage. The
first day> 17th, he wee oceopied in meaauring the
heights and diatancea along the banks of the river,
and slept near a ravine at the foot of the Crooked
falls, having very narroTvly escaped falling into
the river, "wbere heTvould have perished inevitably,
in descending the cUffs ite»r the grand cat-arect.
The next day, 18th, he continued the eame occa-
pation, and arrived in the afternoon at the junc-
tion of Medicine and Miaaouri rivers; up the lattar
he ascended, and passed at the distance of a mile
an isiand and a little timber in an ea«twardly
bend of the river. Oae mile beyond this became
to the lower point of a large ialand ; another small
island in the middle of the river, and one near the
354
UP THE MISSOUBI.
left etore at the difitance of three miks, opporite
to the head of which lie etitfliiiped heat the taouth
gf a creek which appeared to rise in the South
mountain. These three islands are gppoeite to
^acb other, ond we gave them the name of the
'Whit^'bear luEaDdB frum ubsernug tmme of thuee
animals on them. He killed a beaver, an elk and
eight buffalo, l^lne of the men Ti'ho was sent a
short distance from the camp to bring home aOme
tpsat, was attacked bj- a white bear, and closely
pursued withia forty paces cf the canip, and nar-
rowly escaped being caught. Captain Clark im-
mediately went with three men in quest of the
bear, -which he was afraid might aurprise another
of tte hunters who wa* out collecting tlie game.
The bear was however too quick, for before cap-
tain CEark could reach the man, the hear hat]
attacked Mm and compelled him to take refuge iu
the water. He now raji off aa they approached,
and it being late they deferred pursuing him till
the nert morning.
LEWIS AND CLAEK'9 ESPEDmOBT
OHAPTEK XI,
D«8crlptlDn and. romnDtk appuBratice at Ibe UluourC ftt Lhe
] uiH!Uoji oltDe Maiucine river— nn! ajfflmliy Of aunaporliDg t&a
bfiSgnge U Ibe (bJ1s~TIi(i pnrtf employed In tti« construction of
a Ixiat of skins — Tbe embarrasBmeiLta the; had lo pacnuncerfor
WQat »: proper juftWrMs— DuriQE tbe wort Uw puny mucb
traubled by wliite beaiB^Yloleot bnll-aUm), d-ud i^rovldeatlal
BBcupe of captain Clark and bis pari;— DuscrlptJoD ul aremaxk-
«Wfl roiiDWlTl— SlPgiUar ^iplosloq DepnJ Ir"m Ctifl Blaet moun-
taiSB— Tbe boat Icund to be InsufflcleDt, andtbt^fi^^rlous cllsaiK
patntmBiit of the parly — C&ptaia C\art UDdertates la repair tba
(JuraagB by bawatiiff ca^oe9, and Mwiopiislnw me uak.
On thB ]9tli, captain Clark not being able to
flod the bear mentioned in ttie last chapter, spent
the day in examining the coaatry both above and
below the Wbitebear iulande, and concluded that
the place of Ma encampment would be the best
poiat fbr the extremitj' of the portage. The men
were therefore occupied in drjaug the meat to be
left here. ImmeiiBe numbers of butfalo are erer;
where round, and they saw a aucumer duck wbicb
ie DOW Bitting. The nest morning, 20th, he
CTOBsed thfl level plaiDj fixed Btakes to mark the
route of the portage, till he posited a large raTine
which would oblige ne to make the portage fkr-
ther from the rirer: afttr this there being no other
obatacle he went to the river where he had Qrat
etruck tt, and took ite coursee and diutancea down
to the camp. From th<; draught and Burvey of
captain Claj-k, we had now a clear and connected
view of the fklls, caecadea, and rapids of the MiB-
Boiiri.
This river ie three hundred yards wide at tbe
point where it receiTea the waters of Medicise
UP THE MISaOTIEI.
riTOTj which is one hundred and thirty-Beven yards
in width. The unitefi curtent tontinuee three hun-
dred and tTventy-«ight poles to a small rapid on.
the north. sJdp, from which it gradually widens to
one thousand Amr hundnKl yards^ and attbc'dia^
tance oflirc UuLiJred a:id forty-tiigbt poles reaches
the head of the raji^tls, narrowing: a» it approocheB
them. Here the hiHa on the north which had
WithdrJ.trn. from the btlik <!loseIy bordef the river,
ch, for the space of three hundred and twenty
mali!>e it« way over the rpchfi with a (ie-
Bcent of thirty feet: in this course the current is
contractEcl to five hundred and eighty yardH, and
after throwing ittwlf over a wmall pitch of five ftetj
forma a benutifUl coac-ade of twenty-eix feet five
inches; this does not however fall imniediately
perpendicular, being stopped by a part of the rock
which projects at about one third of the d!»t«iiw.
.ifterdeBcendirii,' this fall, and passing t!ie cotton-
wood jfllanci on which the eagle hee fixed its neBt*
the river goes on for five hundred and thirty-two
polts Over rapids and little falln, the eatiraatcd
descent of wSiich is thirteen ffeet six inches till it is
join^ by a large fountain boiling up uademeath
the roekfl near the edge of the river, into which it
folia with a caecade of eight feet. It ib of the
moBt perfect cleamesa and rather of a hluiah cast:
and eveJi after falling into the Misaonri it pre'
B«rves its Colour for half a inile. FrOm this foun-
tain the river descends with increased rapidity for
the distance of two hundred and fonrteen polee,
duKog which the estimated descent is five feet;
from this for a distance of one hundred aud thirty-
five poles, the river deecends fourteen ftet seven
inches including a fierpendicular fall of six ftet
seven inches. The river has now become pressed
into a space of four hundred and seventy-three
807
LEWIS Afro CLABK'S EKPEDITION
jarda, and here formB a grand cataract by falling
over a plain rock the Tt'hole diatance acpoas tha
river to the depth orfofty-seTen feet eight inches,
after recoveriuf^ itself tlie Missouri then proceeds
witli an estimated dytjcent pf three fwt, till at tlie
diBtaBce of one handreil aiid two polea it again is
precipitated dowii tlie Crooked falls of nineteen
ftet perpendicular; "below thia at the mouth of a
deep ravine is a fhll of five fset, after which for the
distance of nine Inindred aud seventy poles the
descent ie ttiueh more gradual, nqt being more
tLan ten feet, and then Bucct-^eds a handsome level
plain for the apace of one hundred and eeventy-
eight poles with a computed descent ofthree ftet,
malting a bend toward* the north. Thence it
deacendH during four hundred and eighty polea,
aboiit eighteen ifeet and a half, when it makea a
perpendicular fiill of two feet, which ie ninety poles
beyond the great cataract, in approacliin^ which
it descends thirteen fret witbfn two hundred
jards, and gathering strength fVoni its confined
channel, which ia Only two hundred and eighty
yards wide, ruehee over the fall to the depth of
eighty-seren fret anj three quarter? qf an inch.
After raging among the rocks and loEing ItHelTiii
foam, it ifl compreased immediately into a bed of
ninety-three yards iti width: it eontinuea for three
hondred and forty polea to the entrance of a run
or deep ravine where there is a f;ill ofthree ffeet,
which, joined to the decUne of the river during
that courBe, makes the descent six f^t. As it goes
on the descent within the nest two hundred and
forty poles i8 only four ftet; from this iDflsaing a
run or deep ravine the descent for four hundred
polea is tliirteen feet; Within two hundred and
forty poles a second descent of eighteen ffeet;
thence one hnndred and eixty poles a descent of
3o8
rP THE MISSOURI. ' '
eiv (feet; after which to the mouth of Pgrtaga
creek, a, dletaQce of two hundred and eight; polea^
the descent is t-eu feet, FrooL thlu survey aud
estimate it resulta that the riverexperienefcaade-
eoent of three hundred aud fifty-two feet in the
course of t'wo and three quarter miles, from the
coEinieiieeinent of the rapide to the mouth of
Pqrtoge creek, exclusive of the alnioHt impae^able
rapidB which e^Lt^nd for a mile below ita cutraace.
The latitude oi'our camp below the entrance of
Portage ereek waa found to bo 47" 7 10' 3, aa
deduced from a meridian altitude of the sun's
lower limb tok^n with octant b; back dbserva^
tion giving 53° 10'.
JW'/a.v, Juae 23.— laying made the □ecesaarj
preparations for contiauLug our route, a part of
the haggugu woh carried acroBS the creek into the
high plain, three miles in advance and placed on
one of the carriagea with truck wheels: the rest of
the party was emploj-ed in Atfiug meat and
dreHBing elk skina. We killed several mule-deer and
an elk, and observed «« U3ual vaat quautities of
buS*a]o ivho came to drinlL at the river. For the
first time ljb. the MisBouri we have seen near the
fallH a species of fishing ditokj the body of which
is brown and white, the wings white, and the
head and upper part of the neck of a brick red,
with a narrow beak, ^hiyh ge^me to he of the
same kind commoa la the tSuBiiaehaima, Potomac
and James river. The little wood which this
ndghbourhood afforda conaiBts of the brood and
narrow-leafed cottonwoodj the box alder, the nar-
row and broad-leafed willow, the large oc sweet
willow, which was not common below Aiaria's
river, but which here attains the same aizt and
haa the same appearance as in the Atlantic atatt^.
The undergroivth conaieta of rosuH, gooeeberriea,
859
LEWIS AND CLARK'S' EXPEDITION
S'
earrante, Bmall boneyeuckleR, and the rvdwood,
the inner part of "which the engages or watermen
are fond of smoking when mixed with tobiu^co,
SajtunJuj, 32.— V\'e now set out to paa» tha
portage and halted for dinner at fight miles dis-
tance near -a little etreajn. The ailetreeg of our
cairriage, which hod been made of an old mast,
and the eottonwood touguee broke before we
came there : but we renewed them with the timbep
of the 8wect willow, whith lasted till within half
a mile Of oci* intended camp, when the tongnea
gave way and we were obligod to take tun much
ba^age ae we could carry on our backe down to
the river, wbeie we formed an GocaiapmeiLt in a
small grove of timber opposite to the Whitebear
islands. Here the banks on both eides of the river
aj't liandaoroe, level, and extensive; that near onr
camp is not more than two feet above the eurfhce
of the water. The river is about eight hundred
yards wide juBt above theee islands, teu Ibet deep
in mout places, and with a very geatle curreot.
The plaiua however on this part of the river are
not 80 fertile oa those from the ■month of the
Muscleahell and theace downwards; tbereis much
more stone on the sides of the hiHa and on the
broken lands than is to be found low^er down.
We eaw in the plains vast qunatitiee of baffalOj »
number of siaali birdu, and the large brown car-
lew, which is now sitting, and laya its eggs, which
are of a pale blue with blackapecks, on the ground
without any neat. There in ftlaft a species of lark
much resemhling the bird called the oldHeld lark,
with a yellow breast and a blaok spot on the
croup; though it differs ll-otti the latter in having
its tail formed of tbathera of an unequal length
and pointed; the beak too is somewhat longer
»nd more cnrred, and the note ditfera coii6idera>
3l>0
m* THE MISSOURI.
Uly. The prickly pear aniioy«d ub very much tt>-
; day by etLckiug througli our moccaeiua, Ab booq
as we had kindled our flree we examined the meal;
I "Whicli captain Clurk had leTC here, but found that
the greater part of it had Iseen taken by the
■wolves.
^uat/s^r, 23.— Mt^r wb had brought up the
tcanoe aad bagga^ captaia Clark went down to
I the i;amp at Portat^ creek, ^vhere four of the mea
ihad beea left with the Indian woman. Captain
I Lewia during the morning preptired the camp, and
in the afternoon went doivn in a canoe to Medi-
cine river to look after the three men who had
beeu B«Dt thitber to hunt on the li)th, and from
whom, oothing' had as yet beea. heard. He went
' np the river aboat hulf a mile and then walked
' aloQjf on the right bank, hallooing &s he went,
till at the distance of Qve milea he found one of
them who had fSxod his camp on the oppoeLte
bank, where he had killed seven deer and dried
about eiz hundred pouudii of bnSalo meat, but
had killed do elk, the animal chiefly wanted. Ha
knew DothiDg of hia companions except that on
the day of their departure from camp he had left
I them at the faUa and come on to Medicine river,
not having seen them since. Ab it was too late ti:>
returo captain Lewis passed over on a raft which
be made fbr the purpose and spent the night at
Shannon's camp, and the next morning,
Mondnj^ 24, sent J. Fielda up the river with
ordere to go four miles and returii, whether he
found the two absent Emntere or not; then de-
Bcending the southwest side of Mediqine river, he
crossed the MieiBouri ia the canoe, and eeat Hhan-
Don back to hia camp to join Fields and bring the
meat which they had killed l this they did, and
arrived in the evening at the camp on M'hitebear
ml
LEWIS AND CLARE'S EXPEDITION
Islaada. A part oFthe men from Portage creek
also arrived with two canoee aod baggage. Oa
goiag down yesterday captain Clark cut offsev-
er&l anglea of the former route bo as to BUorteoi
the Portage considerably, and marked it with
Btftkee ; lie arrivtd thert in time to have two of
the canoes carried up in thp high plain about a
mile in advance. Here tliey al! repairpd their tttOO
caaiiia, and put oa double Bolts to protect them
from the prickly pear and from the sharp points
of earth which have been formed by the trampling
of the buffalo during the late roins; this of itself
is sufficient t<j render the portage dieagreeable to
one 'R'ho had no burden; but as the men are
loaded a« heavily fn» tUeir strength will permit,
the croeaiug is really painful : eouie ar« limping
with the BOreaBBB of their feet, others arc ecarcely
able to stajid for more than a few minutes from
the heat and fatigue: they are all oblig^ to halt
and raat fVequentJy, and at almoet every stopping
place they fell and m&ny of theju are 8«leep in an
inBtaat; yet ao one complains and they go on
with cheerfulnesH. At their camp Drewyer and
Fielda joined them, ftnd while captain Lewia was
looking fur them at Bleditine river, thty returned
to report the absence of Shannon about whom
they Lad been very cnpasy. They had killed
sereral buSiilo at the bend of the Missouri above
the fnlla: and dried about eight hundred pounds
of meat and got one hundred poundB of tallow:
they had nlBo killed some deer, hut had seen no
elk. AfttT getting the party in motion Witt the
canoes captain (^lark rttturned to hin camp at
Portage creek.
