Meriwether Lewis and William Clark - History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.

M >> Meriwether Lewis and William Clark >> History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39

Serjeant Ordway with four canoes and eight men had set sail in the
morning, with part of the baggage to the place where captain Clarke had
fixed his camp, but the wind was so high that he only reached within
three miles of that place, and encamped for the night.

Thursday, July 11. In the morning one of the canoes joined captain
Clarke: the other three having on board more valuable articles, which
would have been injured by the water, went on more cautiously, and did
not reach the camp till the evening. Captain Clarke then had the canoes
unloaded and sent back, but the high wind prevented their floating down
nearer than about eight miles above us. His party were busily engaged
with the canoes, and their hunters supplied them with three fat deer and
a buffaloe, in addition to two deer and an antelope killed yesterday.
The few men who were with captain Lewis were occupied in hunting, but
with not much success, having killed only one buffaloe. They heard about
sunset two discharges of the tremendous mountain artillery: they also
saw several very large gray eagles, much larger than those of the United
States, and most probably a distinct species, though the bald eagle of
this country is not quite so large as that of the United States. The men
have been much afflicted with painful whitlows, and one of them disabled
from working by this complaint in his hand.

Friday, 12. In consequence of the wind the canoes did not reach the
lower camp till late in the afternoon, before which time captain Lewis
sent all the men he could spare up the river to assist in building the
boats, and the day was too far advanced to reload and send them up
before morning. The mosquitoes are very troublesome, and they have a
companion not less so, a large black gnat which does not sting, but
attacks the eyes in swarms. The party with captain Clarke are employed
on the canoes: in the course of the work serjeant Pryor dislocated his
shoulder yesterday, but it was replaced immediately, and though painful
does not threaten much injury. The hunters brought in three deer and two
otter. This last animal has been numerous since the water has become
sufficiently clear for them to take fish. The blue-crested fisher, or as
it is sometimes called, the kingfisher, is an inhabitant of this part of
the river; it is a bird rare on the Missouri: indeed we had not seen
more than three or four of them from its entrance to Maria's river, and
even those did not seem to reside on the Missouri but on some of the
clearer streams which empty into it, as they were seen near the mouths
of those streams.

Saturday 13. The morning being fair and calm captain Lewis had all the
remaining baggage embarked on board the six canoes, which sailed with
two men in each for the upper camp. Then with a sick man and the Indian
woman, he left the encampment, and crossing over the river went on by
land to join captain Clarke. From the head of the Whitebear islands he
proceeded in a southwest direction, at the distance of three miles, till
he struck the Missouri, which he then followed till he reached the place
where all the party were occupied in boat-building. On his way he passed
a very large Indian lodge, which was probably designed as a great
council-house, but it differs in its construction from all that we have
seen lower down the Missouri or elsewhere. The form of it was a circle
two hundred and sixteen feet in circumference at the base, and composed
of sixteen large cottonwood poles about fifty feet long, and at their
thicker ends, which touched the ground, about the size of a man's body:
they were distributed at equal distances, except that one was omitted to
the east, probably for the entrance. From the circumference of this
circle the poles converged towards the centre where they were united and
secured by large withes of willow brush. There was no covering over this
fabric, in the centre of which were the remains of a large fire, and
round it the marks of about eighty leathern lodges. He also saw a number
of turtledoves, and some pigeons, of which he shot one differing in no
respect from the wild pigeon of the United States. The country exhibits
its usual appearances, the timber confined to the river, the country on
both sides as far as the eye can reach being entirely destitute of trees
or brush. In the low ground in which we are building the canoes, the
timber is larger and more abundant than we have seen it on the Missouri
for several hundred miles. The soil too is good, for the grass and weeds
reach about two feet high, being the tallest we have observed this
season, though on the high plains and prairies the grass is at no season
above three inches in height. Among these weeds are the sandrush, and
nettle in small quantities; the plains are still infested by great
numbers of the small birds already mentioned, among whom is the brown
curlew. The current of the river is here extremely gentle; the buffaloe
have not yet quite gone, for the hunters brought in three in very good
order. It requires some diligence to supply us plentifully, for as we
reserve our parched meal for the Rocky mountains, where we do not expect
to find much game, our principal article of food is meat, and the
consumption of the whole thirty-two persons belonging to the party,
amounts to four deer, an elk and a deer, one buffaloe every twenty four
hours. The musquitoes and gnats persecute us as violently as below, so
that we can get no sleep unless defended by biers, with which we are all
provided. We here found several plants hitherto unknown to us, and of
which we preserved specimens.

Serjeant Ordway proceeded with the six canoes five miles up the river,
but the wind becoming so high as to wet the baggage he was obliged to
unload and dry it. The wind abated at five o'clock in the evening, when
he again proceeded eight miles and encamped. The next morning,

Sunday, July 14, he joined us about noon. On leaving the Whitebear camp
he passed at a short distance a little creek or run coming in on the
left. This had been already examined and called Flattery run; it
contains back water only, with very extensive low grounds, which rising
into large plains reach the mountains on the east; then passed a willow
island on the left within one mile and a half, and reached two miles
further a cliff of rocks in a bend on the same side. In the course of
another mile and a half he passed two islands covered with cottonwood,
box-alder, sweet-willow, and the usual undergrowth, like that of the
Whitebear islands. At thirteen and three quarter miles he came to the
mouth of a small creek on the left; within the following nine miles he
passed three timbered islands, and after making twenty-three and a
quarter miles from the lower camp, arrived at the point of woodland on
the north where the canoes were constructed.