We were now occupied Id flttlng up a boat of
ekinHt the frame of which had been prepared for
the purpose at Harper'B ferry. It was made of
■ "TIP THE MrSSOURT.
roTi, tliirty-Bix feet long, four feet and a half In
the beam, and twenty-Bix inehcs wide in the bot-
tom. Two men had been Bent this monung for
timber to eompletfi it, but they eoukl find eeartfelj-
any even tolerably etraight sticks four and a lialf
feet longj and as the cottonwQod is too soft -and
brittle we were obliged to uae tbe willow and
box-alder.
Taesdnyy 2S. — The party returned to the lower
I eamp. Two men -were sent on the large island to
look for timber. J. Fields wai* «L»nt up the Mis-
Bouri to bunt elk; but ho returnwl about noon
aud informed us that a few mtle^ above ie saw
I two white twar near the river, and in attempting
'lo fire at them came suddenly oa a third, who
["being only a few atens olT immediately attacked
[tiai; that in running to escape iVom the monster
be leaped dowa u steep bdok of the rlTer, where
falling on a bar of stons he rat his hand and
kaee and bent hiB gun ; but fortunately for blm
I the hank concealed him fkim hiH antagonist or he
would have been moat probably loat. The other
Itwo returned with a amftlt quantity of bark and
[timber, whinU waa aE! th^y could find on the
li^land; but they bad killed two elk: these were
[ valuable, as we are dBMLroua of procuring the sltina
[of that animal in order to cover the boat, as they
[iire more strong and durable than those of the
ibuffalo, and do not shrink bo mueli in drying.
[■Thfl pJirty that went to the lower eamp had one
r'cauoe A:Ud th^ baggage carried into the high plain
to be ready in the morning, and then all who
■ could make uw of their i^t had a danee on the
l^ceen to the music of a violia. We have been un-
l^ucceejiful in our attempt to cateli flab, nor doea
[^ there Heem to be any in thia part of the river. We
ibeerve a number of water terrapins. There are
sua
LEWIS AND GLAEK'S EXPEDITION
great quantitieB of young blackbirds in these
iBlandsjuHt beginning to fly. Among the vegeta-
ble prod^ictioiia we observe a species of wild pjfr
which, is now heOidiiig: it riBes to the height of
eight*?en pr twenty inches, the beard remarkahly
fine and aolt; the culm ia joLDted, aud in every
rttapect except in beight it reeemblus the wild rye.
Great quantitlea of mint too, like the peppflrmint,
are foimd here.
The winds are eometimes violent in the^e pluina.
The mea titforTn ua that as they were bringing one
of the cajtoea along on truck' wheels, they hoisted
the Bail and the wiud carried her along for some
dietaiice.
WeJnesdsjr 26. — Two men were sent on the op-
posite side of the river for bark and timber, of
wluch they procured eoiue, but by no meatie
enough for our puriJoaee. The bark of the cotton-
wood is too soft, and our only dependence 19 OTI
the aweet willow, which has a tough strong bark ;
the two huntera killed seven buS'alo. A party
arrived from below with two canoes aud baggage,
and the wind being frons the southea&t, they had
mads considerable progress w^Ith the sails. Oit
their arrival one of the men who had been uon-
eiderably heated and fatigued, swallowed a very
hearty draught of water, and waa immediately
taken ill ; capta.in Lewis bled him with a penknife,
having no other inetniment at hand, and suc-
ceeded in restoring him to health the next day.
Captain Clark formed a second cache or deposit
near the eaiiipr and placed the swivel under the
rocka near the river, The antelopes are still seal^
tered through the plains; the ft^malee with their
young, whi«L are generally two in number, and
the males by themeelvea.
Thursday ST.— The party were employed in pre.
S64
rip THE MTSaOTTRI,
paring timber for the boat, except two who were
Bent to bunt. About one in the ai^emoon a c^loud
ai^se frOln the BOuthweat- and. brought with it
Tiolent thunder, lightDing, nnd hail: saon ai^rit
panned the hunteru came in fi-om About four milea
abQTe us. Tbej bad killed nlae elk, and tbrfie
bear. Ae they were hunting on the river they saw
a low ground covered with thick bruehwood,
where from the tracks along fihore tUey thought a
beai- had probatly taken refuge: they therefore
landed, without making a noise, and cCtnibed 4
tree aboiat twenty feet abore tbcgrouad. Having
fixed tbemselveB securely, they raised a loudahout,
and a l)ear instantly rushed towards them. Tbeae
animalH never <^limb, and therefore when he came
to the tree and stopped to look at them, Drewyer
shot him in the head ; he proved to be the largest
we have yet seen, his noise appeared to be like
that of a commoD ox, hU fore feet measured nine
iucbee a«rosa, and tbe hiad f^et were Beven inchea
, wide, and eleven and three quarters long, eseliisive
of the talons. One of these animals came within
thirty yarda of the camp last nigiit, and carried
off some buffalo meat which we had placed on a
pole. In the evening after the storm the ivater on
this Bide of the river became of a deep erimBon
coloor, probably caused by eome stream above
washing down a hind of aott red stone, which we
observe in the neighbouring blutfj and gnlliea. At
the camp below, the men who left us in the morn-
ing were busy in preparing their load for to-iuor-
row, Tvhich w^ere impeded by the rain, hail, and
the hard wind from the northwest,
f'riclny 28. — The party all occupied in making
[the boat; they obtained n sufficient (juantity of
IVUlow bark to lino her, and over these were
placed the elk Hkins, and when they failed we were
36^
"LEWIS AND CI-VEB:'a EXPEDITION
oliliged to UB6 the bufiato hide. The white bear
have dOtv become exceediitgly tf onbleBome ; the/
conetantljr infest our camp dunng the mglit, uid
though they have not att^ck.ed ub, sa Qur dqg
vbo patrols all night gives ua Qudce of their ap-
proach, jet we are obliged to al&ep with our arma
hS our aides for ftar of accidont, and we cannot
send one man alone to any diBtunce, parti<7alarly
if he hflH t-d paaa through bruihwood. We Baw
two of them to-day on the large island opposite
to W, but as we ar@ a)i ^0 much occupied now,
"we mciin to reaerve oureelyea for BOiue leleure
moment, anil then make a party to drire them
from thy irjlands. The river has riaen nine inches
sinet oTir arrival htre.
At Portage creelc citptain Clark completed the
cache, in -which we deposited whatever we could
Eipare from our baggage; qome amnmnitioa, pro-
vlsione, books, the specimens of pluuta and miii-
erala, and a draught of the river Irooi its en-
trance to fort Blamlau. Alter cloeing it he broke
up the encampment, and took on uU the remain-
ing baggage to the high plain, about three miles.
Portage creek has riBtii conHJderably in coiib»
quence of the rnin, and the water had become of a
diiep crittiBon colour, and ill tasted i on overtaking
the canoe he found tliat there vrua more bnggage
than could be ciwried on the two carriiigea, and
therefore kft aome Of the heavy nrtielea which
could not be injured, and proceed-ed on to Willow-
run where he encamped for the night. Here they
made a eupper on two tiu^alo which they kilted
on the way; but pasBcd the night in the rain,
with a high wiud from tha BonthweBt. In tbe
morniug,
Satimlay 20, finding it impoesible to reach tha
end of the portage with their present load, in coiw
3(56
XrP THE snssouRi.
|neD<!e of the st&t'e of tbe road after the rain, he
lAeat back nearlj all his party to bring ou the
l*rticles which, tiad been left jreBterday. Ilaviu};
lo^t 4on3e notes and retnitrks wEiicb he had made
on hTEt ascendiiig the river, be determined to go
up tu the Whitebeox lelasda aloag he baiiku, in
ordflr to supply the deQciency. He there left one
man to guard the baggage, and Trent on to the
falls accompanied bj' his servant York, Chaboneau
-and hie wife with Iter young child. On his arrival
tM^n be ohijerved a very dark *lqud rising in the
west which threatened riiln, uad looked aronnd
far some Bhelter, but could find no placd where
they would be secure tYoia being blown into the
j.jiver if the wind ehould prove aa violent as it
jmetinies dooa in the plains. At length about a
'-'quarter of a mile above the fUlla he found a deep
ravine where there were some shelving rocks,
under which he took reftigo. They were on the
upper aide of the ravine cear the river, perfectly
flofe trom the rain, and therefore laid down their
giias, tompaHa, and other attides which they car-
ried with them. The ahower was at first moder- .
■&[»; it then jncretLaed to a heavy rain, theeSectB
-of which they did not ibh\ i Booa after a torrent of
raio and ball descended ; the rain seemed to fall ia
■a, Bolid niflHa, and instantly collecting in the ravine
came rolling down in a dreadful currentj carrying
tht nlud and rCitkS, and every thing that opposed
it. Captain Clark ibrtunately saw it a moment
before it njached them, und springing up with Ilis
guo and ehotpouch in his lef\^ hand, with hla right
rclamberiid up the steep bluff, pushing on the In-
Ijan woman with her child in her arms; her bus- ^
and too had seized her hand, and was pulling her
up the bill, hut he W&a so terribed at the danger
that bqt for captain Clark, bimeelf and hia wife
mi
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EKPEDITION
and child would have been lost. So inBtantanfloni
■was the rise of the water, ttat Liefofe taptaki
Clark had reached hia gun and began to ascend
the bank, the Tvater was up to his waiat, and te
could Bcarce get up fa«t«r than it roae, till it
readied tbe height of fifteen fe«t with a furiouB
GurreQt, which had they wujted a moineiit longer
would have swept them into the river just above
the great falls, down which they must inevitably
hftve been precipitated. They reached the plain in
aaffety, and found York who had separated ftom
th«n) juat hefore the estorm tu hunt some bufialo,
and wttB now returning to find hie maater. They
had been obliged to escape bo rapidly that captain
Clark lost hiB compass and umbrella^ ChalDODeaa
lelt hie ^d, Bbotpouch, and tomahawk, and ih«
Indian woman faod just tim« to grasp her child,
before the net in wh[ch Jt l«y ftt ber feet w«« car-
ried down the current. He now relinquiehed hia
intention of paiag up the river and returned to the
eamp at Willow-run. Here he found that theparty
sent this morning for the baggage had all re-
turned to cainp in great coafuaioa, leaving their
loads in the plain. On account of the heat th?y
generally go nearly naked, and with uo covering
on their heada. The hail was eo large and driven
BO furiously against them by the high wind, that
it knocked several of them down; one of them
partitularly was thrown on the ground three
times, and most of them bleeding freely and com-
plmned of being much bruised. Willqw-nm had
risen six Jeet since the rain, and ob the plainu were
HO wet that they could not proceed, they podsed
the night at their camp.
At the Whitebear camp al*o, we had not beea
Insensible to the hail-atorm, though lees expoaed.
In the momjng there had been a heavy shower of
3SS
VP THE MISSOUEI.
ia, after which it became faic. Aftef a^Biguing
[to the men thrir respective emptoj-ments, captain
X«iwiH took ODC' of them and '^^n.t to 0e@ the ItlTg^
fouELtaio near the falls. For abaut dx milea he
pajsaed through a beautiful lerel plain, and then
on reaching the break of the rirer hillfl, ■was arer-
taken by the gnst of wind from the southweet
attended by lightning, thunder, and rain: Ebaring
a renewal of the scene on the 9Tth, they took
shelter in a little gully wbere there were some
broad stonea with which they meaot to protect
iemaelvBH againat the hail ; but fortunately there
rvQiB not much, and that of b. small aize; ao that
they felt no Inconvenienee except that of being ei-
posed without shelter for an hour, and being
drenched by the rain : «iler it wae over they pro-
ceeded to the fountain which is perhaps the largest
in America. It is situated in ti pleasant level
plain, about twenty-five yards firom the river, into
which it ft.ll9 over some steep irregular rocka with
a sudden ascent of about six ftet in one part of
its course. The water boils np among the rocks
and with each force near the centre, that the «iir^
fitce eeetne higher there than the earth od the eidee
of the fountain, which La a handsome turf of fine
green grass. The water is eitremcly pure, cold
and pleasant to the taate, not being Impregnated
with lime or any foreign substance. It is perl^tly
transparent and continues its bluish cast for half
a mile down the Miseouri, notwithstaudiug the
rapidity of the river. After examining it for some
time captain Lewie returned to the camp.
Sunday 30.^In the morning captain Clark sent
the men to bring up the baggage left in the plaiaa
yesterday. On their return the axletreea and car-
riagefl were repaired, and the b&ggage conveyed
on the Bboulders of the party across Willow-roa
Vol. I.-24 309
LEWIS AND CliARK'S
which had fHlleu as low aa throe f^t, The ca»
riagea being' then taken grer, a load of baggage
wsjs carried to the aLx-mile Btabe, deposited there,
and the caxriages brought back. Such is the etate
of the plainB tbat this operation cuDsumed the
day, Two men were aent to the falls to look for
the articles lost jeat^rday ; but they found nothing
but the compass covered with cnud and ^and at
tb« moiitb, of the ravine ; the place at which cap-
tain Clark had been caught by the etorm, was
filled with large rocks. The men complain ranch
of the bmiBea receired yesterday from the bail.
A more thbu usual number of bufl'alo appeared
about the camp to-daj, and furnished plenty of
meat: captaiu Clark thought that at one view he
muBt have eeeu at leoat teo thaueaad. In the
coarse of the day there was a heavy grust of wind
fWim the HouthweBt, after which theerening waa
fair.
At the Whitebear camp we had a heavy dew
this morning, which ib quite a remarkable occur-
reoce. The party contixiueB to be occupied with
the boat, the croasbarB for whjch are now liniuhed,
and there remain only the Btrips to complete the
wood work: the Bkins necesaary to cover it have
already been prepared and they amoiuit to
twenty-eight elk ekiiia and four buSalo ekiofl.
Among our ganie were tw^o beaver, which we
have had occaBiou to obeer\~e alwaiya are found
wherever there is timber. We also lulled a lar^
bat or goataueker ol' which there are many in thia
neighbourhood, resembling in every respect those
of the same epeciee in the United States. We have
not eeen the leather- winged bat for some time, nor
are there any oftbeamallgoattiucker in this part
of the MisHUuri. We have not seen either that
apeciee of goatsucker or nighthawk culled tbfl
37U
UP THE MISSOURI.
Tphippoorwill, which is common]; confounded in
the United States wjtfa the large goatsucker which
ve observe here; thi^ last prepares hq ueet but
lajB tta e^^ in the open plains; tbey generally be-
gia to ait on two egge, and we belieTe raiae 0017-
one brood in a seauon: at the present moment
iii9^ Q'fe jnSt h&tching their jomtg.
ifontJuy, Jafy 1. — Afber a severe day'« work
eaptaia Clark reached oar camp in the ereniiigj
accompanied by hie party and all the baggage
eicept that left at the eii-imle atak«, for which
they were too mnch fktigned to return. The ronta
from the lower camp ou Portage creek to that
near ^Miitebear island, having been now measnred
&Dd examin^ by captain Clark vr&B 34 follows:
From our camp oppadte the laat considerable
rapid to the entrance or Portage creek eouth &°
east for three (luartera of a mile; thence on a
conree south 10' east for two miiea, thougli for
the canoes the bent rout« ts to the left of thia
course, and strikes Portage one mile and three-
quartere iVom ite <?ntrajicc, avoiding in thig way «.
Tcry Hteep hill which liee above Portage creek:
froai this BOuth 1& weut for four milee, paBetng;
the head of a drain or ravine which falls into the
Mi SB our i below the great fallfi, and to the Willow
mn whicli has always a plentiful supply of good
water and some timber; here the course turns to
south 45 west for four miles flirther; then south
66 weet three milea, crossing at the beginning of
the course the head of a drain which falls into the
Missouri at the Orooked falls, and reaching an
devated point of the plain from which aouth 42"
■west. On approaching the river 00 this Courea
there is a lopg and gentle descent itom the higU
plain, after which the road turn^ a little to the
light of the couTHG up the river to our camp. Tha
871
LEWIS AND CLiRK'S ESPEDITTON
whole portage is Beventeeu and three qnartw
mites.
At the Whitebeap camp we wert occupied with
the boat and digging a pit for the purpqse of
ro^lung Bome tar. The daj has been w'u'm, and
the moaquitoes troublesome. We were Ibrtuuate
enough to obefirve equal altltudeu of the buu with
isestant, which eioce our arrival here we haTe been
prevented from doing, by flying cloudB and etorus
in the eTenillg.
Toesdaj, July 2d.~k ehower of rain ftU TWj
early this morning. We then despatched some men
for the baggage left behind yesterday, and the
reat were engaged in putting the boat together.
TbiB was accompliBhed in about three honrs, and
then we began to sew on the leather over the
crosBbars o£ iron On the liiner Bid« of the boat
which form the ends of the BectiooH. 'Qj two
d'cIdcJc the last of the baggage arrived, to the
great delight of the party who were auxiouB to
proceed. The mosquitoea we find very trouble-
flome.
Having completed our celestial obeerratiofu we
went over to the large island to make an attack
upon it? inhabitants the bears, who have annoy^
UB very much of late, and who were prowUng
about our camp all laBt night. We found that the
part of the inland ft^uented by the bear forms an
almost impenetrable thichet of the broad-leaffed
willow : into this we forced Our way in parties of
three ; bat could ^ee onCy one bear, who instantly
attacked Drewyer. Fortunately as he wae ruab-
ing on the hunter shot him through the heart
within twenty paees and he fell, which enabled
Drewyer to get out of his way: we then followed
him one hundred yards and found that the wound
bad been mortal, ^^ot being able to discover any
3T2
XfP THE jaSSOBEl.
tnore of these BiUraalH we returned to camp: hwe
in turning over aome of the baggage we caught a
rftt somewhat larger than, the coinmtin European
rat, and of a lighter colour; the body and outer
parte of the le^ and head of a light lead colour;
the inner eide uf the 1e^ aa well as the belly, feet
and ears are white; the ears are not covered with
liair, and are much larger than those of the com-
mon rat; the toes aleo are longer, the eyes black
and prominent, the ^thiskers 'very )oPg ancl full;
the tail ratlier loader thau the body, and coTered
with Que fur and bair of the same taze with that
on the back, which is very cloee, short, and Hilky
in ita teiture. This waa the flret we bad metf
Althodgh itH neate ar^ very frequent among the
cliS^ of rocks and hollow trees, where we aUo
foun^ larg« qoantitiee of the ebelis and seed of tha
prickly pear, on which we conclude they chiefly
HEibsiBt. ThemoBquitoesare nncommonly traubl&-
aome. The wind was again high t^om the south'
west: these winds are in fact always the coldest
and most violent which we experience, and tha
hypotheaia which we have formed on that subject
IB, that the air coming in contact with the Snowy
mountains immediately becomes ehilled and con-
deneed, and being thas rendered heaviei- than th&
air below it deacends tato the rarihed air below
or into the vacuum formed by the constant action
of the «un gn tbe open unsheltered plains. The
clondB riiK suddenly near these moantaina and dis-
tribute theireontenta partially over the neighbour-
ing platna. The Bame cloud will discharge hail
alone in one part, hail and rain in another, and
rain only in a third, and all within the space of a
ftTT miles ; while at the same time there ia snow
foiling on the mountains to the eouthea»t of us.
There is at present no enow on those mountains;
373
LEWia Airo CliABK-a EXPEDITION
tiiat whtcb covered tliem on our arrival as vreW
as that which hoe since fallen having diHappea.rfld.
The QiouDtaina to the north and northweet of ns
fire Btiil entirely CoTBred with ano^?, and indeed
there haa been no perceptible diminutioQ of it Biace-
we Qrat a&w them, which iDducea a belief either
that the clouds prevaliin^ at this seaeoii do not
reach their Hummite or that they deposit th«ir
snow only. They frii^tea with great beauty when
the ean BhiQ«8 on them in a partic^ular directioD,
and most probably from thJB gUtteriag appear-
aoce have derived the name of the Bhining moon-
taioa,
Wednendg^; 3.— Nearly the whole part; were
employed in dif^rent lahoure connected with the
boat, which is now almoat completed: bnt we
Iiave not -aa yet been able to obtain tar ^Qm oor
kiln, a circiuoBtaoce that will occaeioa ub not a
little embarraeBmeot. Having beea told by the
tadiaofi that oa leaving; the f^Ue we shotildsoon
posfi the buffalo country, we have before ne the
prospect ofikatin^ OccaaionoJIy ; but in Order tO
provide a supply we sent out the huntere who
killed only a buS'alo and two aatelopea, which
added to mx beaver and two otter have been all
oor gome for two or three daya. At ten in. the
morning we had a alight shower which scarcely
wet the gr&iB8.
ThursrJtty, .July 4tb.-^Sh» boat waa now com-
pleted eicept what in in foct the most difficult
part, the making hor aeame eecure. We had Ic
tended to despatch a canoe with part of our men
to the United States early this spring; bnt not
having yet seen the Snake Itidiane, or knowing
whether to calculate on their Mendehip or enmity,
we have decided not to weaken our party which
is ah^ady scarcely Bufficient to repel any boBtilitj.
374
TIP THE MrSSOtTM,
We were aHraid too that eucb a meaaure might
dishearten thoae who remain; aad ae we hare
never Hiiggeetpd it to them, they «re all perfectly
and entliUBinfiticatly attached to the entfirpriae,
and willing to encounter anj- danger to eiisure its
HUCcesB. We had a heavj dew tius morning.
Since our arrival at the fhlU we have repeatedly
heard a strange noise coiuing ft-ora the mouataine
in a direction a little to the north of weat. It is
heard at diCferent periods of the day and night,
eometimea when the aif in perRwtly still and with-
out a cloud, and consists of one stroke ocly, or of
five or 81^ discharges Ln qiiick anceession. It is
loud and reaemblea pi-ectsely the Bound of a eix
pound piece of ordnance at the distance of three
mileS: The Minnetareee ftequeutly mentioned thia
nol«e like thunder, which they said the mountftina
made ; but \rt had paid no attention to it, heliev<
ing it to have been some superstition or perhaps a
ihlBehood. The watermen aleo of the party eaj
that the Pawnees and Ricarafi give the Rame ac-
count of a noise heard In the Black mountains to
the westward of them. The aolution of the mya-
tery given by the philosophy of the watermen is,
that it is occasioned by the bursting of the rich
mines of silver confined within the bosom of the
mountain. An elk and a bearer are all that were
killed to-day: the bnflklo eeem to hai-e with-
drawn from our neighbourhood, thoug-h se^•eral of
the men who went to-day to viett the falls for the
first time, mention that ttey are still abundant at
that place. We contrived however to spread not
a very sumptuous but « comfortable table in
honour of the day, and in the evening gave the
men a drink of spirita, which was theiaat of our
stock. Some of them appeared eenaible to the
effi^td of even bo email a quantity, and a« id itaual
375
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
amoDK them on atl f^etirale, the fiddle wax pro
dnctid and a, dance begua, -n-hich lasted till nine
o'clock, when it was interrupted by a heavy
shower of rain. They continned however their
merrimeDt till a late hour.
Fridu.y 5.— The boat waa bronght np into »
high situation and flreg itindled under bw In order
to dry her more expeditiously. Despairing now
of procuring any tar, we formed a compoeition of
pounded cliarcoal with be«swax and butiTalo tal-
low to supply its place; should tbia reaource fiiil
UB it will be Ttry UnTortunat*, as in every other
respect the boat anewere our purpoaea complete^yn
Although not quite dry ebe can be CArried with
eaiie by five men; ber form is as complete a« could
be wlflhed ; very strong, and will carry at leaet
eight thonaand ponnda with her complement of
haude. Besides our want of tar, we have been
anlucky in sewing the akina with a needle which
bad sharp edgee instead of a point merely, al-
though a large thong waa used in order to fill the
hole, yet it BhrinkH In drying- and leaves the hole
open, BO that we t^r the boat will leak.
A large herd of bufialo came near ua and we
procured three of them : beaidea which were killed
t^vq ^volv^a and three antelopea. In the course of
the day other herds of buffalo came near our
camp on their way down the rivers theee herda
move with great method and regularity. Al-
though ten or twelve herda are aeen. scattered
fVoni each other over a apfice of many miles, yct
if they are undiatnrbed by pursuit they will be
uniformly travelling- in tbe same dlrectton.
Satardax (J.— Last night there were several
ahowera of rain and tall^ attended vrith thunder
and Ughtning: and about daybreak a heavy
etoriu came on ftom the aouthweet with one eon-
376
— -fii' UP THE MISSOURI.
-tina^ roar of thunder, and rain and tail. The
hail which was aa large tua miij<ket balls, covered
the grouHd eompl*t*Iji Biid on collecting some of
it, it lasted duriog the day and served to coo! tha
water. The red and yellow currant is abundant
aad DOW ripe, although etill & iEttleacid. We have
a^en ill this neighbourhoi^d what we have not met
before, a remarkably small fox which axsociatee in
bands and borrowa la tb« prairie^ like the email
wolf, but have not yet been able to obtain any of
tbem, ae they are extremely vigilant, and betake
themselves on the BlighteBt alarm to their burrows
which ai* very deep.
Sundsj/ 7. — Theweatherie warm but cloudy, 80
that tb« moisture retained by the bark after the
rain leaves it slowly, thongh we have amall Area
eouBtantly under the boat. We hare no tents, and
therefore are obliged to uee the Bails to keep off
the bad weather. Our buffalo skins too, are
BCArcely Hofficient to cover our baggage, but the
men are now dresaing others to replace their
preaent Leather clothing, which soon rots by being
80 coQutautly exposed to water In the evening
the huntftTB returned with the skine of only three
buffalo, two antelope, four deer, and three wolf
ski&a, and reported that th6 buffalo had gone
Ibrther down the river-, two other hunters who
left as this morning could find notbiag except one
elk : in Oiddition to this we caught a beaver, The
mosquitoes t^till disturb uavery much, and the btow-
ing-flie» swarm in vast numbers round the boat^
At four in the afternoon we had a light shower
of rflrin attended with some ttuiider and lightning.
MoQi^B-y 8, — In order more fully to replace the
notes of the river which he had lost, and which
[, be was prevented ftorn Hupplying by the storm of
the twenty-nio^k^ult. captain Clark eet out after
877
LEWIS AND CLAHK'S EXPEDITION
breakfast, talcing with him oearl^ the whole
pftrtj- with a Tiew of ahooting buSTalo if then
ehotild be anj near the ifella, Aft^r getting some
diBtaace la the itlaina the men were dividt^ into
egaods, iiDd be with two otherB struck the Mia.
eouri at the entrance of Medicine river, and thente
proceeded down to the great cataract. He found
that the iOnneiiBe b^rda of buffalo have entirelj
disappeared, and be thought had gone below the
fotle. HaTiDg made the oeceseary meaaurernentB,
he returned throogh the plains and reached camp
late in the evening:; the whole party liad killed
only three buffalo three antelopes and a dtei-;
they had aleo ahot tw entail fox, ajtd hroug'bt a
living ground -eqnirrel somewhat larger than those
of the United St&tee.
The day was warm and toir, hut a elig^ht nJn
fell in the aftemooa. The boat having now be-
come euffieiently dry, we gave it a coat of the
compoBitioni which after a proper interval was
repeated] and the next morning,
Taeaday P.she watj launehed into the water, asd
rwam perftetly well: the seats were then flxed and
the oars fitted; but after we had lood^ her, ae
well ae the canoes, and were on the point of set^
ting out a violent wind cauned the waved to wet
the baggage, bo that we Wera tbrted to UnloAd
them. Th« "wind continued high till evening, when
to Dur great disEippointmeiit we discovered that
nearly aU the compoeition had separated ft-om the
ektns, and left the Beams iwrfeetly exposed ; ao
that the boat now leaked very much. To repair
thin misfortune Tvithout pitch ia impOHsible, andfia
none of that article is to iw procured, we therefore,
however reluctantly, are obliged to abandon her,
aiter having had eo much labour in the 'Construc-
tion. We now Baw that the Bti^tioiL of the boat
378
itrP THE MIS30UHI.
viVh bufialo eking an ivhich hdir had
l>een l*ft, ana'wered better than the elk skinB and
leaked but little; wiile that part wbicb was cov-
ered witli hair about one-^igbth of an inch, re-
tained the compoBition perfectly, and remained
eounil and dry. From this -we perMived that had
■Weemplojed baSklo iQBt«^ Of elk ekine, aad Hot
^nged them so closelj- a« we bavu done, careftitly
ftToidio-ff to cut the leather in ee-wing, th* boat
"would hove heen sufficient even "with the preaent
lompoeition, or hud we Hin^^ inatead of Bbaving
the elk skins we might have Bucc^ded. But we
discovered our error too late: the buffalo had de-
«erted ub, the travelling season was bo faat &d-
VAneing that we had no time to epare for eiperi-
jneate, and therefore fiodin^ tha^t abe could be no
los^r UBeHil ehe wae sunk in. the water, so aB to
Boften the »\dvB and enable ua the more easily
to take her to pieces. It now became neceasary to
pt<)vide otht^r means for trabttpditiug the bf^age
■■which we had intended to stow in her. For tliiB
'POTpq«e we shall waqt two canges, but for many
miles below the month of the MuBcIeshell river to
this place, we have not seen a eingle tree fit to be
used in that way. The hunters liowerer who had
hitherto been sent after timber, mention that there
lA a low ground on the opposite side of the river,
about eight milea above us by land, and more
than twice that diotaace by water, in which we
jnay probably fijid trees large enough for our pur-
poBSB. Captain Clark thereibre determined to set
out by land for that place with ten of the beat
workmen who would be occupied in building the
canoes till the rest of the partj, after taking the
boat to piewB and making the n«c«ssary depoeite,
flhoutd traQBport tlie baggage and join tbem with
tbe other six canoes.
379
LEWIS AND CLARK'S RSPEDITIOS
Wednesday 10. — He aftcordingly pa&sed over to
the oppoeite eide of the river with liia party, and
proceeded on eight milee by land, the riistatite by
"wftter being twenty-three and three quarter milee.
Here he found two cottoawQod trees., but on cut-
ting tbeto down, one proved to be bollow, aplit at
the top in lulling, and both were much damaged
at the bottom. He aean^hed the neighbourhood
but could find none which would Buit better, and
therefore was obliged to make use of thoBo which
he had ffelled, shortening them in order to aToid
the cracks, and supplying the deficiency bymaking
them as wide as posaible. They were equaHy at a
loBB for wood of whiuh they might make handler
for their axea^ the eyes of which not being round
they were obliged to split the timber in such a
maimer that thirteen of the handles broke in the
coureeof theday, though made of the beet wood
they could Qnd for the purpose, which was the
chokecherry.
The rest of the party took the fVame of the boat
to piecea, depOHited it iu a cache or hole, with a
dranght of the country IVom fort Maudau to thia
place, and also aome other papers and small arti-
cles of leee importance. After thia we amused our-
BelvBB with flsliliig, and although we had thought
DD our arrival that there were uoue tu thia part
of the river, we caught aome of a epeciea oi' white
chub below tho falla, but iew in number, and Bmall
in size.
^rjeant Ordway with four canoefi and cdght
men had set sail ia the morning, with part of the
baggage to the place where captain Clark had
fixed hiB earnpj but the wind waa bo liigh that he
only reached within three mileti of that place, and.
encamped for the night.
Tiuref/iSy, Ju!^ li. — In the morning one of tl»
380
TIP THE MISSOUEI.
eaqo^ joined captain Clarlt : the other three hav-
ing on board mere valuable articles, which wouW
have beea injured hy the wat«r, went on mont
cautiouely, and did not reach the camp till the
evening. Captain. Clarlc than bad the caDoea un-
loaded and sent back, but the high wind prevented
their floating down nearer thAn. about dg'ht milea
above ue-. Hia party were bueily eng'agwJ with
the canoee, and thcxr Imnteru nupiilied them with
three fat deer and a bufialo, in addition to two
deer and an antelope killed yesterday. 1'iie £b^
men who were with captain Lewie were occapied
in hunting, but with not much staCiieBs, having
killed only one bufialo. They heard about huh-
Bet two diecbarges of the tremendous moaatoin
artillery: they also aaw Heveral very large gray
eagles, much larger than thoae of the United
States, and moBt probably a distinct speciee,
though the bald eagle of this country in not quite
BO large as that of the United Btatea. The men
bav^ been nmch afflicted with painiiil whitloiva,
ODd one of them disabled (torn working by this
complajnt in hia hand,
Fridsiy, 12.— In. eonaequenca of the wind the
canoes did not reach the lower camp till late in
the afbernoon, beTore which tlRie eaptaia Lewis
sent all the mea he eould spare up the river to
OEBist in building the boate, and the day wa« too
&r advanced to reload and send them up before
morning. The Tnosquitoes are very troubleeome,
and they have a companion not leee bo, a large
black gnat which does not sting, but attacks the
eyes in swarms. The party M'ith captain Clark
are employed on the eanDee; in the couree of tho
work sergeant Pryor dlBlocated hiB ehoulderyea-
terday, but it was replaced immediately, and
though painful does not threaten mnch injury.
381
LEWIS
[HK*S
ITION
The huntere brought in three deer and two otter.
Tbia last animal ha^ been Dumeruae since tha
water has become fiuffici^ntl^ char tbr them to
take &dh. The blue-creeted Saber, or as it ia 80m&.
times call«d, the kixig-fiaher, ie an inhabitant of
this part of the ri^er ; it ie a bird rare on the MIb-
fiouri ; indeed we bad not aeen more th&u ttiree or
four oftbem from its entrance tuMaria's river, and
eventhoBe did notHeemtoresideon the Mieeonri but
on dome of the clearer etreama which etnptj into it,
as they wereeeennear the mouths of those streama,
SBturday JS, — The morning being fair and calm
captain Lewie bad all the remaining bagga^ em-
barked on board the six canoee, which sailed with
two men in each for the upper camp. Then with
a sick moD and the Indian wontan, he left: thfe
encHnipment, and croaaing oyer the river w^ent on
by land to join captain Clark. From the beaij of
the Whitebear islands he proceeded in a eoatbweBt
direction, at the distance of three mileB, till he
struck the lUiaeouri, which he then followed tiU he
reached the place where all the party were occu-
pied in boat-building. On hie way he passed &
very large Indian lodge, which was probably dfr^
signed ae a great council-houBej but it diflerv
in itB coDHtructioQ IVom all that we haye seen
lower down the MiBsouri or elsewhere. The form,
of it wa.s a cirele two hundred and sixteen fbet ia
circumftrence at the boae, and composed df sixteen
Iqjge cqttonwood poles about fifty ftet long, and
at their thicker ende, which touched the groond,
about the aijse of a man's body; they were dis-
tributed at equal dUtanees, except that one waa
omitted to the east, probably for the entrance.
From the circumfereni* of this etrcle the poles con-
Terged towards the centre where they were united
and B«cured by large withes of willow bruih.
3S2
■'m
t
Thete waa no co*^*rlng over this fabric, in fba
centre of whkh were the remain^} of a large £re,
and roimd it the marks of about eighty leathern
lodgea. He alBO saw a number of turtledoTftaj&nd
some pi^oHB, of which he ahot one diffiring- in urt
respect from the wild pigeon of the United States,
The conntr; exhibits its luual appearances, tbe
timber coaQaed to the river, tbe coaiitry on both
Hidofl oa fkr aa the eye cao reach, bein^ entirely
deetitute of trees or bruah. In the tow ground in
which WB are building the canoeH, the tdinber ie
larger and more abundant than we bate seen it
on the Missouri for aereral hundred iiule«, Tha
Boil too is good, for the grft»4 and weedn reach
about two feet high, being the taUeet we have
observed tliiB eeaeon, though on the high plainB
and praiiieB the grass is at no eeaeon above
three inches in height. Amon^ these weedg are
the eandrush, and nettle in amail quantities; the
plaijis are still infested by great numbers pf the
small birds ab^eady meiitioned, among whom is
the brown turlew. The current of tbe river ie here
eitremely gentle; the buffalo have not yet quite
gone, for the buntera brought in three in very
good Order. II requires aoiae diligence to supply
ne plentifhlly, for as we reserve our parched meal
for the Hocky mountains, where we do not expect
to find much game, our principal article of food
IB meat, and the conHaniption of the whole thirty-
two persona belonging to the party, amounts to
four deer an elt and a deer, or one buffalo every
twenty-four hooTB, The moequitoea and gnats
perBecute ub aa violently aa before, 80 that we can
get no flleep unleaa defended by biern, with which
we are all provided, We here found several plants
hitherto unknown to ub, and of which we pre-
served specimens,
U
S&3
LEWIS AND CLARE'S EXPEDITION
Sergeant Ordway proceeded with the sii canoes
^TS mjlea up the river, but the wiod becoming- bo
high fte to wet th« baeg*B» ^^ "^f^ obliged to
uoload and dry it. The wlud abated at five
o'clock in the evening, when he again proceeded
eight miles aod eocaniped. Tbe uext morning,
S'uadaj-, July 14, he joined U6 about noon. On
leaving the WhJtebear camp he paeaed at a short
dieta-nw & little creek or mn coming in on the
left. ThiB had been already esamined and called
Flattery run; it contaiiiB back water only, with
■very eitenaive low groundsK which rieing into
large plaiaa reach the mountainB on the eaat ; then
passed a ^llow islanil on the left within one mile
s.n.d a h.a.W, and reached two miles further a cliff of
rocks ia a bend on tbe same elde. In tbe course
of another mile and a half he paaeed two ielaoda
covered with cottonwood, box-aJder, Bweet-wil-
loWr and the usual undergrowth, tike that of the
Whitebedr islands. At thirteen and three gitarUr
miles he came to the mouth of a smnll creek on
the left ; within the following nine miiea he paeeed
three timbered ialande, and after making twenty-
three and a qoarter miles fVom tbe lower camp,
arrived at the point of woodland on tbe nor^
where the canoes were conatrncted.
The day waa fair and warm ; thft meii worked
Tery IndustriD-iiely, and were enabled by the even-
iug to launch the boats, which now want only
eeabi and pare to be complete. One of them ia
twenty-flve, the other tiiirty-thpee feet in length
and three feet wide. Captain I^wie walked ODt
between three and four miles over the rocky bluSb
to a high aitnation, two milea ftom the river, a
little below Fort Mountain creek. The country
which be saw was in moBt parts level, but occa-
HLonally became varied by gentle rises and de>
■6Hi
' UP THE MISSOUEl.
■Keatd. but with do timber except aloogthe water,
I From this position, the point at which, the Mis-
souri entera the first chaia or the Roekj moun-
tains bore Houth 38' west about twentjf-flve
Iiuiles, acoocding to uur ealim(i.te.
The northern e:ctremitj orthat chain nortli 73°
west at the distaiicp of eighty XOik^.
To the same extremity ol'the second chain Qorth
65- west one hundred and iifty mileB.
To the moet remote jioint of a. third anA con-
tjnued chain of tbe*e mouatains north HO'- weat
&b&iit tWu hundred miles.
I The direc^tion of the fii-st cbain wa« iivm south
20' e«*t to aortEi 20' west; of the second, from,
south 45'- east to Dortb 43' west; but the eye '
could not reach their eouthern estremitiea, which
most probably may be tractyi to Mftxteo. Iq a
I course bouth 75' west, and at the diatance of
l^^eight mil«e is a mountain, which from, it^ appear-
^Hftnee we shall call Fort Mountain. It is Bituat«d
^^Hn the level plain, and forms nearly a square, each
Bide of which ia a mile in esttnt. These aides,
which are ^^onipoHed of a yellow clay with no
miiture of rock or stone whatever, rise perpen-
dicnlarly to the height of thre« hundred feet, where
^^ the top becomes a leveE plaiu, cohered, as cfl.ptain
^Kt^wLS DOW observed, with a tolerably fertile
^^TOould two feet thick, on which was a coat of
grass similar to that of the plain below • it haa "
I the appearance of being perfectly inaocesaible, and
aJebough the mouuda Dear the falls Boiuewhatro-
Mm.ble it, yet none of them are so large.
Vol. I.— 25
aes
LEWIS AND CIAKS'8 EXPEDITION
CHAPTER XII.
lUe part; emCurk on Inard tlie csuoot— Deacription of BmlUfs
river— Cbarafter ol the coiincfj, ±e.— Dearborn's rtTer d*
BCrlbed — Captain Clal^ pr«ced«« the party For Ibe purpose i>r
aiKOY^ug lb? rotflani ol to^ Rc>cKt racniLCHiiiB— Maemaceui
rMJcf ai>P(!STanc4fa {id Uie bonlenor tbe rtTerdeTiomlDAKiilUiA
Gatesof Lbe Ruck; mnuaMna-H^HjitalD Clark anives at tha
Ibree torkaol Itie Missouri wichout nv^rtaidu^ (.Qti ludtp-ue —
TUB party wrlve at the ttireo forts, ot vtatb n pnnifular and
iaUrestlliZ deecrlptiun la given.
Monday, July 15. — We roae early, embarked all
our bfLggiige on board the canoes, wMch tbougb
light ill miciber are still heavily loadi^, anil at teil
o'clock set out ou our jouroej. At thv dbitaoce of
three miles we pa«b<bd aii iBluod, just above which
ia a sniall creek coming ia from the lett, which wfr
called Fort Mountain creek, the channel of which
ia ttn yftrda Wide but HOW ptrfectlj drj. At air
milea we came to au inland opjjoaite to a bend
towards thu porth sids; and reached at ee^en and
a hoM miks tlie lower point of a woodluad at the
entrance of a beautiful river, which iu honour of
the aecrBtary of the uavy we calied Siiiith'b river.
This atream falls into a li*ad on the south side of
the MiasoTiri, and is eighty yards widt. Aa Vat u
we CDuid discern its conrue It wound through a
charming valley lowarda tlie eoiitheast, in whidi
many herds of ijiiffalo were deeding, till at the
diatanee of twenty -flve milCH it enttrtd the Rocky
mountaina, and wse lost from our view. lifter
dining ne&r thia jilace we proceeded on four and
three quarter mileit to tie head of an island ; four
and a quarter mtlea beyond ^"hich is a second
iaload on the left; three and a quarter milett tXir-
386
UP THE mSSOURL
ther in a. bead of the river towards the northf la
a wood wh*re we encamped for the Dight, after
making nineteen and thtte quartet miltfi.
We find tie prickly pear, one of the greateet
b^&ntiHj an wull as the greB,%^t jncopvt^aieQCeo of
the plaioB, now in Ml blouiQ. Tlie Guudower too,
a plant common on ever; part of thu MUbouci
from its entrance to this plate, la here very abun.
dont and in bloom. The larabft-quarter, wild-cu-
camber, t^andruah. And ndrroyrdocit Are also coni>
mou. Two elk, a deer, aad an ott«r, were ouj
game to-day.
The river Lad dow become bo mnch wore crooked
than below that we omit taking all its uhort
mBanderti, but iiot« only its general i^ourae, and
lay down the etnaJJ heods ou our daily chart bj
the eye. Tiie yeiierttl width is from one hundred
to one hundred and fifty jarda. Along th« bankift
are large bede ui' Hand raieed above the plains,
and ae they aJwayu appear on the dideB of the
river opposite to the aouthwesC exposure, eeem
obviouBly brought there from the channel ol' the
river by the intensAnt winda frOm that quarter:
we dad aJHU more timber tbaji for a great di^
tance below fbe fails.
Tuesday 16. — There waa a heavy dew last
nig^ht. We booq passed about forty tittle booths,
formed of willow bushes as a shelter againeit the
BUn. ThBAe seemed to tiave been deaCrted about
ten days, ajid aja we supposed by the Snak^
Iqdians, or Shostooffes, whoia wi hope booq to
meet, as they appeared from the tracke to have &
namber of horses with them. At three and three
quarter miles we passed a, ereek or run in a bend
on the left tilde, and four miles further another run
or small rivulet ou the right. jU'ter breakfaating-
ou a boBVilo shot by oq« of the hunters, captain
Lewt9 reaolTed to go on ahead of the party to tbe
pomt whtre the river enters tlie Kocky mountains
and make t^o nwv^iiaj'y obBervatioiu! before onr
arrival. lie therefore Bet out with Dre"wyer and
ftwo of the Bicb ineii to ■whom he auppoeed the
walk would be useful: lie travelled on the north
(teide of the rJTer through a handsome level plain,
which continued Qn th&qpp06iite side aUQ, and at
-the distance of eight miles paeeed a, email stream
■on which h& olmerted a conBiderable guatitity of
•the aspen tree. A little belbre twelve o'clock he
4ialted on a bend to the north in a low ground
■vrell covered with timber, about four and a half
milea below the mountainHf and obtain^ a meri-
flitui altitude, b/ wbicb be Ibund the latitude was
I^, iG" 46 5U' 2, His route then lay through a
high waring plain to a rapid where the MisBonri
flret leaves the Bocky mountaias, and here he en-
camped for the night.
In the meantime wo hdd proceeded after break*
fo«t one mile to a bend in the left, opposite to
which was the frame of a large lodge situated io
th« prairie, comitmcted like that already meo-
tioned aboTe the Whitebear ialandnt, but only siity
feet in diameter: ronnd it were the remains of
About eighty leathern lodges, all which seemed to
bave been built during the laat autumn; within
the next Qil^eea and a quarter Tt)il«9 we pa^ed ten
islaode, on the last of which we encamped near
the right ahorCf haTing made twenty-three miles.
1'he neit mornings
Wednesday/ 17, we set out early, and at four
Mule4 diatancn joined captain Lewis at the foot of
the rapids, and after breakfast began the passage
nC'them: ^ouie of the articles most liable to be in-
jured by the water were carried round. We then
iiouble manned the canoes, and with the aid of The
UP THE MISSOURI.
jwing-lifle got thfm up withoat accident. Per
P*eTeral iniies below the rapi4ja the cnrrent of the
Mietfouri becomes etroTiger a* you approooli, aad
the epura of the mountain advance towanJu tba
river, which in deep und uot mart; than HeTent^
jarda wide: at the rapids the river is flOBelj
^iietnuM in on both eidet^ by the iiUe, and I'oamA
for half a mile over the rocks which ohstruct itai
chanDe), The lQwgrog.nds are now not more th^a
a few yards in nidth, but thu; furoi^^h ruuoi for
an Indian rood whicEi wiudi^ under the hilU on the
Tiorth aide of the river. The general range of these
hills 18 from southeast to northwest, and the eliffbi
thCmaelvea ftre About eight hundred (i«t above th*
l, "water, formed almUHt entirely gf a hard black
peranite, oq which ar« Hcatbered a few dwarf piu0
and cedar trees. Immediately in the gap ia »
large rock four hundred feet high, which on oii»
Bide is w^hed by the Missouri, while on ita other
sidea a hiindAOme httle plain Heparateii it ttom thft-
neighbouriag moutitaliiH. It may be ascended
with some- d)ffl<'u]ty nearly to ita enmmit, sad
fords a beautiful prospect of the plains below, ia
'vliicb we i^ould obuerve lar)^ herdH of buffalo.
A£teT a«eeudjng the rapids for half a mile we came
to a. small Uland at the head of them, which we
called Pine ialand rram & large pine tree at tbe
Jower end of it, which is the first we have eeeif
sear the river for a great distance. A mile beyond
captain Lewis'^ camp we had a mendiaa altilu§a
which gave ua the latitude of 46' 42 14' 7.
Ab the eanoea were still heavily loaded all thotw
not employed in wotkiug them walked on shor^
The navigation i* no'w very Iftboriona. The river
tig deep hut with little current and from seventy t(>
lone hundred yards wide; the low groundsare very
aarrow, with but little timber aod Uiat dileity itte
389
LEWT3 AND CLARK'S EXPEDTTTON
4Upen tree. The cliSa are Bleep and hang oTftr thfl
tiver no much that often we tauld not criiss them,
but were obUged to p&as and repass from one aide
of tbe river to the other id order to make otir
way. In ^oioe places the banka are formed of
rocks, of dnrk black granite rieiiiif perpendicularlj
to agreat height, tlipough which the river Bpenia in
the progreart of time to have worn its channel. On
these mauntftjna we see more pine than UBual, but
it ia etill in email quantiti«B. Along the hgttoioB,
which have a covering of high erass, we obeerve
the sunflower blooming in great abundance. The
Indians of the MiBBonri, and more eepecially thoee
who do not cultivate maize, make great uBe of the
■eed of this plant for bread oriu thieketdng their
Houp. They first parch and then pound itbetween
twq stoiiea until it ia reduced to a fine meal.
8ometimefl they add a portion of water, and drink
it thuB diluted: at other timeB thejadd a euffieient
proportion of marrow grease to reduce it to the
conaintency of eoramon dough and eat it in that
tnanner. Thia last cOmpoBition we preferred toall
the rest, and thonght it at that time a very palat-
able dieb. There ie however little of the broad-
leafed Cottonwood on this Bide of the ihWe, much
the greater part of what we see being of the nar-
row-leaffed Bpecies. There are alHO great quanti-
ties of red, purple, yellow and black eurranta.
The currants are very pleaaaat to the taste, and
much prelferable to thgae of our cpminoii garden.
The bush Aaes to the height of six or eight leflt;
the Mtem simple, braschiug and erect. These
ahrube asmociate in corps either in upper or tim-
iwrM lands near tha water conrseB. The leaf ifl
petiolate, of A pale green, and in form t^eeemble^
the red currant so common in our gardena. The
periaotb of the fruit is one leaved, 6ve cleft, ab-
390
DP THE HISSOTIBI.
brevlated ani^ tubular- The corolla is toonopstai-
louiJ, f\tDnel^e{i&p^, very long, and ofafine oraDg«
colour. There are Q.vq etanie^ns and on« pletillQm
or the Bret, the filaments are capillar, inserted ia
the corolla, equal and eonrerg^ng:, the anther
ovate and incumbent. The j^nn of the second
specie is ronad, emooth, inferior and pedic&Iled:
the atjle loHf; and thicker than the Btani«ns, nm-
ple, cylindrical, smQpth and erect. It remaiue
vrith the corolla until the fruit i» ripe; the stamen
is eimple and obtnse, and the H'liit much the else
and shape of our eommon garden currants, grow-
ing like them in cluetera supported by a componnd
footstatk. The peduacl«« are longer in thlA spe-
cies, and the i»erries are more Bcattered. The ftnlt
1b not BO acid ae the common currant, and has a,
more agreeable darour,
The other species differe in no reBpect from the
yellow cnrrant eicepting io the colour and flaTour
of the berriee.
The serviceberry differs in some points from that
oftte United States. The buahes are Htaall, some-
tlmeB not more than two feet hig*!!, and raraly
exceed eight inchefl. They are proportion ably
email in their BteniB, growing verv thickly, aeeo-
elated in clumps- The fruit is of the same form,
but for the moat part larger and of a very dark
pnrple, They are now ripe and in great perfec-
tioa. There are two epecie*f oi' gooseberry here,
but neither of them yet ripe ; nor are the choke-
cherry, thoogh in great quantities. Beeidee there
are aleo at that place the box alder, red willow
and a sp&ciee of sumach. In the evening we bow
some moantain rants or big-horned animals, but
no other game of any sort. After leaving Pine
island vre paeeed a email ruu on the left, wiUch is
formed by a large spring riaiug at the distance of
3Ui
LEWIS AND CL,iEK'S EXPEDITION
half a mite under the mountain. O&e mile and a
ha.lf a.boY6 the inland is another, and two mile?
fiirther a third island, the river mrikiD^ email
bends constantly to the north. FrocL tiiia laat
ielaad to a point ol'rockB on the eouth side the
low grounds become rather wider, and three
quarterB of a mile beyond these rockB; in a bend
on the north, we encamped opposite to a very
high cliffy having made during the day eleven and
a half nules,
Tlj-arsdajr 18.— TMb morning early before one
departure we saw a large herd of the bLg-horned
auitnaU, who were bounding among tlie rocks in
the opposite eliff with great agility, Theee inae-
CesBible spotty A^AQt^ them from all their enemies,
and the only danger is in wandering among thew
precipices, where we should euppose it Bcarcely
posaible for any animal to stand; a single ^hs
Btep would precipitate them at least five hundred
feet into the water. At one mile and a quarter we
pa6i^d another single clitf on the ielt; at the satce
distance beyond which is the mouth of a large
liTer emptying Iteelf ftom the north. It is a hand-
some, bold, and tlear stream, eighty yarda wide,
that is nearly an broad as the Slissoiiri, with a
rapid current over a bed of email smooth Btones
of varioiiH figures. The water iu e:rtremely tran^
parent, the low grounds are narrow, but possesa
aa much wood as those of the Missouri; and it
has STery appearance of being navigable, though
to what distance we cannot s-ecertiun, as the
coDutry which it waters is broken and moonttun-
ons. In honour of the secretary at war we called
it Dearborn's river. Being now very anxious to
meet with the ShofehonetB or Bnake Indiana, for
the purpose of obtaining the neceaeary inform^
tion of our route, aa well as to procure horsea, tt
8Q2
TIP THE MISSOURI.
woe thought beet for one of qb to go forward
with, a Bmall party and endeavour to difjeover
th«m, before the daily diecharge of our gane,
which ia necesaary for our »ubsiatence, should give
them notice of our approach: if by an accident
they hear us, they "will oio^t probably retreat to
the mouutaioa, miBtaking ub for their euemieB who
aeually attaek them on tlii& side. j\ecording:ly
captain CJark aet oat with three men, and fol-
lowed the course of the river on the north eidej
but the hilfa were so steep at first thfl-t he ivaa
not able to j^u muuh faater than aur»eireri. In the
eyenliig however he cut off many milee of the cir-
cuitouB coupae of the riverf by croBsing a jooun-
tain over which he found a wide Indian road
which ia many placea BueniH to have been cut or
dag down in the earth. He passed also two
branchea of a etream which he called Ordway's
creek, where he eaw anumber of beavpr-d^ms ex-
tendiag in close succeBsion towards the mountaing
as tar aa he could distin^lBh; on the cli^H were
many of the big-horned aniraala, .Aiter croHBiiif
thijs mountain he encamped near a email atream
of running wat«r, having travelled twenty miles.
On leaving Dearborn's river we passed at threo
and a hali' miles a Bmall creek, and at bIx beyond
it an iBland on the north eide of thehrer, which
makea viithin that diatance many email bendB.
At two and a half miles further is another island :
three q^uartera of a mile beyolid this is a Small
creek on the north side. At a mile and a half
above the ereek a a much larger stream thirty
yardB wide, and discharging itself with a bold
current on the north eide ; the banks are tow, and
the bed formed of stoaea altogether. To thia
stceam we gave the name of Ordway'a creek, after
sergeant John Ordwny, At twO milea beyond
393
LEmS AND CLABK-S ESPEDITIOPI
^^ds tte valley widena : we pasBed Hereral bendB of
Hie river, anil encamped in the Gentre of one on
the eonth. haTing made twenty-one milea. Here
w* foitnd a smaH grove of the narrow-leafed cot-
tonwood, there being no longer Soy of the broad-
leafed kind rfnce we e^qt^r^l the mountain*. The
water of ttese rivaleta which come down from the
mountains ia very cold, pure, and well tasted.
Along their banka as well a^ on the Miueouri the
ofipen i« v^ry comnioD, but of a email kind. Th«
river is Boinewhab "Wider than we found it j-eater-
day ; the hilln more dietant frqm the river and Dot
to- hi^li: there are Bome piiieB on the moantains,
but they are priocipal]; couQced to the upper
regions of them: the low grounda are Btill nar
rower and have little or no timber. The soil near
the river U gOOd, ftnd produces a luiufifint
growth ofgraea and weeds; among thus prodnq-
tionB the BUDflower holds a very diBtiiiguiehed
place. For several days past we have observed &
upecieB of flai In the low grounds, the leafstem
and pericarp of which reeemble thoae Of the flai
commoflly cultivated la the United Static: the
atem riaes to the height of two and a half or three
ftet, and spring to the number of eight or lea
trvm the same root, with a etrong thick bark ap-
parently well calculated for use: the root aeema to
be perennial, and i: ia probable that the cntting
of the ateme may not ot all injure it, fc^r al-
though ttje Beeda are not yet ripe, there are young
Backers shooting np ft-om the root, whence we
may infer that the stems which are fully grown
and in the proper stage of vegetation to prodoce
the best flai, are not easentiat to the preaervation
or tapport of the root, a circutnetance which
Tvould render it a roost vAluflble plant. To-day
we have met with a second epecEes of flax smaller
394
TTP THE MTRSOTmi.
fiian the Qret, as It seldom obtainH a greater
hi^ght tbaa oiue or twelve incbtts: the leaf aod
Btem reaemble thoee of the species just meDtioned,
eicept that the latter is rarely branph^d, and
heAra a Hiagle munopetalloua bell-shaped blue
flower, Buepended Ti-ith its limb downwards. We
saw ueveral herdq of thp hig-hom, tmt th^y were
ia the clifie bcjoad our reach. We killed ao elk
tbJB morniiLg and found part of a deer which had
been left: for ua hj captain Clark. He pursued his
tonte,
Fridajj ID, early ia the inorDing, and eoon
passed the rentaing. of Beveral Indian camparormed
of willow bi^sh, "n-hich seemed to have been de-
serted this spring. At the samii time he obaerTed
that the pine trees had been stripped of their bark
about the same aeaeon, which our Indian woman
saye her coimtrymfn do ifl. Ord-er to obtain the sa-p
And th« aofl parta of the wood and bark for food.
About eleven o'clock he met a herd of elk and
killed two of them, but Buch waa the want of
wood in the neighbourhood that he was uaahle to
procure enough to make a &re, and he wtia there-
for obliged to Bubstitate thedun^ of the buffklo,
w^tth which he cooked hie breakfast. They then
reeumed thvir course along an old Indian road.
In the afbei^oon they reached a, handaonie ralley
watered hy a large croek, both of vfhich extend a
considerable dietanee into the mountain : thia they
crossed, and during the evening travelled over a
mountainous country covered With bhafp ftag-
mente of flint-rock ; these bruiHed and cut tbelr fbet
very much, but were scarcely lead troublesome
than the prickly pear of the open piaiofi, which
have now become Eto abundant that tt is impoBBi-
b!e to avoid them, and the thorns are ao strong
.that they pierce a double sole of dressed deer
39j
LEWIS AND CLiEK'S EXPEDITION
skin: the bABt resdiilt'i^ agahiet them is a sole of
bafftlo hide in parchinout. Atnightthej reaches!
the river much iatigued, haviag paHeed two moaa-
taioB ia tlie course of the day and bavJug trav-
elled tliirty miles. Captain Clark's first emplof'
ment on lighting a fire woe to extract from bis
feet the briars, which he found seventeen in number.
In the meantime Mrd proceeded on verj- well,
thDUg'h the water appears to increaee io r&pidity
Be we advance : the current has indeed been etroag
during the day and abetruffted bj buuib rapids,
TThiKh arc not however much broken byrocka, and
a*^ perfectly safe : the river is deep, and its i^neraJ
width is fi'dm Mie hundred to one hundred ajtd
fifty yards wide. For more than thirteen mileaw?
went aloqg th? numerous bends of the river ajid
then reached two small iBlauds; three and three
quarter miles beyond wbiah ia a small creek ma
bend to tfac left, above a small iBland on the rigbt
Bide of the river. We were regaled about tea
o'clock P. N[. with, a thunder- etorm of rain and
bail which lasted for an hour, but dttring the daj
iu this CDofiued valley, through which we ar&
paeeing, the heat ia almost insupportable ^ yet
whenever we obtain a glimpse of the lofty tope of
the mountaina we are tantalized with a \'iew of
the SnOtv. Thead monntaina have their aides and
SumniitH partially varied with little copses gf pine,
cedar^ and baUam fir. A mile and a half beyond
thia creek the rocks approach tlie river on botti
sides, forming a most sublime and extraordinary
spectacle. For five and three quarter milea these
rocka rise perpendicularly from the water's edge
to tbe height of nearly twelve hundred feet. They
ajB composed of a black granite near Its base, but
A-om its lighter colonr above and f^om the fVag-
meuta we Buppoee the upper part to be flint of a
a»6
yellowiah brown and cream colrinr. Kothin^ can
be imagined more tremendous than the frowning
datkn^ft of theee rocks, -whscL project over the
river and menace us with destruction. The river,
of one bimdred and fifty jards in widthj seem^ to
have forced ita channel duwa tliia Bolid maee, but
eo reluctantly haa it given way that during the
TFhole dietanoe the water ia very deep eveu at the
edges, and for the ilret three miles there i«t not a
spot except one of a Ibw yards, in which a man
could Qtand l>etween the crater and the towering
perpendicular of the mountain: the convulsion of
the paaaa^ muat have been terrible, Hitice at its
outlet there are vast columns of rock torn ftom
the mountain which are strewed on both aides of
the river, the trophies aa it "were of the victory.
Several fine springs burst out froui the chasms of
the rock, and contribute to increaae the river,
which haa now a strong current, but very for-
tunately we are able to overcome it with our
oars, since it would "be impossible to nee either the
cord Of the pole. We were obliged to go on eome
time after dark, not being able to find a epot
large enough to encamp on, hut at length aljout
two miles above a email Island in the middle of
the river we met ■nith a spot on the left side,
where we procured plenty of lightwood and
pitchpine. This extraordinary range of rocbs we
called the Gates of the Hocky Daountains. We had
made tw'enty-two miles j and four and a quarter
milee from the entrance of the gates. The nioun-
taios are higher to-day than they were yesterday.
TVe eaw some big-horne, a few antelopea and
beaver, but since entering the mountains have
found no buffalo; the Otter are however in gre-at
plenty: the mosquitoes have become les^ trouble-
Bome thou they were.
897
LEWIS AND CLAEK'S EXPEDITION
Sfliurrfaj' 20.— By emplo^ug tte towrope when-
«Ter the banks permitted the use of It, the river
l3«ng top deep for the pole, we w?re enabled to
overcome the current which ia etiU E^trong. At the
didtaofie af haU' a mile we came to a high rock ia
a bend to tlie left in the &attB. Here the perpeO'
dicular rocks cease, the iiilla retire from the rivee,
and the vallejs suddenly widen to a greater extent
than they have been since we entered the moun-
tains. At thlB place was eonie scattered timber,
eonBistiog of the narrow-lBafed Cottonwood, the
adpeii, and pine. There are alao vast quantities of
gooeeberriee, eervtceberriefl, and eevetal spetiefi of
currant, among which is oae of a black colour, the
flavour of which is prg'ferable to that of the yel-
low, and would be deemed superior to that of any
currant in the TTaited States. U'e here killed an.
elk which was a pleasant addition to our stock of
food. At a mile from the G-at^^a, a large creet
comes clown from the mOabtainB and emptier itself
behind an inland in the middle of a bend to the
north. To this Btreaai which U fifteen yards* wide
we gaye the same of Fotts'a creek, after Joha
PottB, one of our men. Up thia valley about Btven.
mUeB we diHeorered a great smoke, ae if the whole
country hod been set on fire; but were at a loss
to decide whether it had been done accidentally by
capt&in Ciark'a party, or by the Indians aa a sig-
nal on their observing us. We afterwardB learnt
that thia last waa the tact; for they had heard a
gun fired by one of captain Clark's men, and be-
lieving that their eaemies were approaching had
fled into the mountains, first setting fire to thft
plains aa a warning to their countrymen. We
coatinued our course along eeveral islands, and
having mode in tbecourae of the day £iteen uiilee,
encamped just above an isiandj at a Bpring oa a
398
bigh bank on the left side of the river. Id the lat-
ter part of the evening we had paa»ed through a
low range of mouatains, and the country bpcame
more open; thoug^h still unbroken and without
timber, and the lon'laildHi bOt verj esteilaiTe: And
jnat abure our camp the river in again cloud in
by the mountfl-inij. We found on the ba,ql» an elk
which captain Clark had lel^ ue, with a note men-
tioning that be BhouU pass the mountains juet
above ne and "vrait our arrival at Bome convenient
plact. We eaw but could Dot purHue Mome red-
headed dncks and Handhtll cranes along the ^idea
of the riv«r, and a woodpecker about the Hixe of
the lark- wood pecker, whiuh tieemB to be a distinct
Bpeciesr it ia ob black as a crow with a lung tail,
aad tliea like a, jaybird. The whole country i« bo
infeftted by the prickly pear that we could scarcely
find room to lie down at our camp.
Captain Clark on setting out this moming had
gone throag:h the valle^y about «iz niilee to the
right of the river. He boou fell into an old ludiao
road which he purBued till he reached the Mia-
aonri, at tbe diBtancie of eighteen miles from hia
last encampment, just above the entrance of &
large creek, which we afterwards called Whiteearth
creek. Here be found bis party bo muqb cut and
pierced with the sharp dint and the prickly pear
that he proceeded only a Boiall dietance further,
and then halted to wait for ua. Along hiB track
he bad taken tbe precaution to «trew signals, auch
OS pieces of cloth, pajier and linen, to prove to the
Indians, if by accident they met hie traqk, that we
were white men, But he observed asmoke Bomei
diBtunce ahead, and concluded that the whole
conntry had now taken the aJarm.
Suiidaj/ 31. — On leavinff our camp we passed an
island at half a mile, and reached at obb mile &
890
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
bad rapid at the plaee where the riter leaves ths
mountain: hore the cliffs ftre high and covered
with fragmenta of broken rocfcs, th« current is
alBo Etrong, butatthoagh more rapid the rirer is
wider and ehalloiver, bo that we are able to use
the pole occasionally, though we principally de-
pend on the towline. On leaving the rapid which
is about half a mile in extent, the country opens
on each side; the Lillis bM^ome lower; at one nijl^
ifi a lai^ ie^laad on the left side, &ucl fonr and a
half beyond it a large and bold creek twenty-
eight yards wide, cominjj in from the north, wtere
it waters a handsome valley : we called it Pryor's
Creek aJter one of the eerfreanta, John Pryor, At
a mile above tbie creek on the leit side of the
Mi^^ouri we obtained a meridian altitude, which
gave 48' 10' 32' 9 as the latitude of the place.
For the foUowiJig four mileij, the country, Ulte that
through which we paaeed during the rest of the
day, ifl rougli and mounttunous aa we fonnd it
yesterday; but at the distance of twelve miles, w^
came towards evening- into a beautiful plain ten
or twelve lailps wider P^nd extending ae iUr as the
eye could reaeli. TUe plain or rather valley is
bounded by two nearly parallel ranges of high
mountains whoae Hummite are partially covered
with snow, below which the pine is scattered
along the aides dowa to the plain in some places,
though the greater part of their surf^e b«« DO
timber and exhibits only a barren soil with no
covering except dry parched grass op black rugged
rocks. Ou entering the volley the river aasumes a
totally different aspect: it eproadu to more than a
mile in width, and though more rapid than before,
is shallow enough in almost every part for the use
of the pole, while its bed Ib formed of Hmooth
Btouea and aome large rocks, as it hGLB been indeed
400
UP THE MieeocM.
duce we entered the monntaioe : it iA ako divided
bj a nnmber of ialands eome of which &re large
near the northern sbore. The eoil ofth* valley ie
B. rich black lonici appareotlj rerj fertile, and
COTered with a. fine grenn grass about eighteen
inches or two (bet in height; while that of the
highgrouiida ia ptrftctlj dry and swina flcoTched
by the sun. The timber though still ecftrce ia in
greater qiiantitipa. in this valley than we have seen
it aiuce eDtering the mountains, atid ^eeius to pre-
tet the bord^re of the small creeka to the banks of
the river itaetf. We advanced three and a half
miles in thia valley and encamped on the left aide,
having' made in all fifteen and a half miles.
Our only large game to-day was one deer, Ws
saw however two pheasanta of a dftrk brown
colour, much larger than the same epEtcies of bird
in the United States. In the mornfng too, we aaw
three awana which, like the geeae, have not yet
recovered the ftathera of the wingj and were un-
able to fly; we killed two of them, aad the third
escaped by diving and pa^Mng down the cnrrent.
Theee are the Qrst we have Been on the river for a
great diHtance, &nA &e they had no young: with
them, we preaame that they do not breed in this
neighboathood. Of the geeee we daily see great
Dumbers, with their young perfectly feathered ex-
cept on the wings, where both ygiing and old are
de&cient; the first are very fine food, but the old
ones are poor and uufit foe use. Several of the
large brown or Handliiil crane are feeding in the
low groiinflis nn the gfaBa which forma their prin-
cipal food. The young crant (^nnot fly at tliis
eeaiaon ; they are as large ati a turkey, of a bright
leddiHh bay eolour. Since the river has becomi!
Bhollow we have caught a number of trout to-
day, and a fieh, white on the belly and Hides, but
Vol. I.— 26
401
LEWIS AND CLABK'B ESPEDITIOTf
of & bloish CAst on the back, and a long pointed
Tnqnth opening eoraeTrhat like that of th? Bbad.
Thie DLomiiig captaia Clark wishiDg to huct
but fearful of alarmiD^ the Indians, went up the
river for three milea^ when flndiDg neither any of
them nor of their recent tracks returned, and then
hie little patty ssparatrf to Iciok for game. Tbej
killed two bucks and a doe, and a young curlew'
nearly fathered: in the eveniug they found. the
maequitoeB as tronbleBoine as we did: theee ani-
mala attack ub as goon as tlie labours and Iktigraea
of the day require some rest, and annoy na till
several houra alter dark, -wheii the coldntaa of the
air obliges them to disappear; tut euch ia their
persecution that were it not for our bier4 we
should obtain no repose.
Mondstyj 33.~We eet out at an early hour. The
river being divided into bo many channele by both
large and email itilands, that it waa impoaeible to
lay it dowil atCurately by following in a cano*
any single channel, captatu Lewie walked on
shore, took the genera] courses of the river, and
A-om the rieing gronndH laid down the situatioa of
the ielanda and chanDelB, which he was enabled to
do with perfect accuracy, the view not being ob-
structed by much timber. At one mile and a
quarter we passed an island somewhat larger
than the rest, and four milea further reacted the
upper end of another, on which we breakfasted.
This IB a lar^ island forming in the middle of a
bend to the north a level (fertile plain ten feet
above the surface of the water and never over-
flowed. Here we found ^^at quaotitieA of agmall
onion about the eize of a musket ball, though
some were larger; it is white, crisp, and as well
flavoured aa any of our garden onions, the eeed 1b
juBt ripening:, and aa the plant bears a large quaa-
402
\
DP THE MISSOURI.
-tit; to the square foot, and fltosdH the ri^nrB of
the cUmate, it friW no doubt be an acquisition to
wttlere. Froni this production we called it Qnion
iatand. Daring the next eeTen and three quarter
miles we pneeed several long circular bends, and a,
mimber of large and email lelandK which divide the
river into tuany channels, end then reached the
laoiith of a creek on the noi~th side. It is com'
poB^ of three creeks which unite in a handHome
valley about four iniW before they discharge
themBelvi^a iuto the MiSBouri, where it Ib about
fif%<^n ftet wide and eEg;ht fbet deep, with clear
transparent water. Mere we halted for dinner,
but as the canoes took diSbrent cbannelfi in &6-
cending it was aonie time before they all joined.
Here we were delighted to find that the Indiao
woman recognizee the country ; she tells us that
to this creek her countrymen make eicureione to
procure a white paint on its banka, and we thei^
fore call it Whiteearth creek. She sayB alBO that
the three forks of the Mi^ouri are at no great
diatHDcej a piece of intelligence which has cheered
the epirite of ub all, aa we bope eoon to reach the
head of that river. Tble is the warmest day ex-
cept oae we have experienced thia Bummer. In the
shade the meFcury stood at 80' above 0, which is
the second time it has reached that height during
this 9ea«on. We encamped on an island aftermak-
iug aineteea and three quarter miles.
In the course of the day we saw many geeee,
cranes, email birds common to the plains, and a
few pheasantB: we also observed a amall plover or
coTlew of a brown colour, about the size of the
yellow-legged plover or jack curlew, but ofadiA
&rent species. It 'Srst appeared near the mouth of
Smith's river, but is so shy and vigllautthat we
were nnable to shoot it. Both the broad and
403
LEWIS AND CLABKS EXPEDITION"
1 lUarrow-leafrfi wiUniv conttnuej though the airecG
j>jWiUow has become very eearce. The roaebush,
Small honeysuckle, tlie pulp^-kafed thorn, south-
era TV'ood, sag« and box-alder, narrow-leafed
cottpnwoodj redTTood, anda gp^ies of &iimach, are
all ubunditut. So too are the red aad hlnck
gooseljerried, BiTvicebLTtieB, diokeclierry, aud the
block. red[ jellow, and pui-pla curraot, which last
e&ems to be a favonrite food of the beat-. iSefoi*
encamping we landed and toot on board captain
Clark Tvith the meat be had collected during this
duj's bunt, which coiiHltited of une deer and an
elk: we had aurealrea shot a deer and an ante-
loi*. The moaqiiitoea and gnata were uuudually
fierce this evening.
Tuesdaj', £3. — Captain Clark ag&in proceeded
with four men along the right hauk. During th»
■whole day the river in divided by a namber of
, iBlaude, whicli spread it out eoiuetiiaeH to the dia-
,.tance of three milee : the current is very rapid and
J, has many ripplen; and the bed formed of gravel
I and smooth Btotit:e. The batlkg aloilg^ the low
, , grounds are of a rich loam, followed occaeionally
, ,b.v low blufFd of yellow nod red clay, with a bard
. red slate&tone intermixed. The low groiiads are
. wide, and have very little timber but a thick
underbrueh of willow, and rose Jind currant
buBhes: these are succeeded by high plains eitpud-
Jng on each side to the base of ih^ mouutainH,
■which lie parsUel to the river abgut eight or
twelve QiileB apart, and are high tiud rocky, with
eoDie Bmall pine and cedar intereperHed on them.
At the distance of seven nijle» a creek twentiy
yards (vide, after meftiidering through a beautiful
low ground on the left for several miles parallel to
the river, eniptipa itself near a clus'ter of small
^iilandB; thfiL.8ttwn» ■"'« called Wbitehonse cr«k
404
tip THE MISSOURI.
:l
after Joseph Whiwhoueej one of the party, and thfr
iftlanclfl from their number received the name of the
"Ten iBlandH.'' Abont ten o'cloct w^e came uf
■with. Dre5ryer, who had gone out to hunt ye^t*'-
day. and not being aMe to fiod our encampment
had F;taicl out all nigbt: he now euppUed ua with
five deer. Three and a quarter iniles beyoBd
WbitehoiiBe creek we eaine to the lower point of
an islatid where the riVer la thi-ee hundred yards
yndf, and continned along It for one mile and a.
quarter, And then passed a second island juBt
above it. We baited rather early for disner in
order to dry some jjjirt of the baggage whitth had
been Tvet in the cftnoea : we then proceeded, and at
five and a half miles had passed tvro aniall ialands.
Within the neict three miles we came to a lai-^' p
island, which ft-oai its figore we called Broad
island. From that place Tve made three and a
half mllee, and encamped on an ialandto the left,
opposite to a -much larger one on the right. Onr ..
joiirney to-day was twenty-two and a quarter: :ii
miles, the greater part of which was made hy
means of onr pqW and eords, the use of wtiieli
the bankfl much favciured. During the whole titua'"<
we had the emal] flag^B hoLst-ed in the canoea to-f
appriae the Indians, if there were any in the neigh-
bourhood, of our beiujf white men and their
friends; but we were not bo fortunate as to dis-
cover any of them. Along the ahores we saw
great qaantitieB of the common thistle, and pro-
cured a fiirther Bupply of wild onions and a Bpeciee
of garlie growing- on the highlands, which is now
^;reen and in bloom: it baa a flat leaf, and is
strong!;, tough, find disagreeable. There was also
mnch of the wild flax, of which we now obtained
some ripe seed, a^ well &h some buUnish and cat-
tail flag. Among the animals we met with a
405
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
black flooke aboat two feet long, with the belly aa
dark as any other part of the body, which was
perfectly black, and which had due hundred and
twenty-eight ecuta dd the belly and aiity-three on
the tail: we also saw antelopeiS, cran?, g^cw,
duck«, beaver, aod otter; and took tip four deer
which tad been left on the water Bide by captain
Clark, He had pursued aU day an Indian road
on the right aide of the riTer, and encamped late
in the eveniiig at the dietance of twenty-fiTe milea
firom our camp of la«t night, In ih» courw of hU
walk he met beBides deer a. number of antelopes
aod a herd of elk, but all the tracks of Indiana,
though numerous, were of an old date.
WednesdsSr -2J-— We proceeded for four and a
q^oarter milea along eeveral ialande to a Bi&all run,
just aboTe which the low blufiid touch the river.
Within three and a half miiee llirther we came to
& small ialand on the north, and a remarkable
bluff cotnpoBed of earth of a crimaoa coloar, inter-
mixed with strataa of slate, either black or of a
red resembling brick. The following six and three-
quarter milea brought ua to an aeaembla^ Of
islands, having pasfted four at different diatancea;
and within the next fire milea we met the same
number of islands, and encamped on the north
after making nineteen, and a half milea. The cur-
rent of the river was strong and obetructed, as
indeed it haa been for some days by small rapida
or ripples which destjend frgm onet to three feet in
the couree of one huadred and fifty yards, but
they are rarely iucoranioded by anjr dit-d rocks,
and therefore, though the water ia rapid, the pas-
sage is not attended with danger. The valley
through wliich the river pds^i^i^ ia like that of yes-
terday; the nearest hills generally concealing the
moBt distant from ub ; but when we obtain a view
4QQ
XrP THE IIISSOUKI.
orthemtliej present themselves in arapliitheatfe,
liaiiig above i!dch other a« the/ recede itom the
river till the most remote are covered with enow.
We flaw niajij otter and beaver to-day : the latter
fieem to coatribute Ter; much to the number of
lalands and the widening of the river. They begEn
hy damming up the amall cfaonnels of about
twentj y&rda between the islands ; thia obliges the
tiver to seek auotter outlet, and as kodd as thia
ie efifected the chaimet Btopxjed by the beaver be-
comes filled with mud and sand. The induatrious
aoitaal ia thea drives to aiioth(!r chamiel which
Boon Bharee the same f^te^ till the river spreadH oa
all sides, and cuts the pro|e£tiDj^ points of the l&nd
into ietanda. We killed a. deer and aaw great num-
bers of ant^lopea, cranea, some gee^e, and a few
redheaded ducks. The itniall bu^e oftheplaiuH
&ad the curlew are etiU abundant: we aaw but
could not come within gunshot of a large bear.
There is much of the track of elk but none of the
animals themaelves, and ftoTtL the appearance or
bonee and old excrement, we suppose that buS^lo
bave aoiuetLmefl strayed into the valley, tboug:h
we have ae yet eeeu uo recentalgn of them. Aloo^
the water are a number of euakes, some of a
brown uniforra colour, others blacky and a third
dpeekled on the abdomen, and Btri{>ed \t-ith ble^k
and a. brotvnUh yellow on the back and sides-
The flr^t, which are the'largeHt, are about four
Smt long; the second is of the kind mentioned yes-
terday, and the third resembles in size and ap-
pearance the garter-snake of the United Static.
On examining the teeth of all these several kiade
Ve found them free from poison : they are fond of
the water, in which they take shelter on being
pursued. The moi^quitoes, guata, and prickly
pear, our tliree persecutors, still coutlnue witli ua,
407
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
and joine^d with the labour of working the canoee
have fatigued us a]l exeeeaiTe-i'f. Captain CJark
continued along the Indian rood Tvhich led liim up
fL c^^k. About ten o'clock he »aw at the di^tence
of elx miles a. horse fee^iiog- in the plains. He -went
towardH Vim, but the auiJiial waa bo wild that he
could not get within eeveral hundred pa«eB of
hini; hn then turned obliquely to the rivtr where
he killed a detr and dined, hii^-tog paaeed in thia
Taltej five handsome etreams, onlj one qf which
h&d any timbw; another had some willowu, and
waa very much dammed up by the beaver. After
dinner he continued h!a route along the river and
encaini»ed at the diBtnnce of thirty miles. Aa he
went along he eaw many tracks of Imlians, but
none of recent date. Th* nu-xt morning,
TJjarsf^.aj', S5, at th« diatiince qf a few mileE he
arriTed at the three forks of the MiEBOuri. Here
he found that the plains had been recently burnt
OIL the uorth eide, and eaw the track of a horee
which BceTnecI to have passed about Jbur or five
days since. Aftet brfeatfast he examined the
riTerH, and linding that the nurth branch, al-
though not larger, contained more water than the
middle branch, and bore more to the westward,
he determined to aecend It. He tlierefore left &
note informing captain Lewia of his intention, and
then went up that stream on the north side for
about tweuty-five mites. Here Ghaboneau was
unable to proceed any further, and the party
therefore encamped, alE of them much fktlgued,
their feet blistered and wounded by the prickly
pear.
In the meantime we left our camp, and pro-
ceeded on very well, though the water its still
rapid and baa eorae opcasional ripplee. The coun-
ti^^ is much like that of yesterday: there are how*
408
trP THE MlSSOUEi-l.
ever ffe"wer islaade, for we paeaed only two. Be-
hind one of them ie a large creek twenty-fiTe
yards wide, to which wegarethenameof ttaea'a
creek, from One of our* eet-gtaiits, Patrick Gass: it
ie formed by the udiod of Hve HtreamB, which
deec^ud frooi the mouataina and jolo in the plain
near the river. On tliie i»]aiKl we saw a large
brown tear, but be retreated to the ehore and
tan off before we could approach him. These
atiimals seem more ahy than they Tvere helo'w the
mountains. The antelopes have again collected in
email herds, conipoe^d of aeveral females with
their young:, attended by one or two males,
thoajfh Bome of the maloa are atill Bolitary or
wander in partiea of two over the ptains, ■which
the antelope invariably prelfers to the woodlanilsj
and to which it always retreats if by accident it
is found gtragyling IB the hJllBj confiding no doubt
in ite wonderfnl fleetneaa, We also titled a few
young gesBe, but ae this game ia aiualt and very
incompetent to the eubaiBteiice of the party, we
have forbidden the men any longer to waste their
atnmunition on them. Ahout four and a half
miles above Crae^'^ creet, the valley in which we
have been trftvelling ceases, the high craggy i-lifia
again approach the river, whith now enters or
rather leaves what appears to be a second great
chain of the Eoclty mountaina. About a mile after
entering these hilla or lo^v ntountaina we passed a
number of fine bold springe, which burat out near
the edge of the river under the eliiGj on the left,
and furnished a fine freeetone water: neartheeewe
met with two of the worst rapids we have seen
since entering the mountains; a ridge of sharp
pointed rot'ks Stretching across the river, lea-i-ing
hut email and dangerous channels for the naviga-
tion. Th^ cli^ are of a lighter colour than thoHe
408
LEWIS A>'D CLAKK'S EXPEDiriOPT
We h&ve alre^j paseed, ftnd in the bed of tte
rivet IB some limeBtone which ia ^inall 4pd worn
BiQooth, and Beems to have been broaght dowD
hy tbe current. We went about a mile further and
encamped under a hi^h bluff an the ri^ht opposite
to a cits' of rocks, having made eii^teen mUee.
AH these cliffi appeared to have beeo nnder-
miQed by the water at some period, and fiJlen
down from the hills ou their eldee, the etratas of
rock BometimeB Ijiag with their edgea upwarda,
otherfi not detached ft'om the hille are depreaaed
obliquely on the aide nest the river ae if they had
sunk to fill up the cavity formed by the washing
of the river.
In the open places among the rock; cllffi bxe
two kinds of gooseberry, one yellow and the other
red. The fornier species waa observed for the first
time near the f^Ila, the latter differB from it in no
reapect except in colour and in being of a larger
«ixe: both have a sweet flavour, and are rather
indi^rent frnit,
Friday ^€.— We a^aia found the current strong
and the ripples fluent: tbete we were obliged to
OTercome by means of the cord and the pole, the
oar being acarcely ever used except in crossing to
take advantage of the ^hore. Within three a&d
three qnarter inilea we paHJsed seven small ielandr
and reached the mouth of a Large creek which
emptiee itself lit the centre of a bend on the left
Bide; it is a bold running Btream fifteen yards
wide, and received the name of Howard creek after
John P. Howard one of the party. One mile be-
yond it is a small run which faHa in on theeam«
eide juet above a rocty cUffi Here the monntajng
recede from the river, and the valley nndene to the
extent of several miles. The river now becomes
crowded with talanda of which w^e paased tea in
410
DP THE MISSOURI.
the neit thirteen and three quarter milea, then at
the distance of eighteen miles weenctunped on the
left shore ai&t a rock in the ceutt^ or a. bend to-
wards the left, and opposite to two mon* islands.
This Tallej ba* wide low grounds covered with
liigh gra^i ^'Hd in many with a fine tnrf of green
fiword. The eoii of the highlands is thio and
meagre, without any covering except a low eedge
and a dry kind of grasa which ia almoat as in-
ConTenient ae the prickly Jjenr. The Beeds of it
are armed with a long t^^'isted hard beard at their
upper extremitj-, wiule the lower part is a sharp
Srni point, beeet at its base with little stifl*
briatlea, with the pomta in a direction contrarj to
the subulate point to which tliey answer aa &
barb. We see also another 6i»«ies of pricklj'
pear. It JB of a globular form, composed of fin
asBCmblftge of little conic leave* springing iVom a
commoii root to wbicli their small polatH are at-
tached as a common centre, aud the base of the
cone forms the apex of the leaf whJcb Ib g-arniflhed
with a cifcalar range of aharp thoms like the
cochineal plant, and qii]t« aa stiff and tvcn more
keen than those of the common flat^leai^ epecies.
Between the hilla the river bad been confined
Trithin one huodretl and fifty or two hundred
yardsj but in the valley it widens to two hundred
or two hundred and fifty yards, and Bometimea is
A.pread by its uumerous islamic to the dletancs of
three quartern of a mile. The banks are low, but
the river never overflows them. On entering the
Talley we again saw the snow-clad mountains
before us, but the appearance of the hilk as well
F'BB of the timber near nil is much ae heretofore.
Finding Chaboneaa unable to proceed captain
Clark left him ivith one of the men^ and acCoen-
ponied by the other went up tbe river about
ill
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION
twelve miieB to the top of a tnountaitt. Here he
had &n esteiiBiTe view of the river valley upwacds
and saw a large creek whieh flowed in on the
right side. He however discovereil no freah nign
of tte Indian^, anij therefore iJetermitieii to ex-
amine the middle brancli and join us by the time
we reacbeil the forks: be descended the mounttuji
by an Indian path whict wound through a deep
valiey, and at length reached a fine cold spring.
The day lind been very ^-arm, the pa.th unshaded.
by timber, and hie thirst vj&s eic-esBive; he was
therefore tempted to drink : but although Le took
the precautioQ of previously wetting hie bead, ffeet
and hands, he booq found hiniaelf very unwell: he
continued his route, and after resting with Chabo-
neau at his <^ainp, reeumed hie mfirth acroes the
north fork near a Inrge island. Tlie firyt part wa*
knee-dwp, but on the otiier side of the island the
wat^r came to their waiatB and waa so rapid that
Chabocean was on the point of being Bwept
away, and not being able to awim would have
perished if captain Clark had not rescued him.
While croesiog the island they killed two brown
bear and saw great quantitieB of beaver. He then
went on to a timall river which falls into the
north fork some milee above ita junction with the
two others : here, finding himself ^jrow more un-
well, he baited for the night at the distance of
four mil^ tVom his last eneampntent.
SatnTdiiy 37, — We proceeded on but slowly, the
current being atill eo rapid «« to require the ut-
most exertione of ub all to advance, and the men
are losing their 8trengi,h fast in consequence of
their constant efforts. At half a mile we passed
an island, and a mile and a (quarter t^irther again
entered a ridge of hills which now approach th6
liver with cliffs apparently linking like those of
412
tip THR MiaSOUHL
Tceterday. They ore compoHsd of a solici lime-
atone of a light tead colour when exposed to the
air, though w^hen freflhry brukea it i^ of a -d-eep
bill?, and of an axizellent quality atid very fine
graiu. Oo these cliilH were numbera oi' the big-
horn. At two and a half mileb we reached the
centre of a bend tovvarde the south paaaing a
small inland, and at one mile and a quarter be-
yond thiH reiiclied about nine in the morning the
month of a riTfjr e^ventj" yards "wide, which falls
in from the Eioatheaet, Here the country anddeoly
a]>enB into exteueive and beautiful meadown! and
plains, surrounded on every aide with distant and
lofty mountains. Captain Lewis went up this
stream for about lialf a mile, and from the hiiij^ht
of a limestone cliff conld obBerve its course about
WTen miles, and the three forku of the Miedouri, of
which this river is one. Its ejctreme point bore
8. 6")' E, and daring the aeveo miles it poaeea.
through a green extenaiTe meadow of fine graea
dividing itself into several streame, the largest
passing near the ridge of hilia on which he stood.
On the right side of the Miesoui'i a high, wide and
exteoHive plain succeeds to this low meadow
which reaches the hills. In the meadow a large
Bpring riaea about a quarter of a mile from this
Bontheast fork, into which it diBcbargea itself on
the right aide about fonr hundred paces from
where he stood. BetTveen the southeast and mid-
dle forks a distant range of Baow-topped moun-
tains spread from ea^ to south above the irregu-
lar broken hills nearer to this epot: the middle
and southwest forks unite at half a mile above the
entrance of the southeast fork. The extreme point
at which the former can be seen, bears S, lo" K.
and at the distance of fourteen miles, where it
toraB to the right round tlie point of a high plaia
il3
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDTTIOJT
and disappeat^ from the view. Its low grouDds
are eereral miles in width, formiii^ a. Bmooth and
b«HatifQl gr««it meadow, and like the Boutbea^t
fork it dmdee iteelf into several Btreama. Be-
tween theae two forlts and near their junction
with that Q-ont the sonthweet, is a position ad-
mifably well calcnlated for a fort. It is a limc-
Htone rock of an oblong form, riainjf from the
plain perpendicularly to the height of tweDty-five
Sbet OD three of its sidea; the fourth towards the
middle fork being a ^adual aacent and covered
with a fine gre^n award, or \b aleo the top which
is level and contaiaa about two acres. An exten-
BiTe plain lies betweoD the middle and southwest
forks, the last of whicli after ^patering a cqqntry
like that of tbe other two brancheB, diaappears
about twelve miles off, at a point bearing south
SO' west. It IB alao more divided and HcrpentiTie
In ItB course than the other two^ and posBesaea
more timber in its meadows. This timber con-
BirtB almost e:tclueively of tlie narrow-leaifed Cot-
tonwood, witii an intermixture' of box-alder and
Bweet- willow, the anderbroBh being thick and like
that of tbe Miseouri lower down. A range of high
mountainB partially covered with snow is eeen at
a considerable diHtance running f>om Boath to
west, and nearly all aronnd Us ant broken ridges
of conntry like that below, through which those-
Tinited atreame appear to have forced their pa*-
aage: after obeerving tbe country captain Lewis
descended to breakft-at. We then left the month of
the Houtbeast fork, to which in honour of the
fietretary of the trejwury we called Gatlatin'a
river, and at the distance of half a mile reached
the confluence of the eouth^weat and middle branch
of the MisBDuriB. Here we found the letter ttom
captajn Clark, and ob we agreed with ium that
414
TIP THE MISSOURI.
th« direction of the eoatbweet fort g&Tft it ft
decided preftrence over th^e others, we ascended
that branch of the river for a mile, and eacamped .
In a level handeome plain on tlie left: baviogad- ^
vaneed only eeTen mile«. Here we reBolved to
■wait the return of captain Clark, and in the mean'
Hme Tnake the neceasarj celestial obHervAtiOnB., as
tbiiS eeente nji e^iiBentiiil poiDt in the geography uf
tbe western Trorld, aud aleo to rmruit the men
and air the ba^^a^. It -vfaa accordtngly all un-
loaded and stowed away on shore. Near the
three forkB we saw many eollectionB of the mnd-
nestfl of the small martin attached to the smooth
frees of the limestone rockj where they were
sheltered by projectione of the rock above it: and
in the meadows wer^uumbera of the duck or mal-
lard with their yunng-, who are now nearly
grown. The huntwB returned towards evening
with sii deer, thr&e Otter and a muakrat ; and had
seen great numbers of antelopes, and mncli Bign of
the beaTer and v\K
During all last night captf^n Clark bod a high
fever and chilla accompanied witb great pain, He
however pursued hia route eight milea to the mid-
dle branch, where not finding any fresh Indian
track he came doT^n it and joiutid ue a.bout three
o'clock, vefy much exhausted with fatigue and the
Tiolence of Ms fever. BelleTing himself bilious be
took a dose of RubIi'b piUe, which we have alwaya
&und sovereign in Huch caaee, and bathing the
lower eitrenutiea in warm water.
We are no^v very anxioua to see the Snake In-
diana. After fjdvaucing for several hundred miles
into thJR wild and moTintainous country, we may
GOoa expect that the game will abandon ub. With
no information of the route we may be unable to
find a passage acroBs the rooontoina when we
415
^LIBHAI
be rcturne
nped below
7.
-K^
4i