The day was fair and warm; the men worked very industriously, and were
enabled by the evening to lanch the boats, which now want only seats and
oars to be complete. One of them is twenty-five, the other thirty-three
feet in length and three feet wide. Captain Lewis walked out between
three and four miles over the rocky bluffs to a high situation, two
miles from the river, a little below Fort Mountain creek. The country
which he saw was in most parts level, but occasionally became varied by
gentle rises and descents, but with no timber except along the water.
From this position, the point at which the Missouri enters the first
chain of the Rocky mountains bore south 28 degrees west about
twenty-five miles, according to our estimate.

The northern extremity of that chain north 73 degrees west at the
distance of eighty miles.

To the same extremity of the second chain north 65 degrees west one
hundred and fifty miles.

To the most remote point of a third and continued chain of these
mountains north 50 degrees west about two hundred miles.

The direction of the first chain was from south 20 degrees east to north
20 degrees west; of the second, from south 45 degrees east to north 45
degrees west; but the eye could not reach their southern extremities,
which most probably may be traced to Mexico. In a course south 75
degrees west, and at the distance of eight miles is a mountain, which
from its appearance we shall call Fort Mountain. It is situated in the
level plain, and forms nearly a square, each side of which is a mile in
extent. These sides, which are composed of a yellow clay with no mixture
of rock or stone whatever, rise perpendicularly to the height of three
hundred feet, where the top becomes a level plain covered, as captain
Lewis now observed, with a tolerably fertile mould two feet thick, on
which was a coat of grass similar to that of the plain below: it has the
appearance of being perfectly inaccessible, and although the mounds near
the falls somewhat resemble it, yet none of them are so large.

CHAPTER XII.

The party embark on board the canoes--Description of Smith's
river--Character of the country, &c.--Dearborne's river
described--Captain Clarke precedes the party for the purpose of
discovering the Indians of the Rocky mountains--Magnificent rocky
appearances on the borders of the river denominated the Gates of
the Rocky mountains--Captain Clarke arrives at the three forks of
the Missouri without overtaking the Indians--The party arrive at
the three forks, of which a particular and interesting description
is given.

Monday, July 15. We rose early, embarked all our baggage on board the
canoes, which though light in number are still heavily loaded, and at
ten o'clock set out on our journey. At the distance of three miles we
passed an island, just above which is a small creek coming in from the
left, which we called Fort Mountain creek, the channel of which is ten
yards wide but now perfectly dry. At six miles we came to an island
opposite to a bend towards the north side; and reached at seven and a
half miles the lower point of a woodland at the entrance of a beautiful
river, which in honour of the secretary of the navy we called Smith's
river. This stream falls into a bend on the south side of the Missouri,
and is eighty yards wide. As far as we could discern its course it wound
through a charming valley towards the southeast, in which many herds of
buffaloe were feeding, till at the distance of twenty five miles it
entered the Rocky mountains, and was lost from our view. After dining
near this place we proceeded on four and three quarter miles to the head
of an island; four and a quarter miles beyond which is a second island
on the left; three and a quarter miles further in a bend of the river
towards the north, is a wood where we encamped for the night, after
making nineteen and three quarter miles.

We find the prickly pear, one of the greatest beauties as well as the
greatest inconveniences of the plains, now in full bloom. The sunflower
too, a plant common on every part of the Missouri from its entrance to
this place, is here very abundant and in bloom. The lambsquarter,
wild-cucumber, sandrush, and narrowdock are also common. Two elk, a
deer, and an otter, were our game to-day.

The river has now become so much more crooked than below that we omit
taking all its short meanders, but note only its general course, and lay
down the small bends on our daily chart by the eye. The general width is
from one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards. Along the banks are
large beds of sand raised above the plains, and as they always appear on
the sides of the river opposite to the southwest exposure, seem
obviously brought there from the channel of the river by the incessant
winds from that quarter: we find also more timber than for a great
distance below the falls.

Tuesday 16. There was a heavy dew last night. We soon passed about forty
little booths, formed of willow bushes as a shelter against the sun.
These seemed to have been deserted about ten days, and as we supposed by
the Snake Indians, or Shoshonees, whom we hope soon to meet, as they
appeared from the tracks to have a number of horses with them. At three
and three quarter miles we passed a creek or run in a bend on the left
side, and four miles further another run or small rivulet on the right.
After breakfasting on a buffaloe shot by one of the hunters, captain
Lewis resolved to go on ahead of the party to the point where the river
enters the Rocky mountains and make the necessary observations before
our arrival. He therefore set out with Drewyer and two of the sick men
to whom he supposed the walk would be useful: he travelled on the north
side of the river through a handsome level plain, which continued on the
opposite side also, and at the distance of eight miles passed a small
stream on which he observed a considerable quantity of the aspen tree. A
little before twelve o'clock he halted on a bend to the north in a low
ground well covered with timber, about four and a half miles below the
mountains, and obtained a meridian altitude, by which he found the
latitude was N. 46 degrees 46' 50" 2"'. His route then lay through a
high waving plain to a rapid where the Missouri first leaves the Rocky
mountains, and here he encamped for the night.

In the meantime we had proceeded after breakfast one mile to a bend in
the left, opposite to which was the frame of a large lodge situated in
the prairie, constructed like that already mentioned above the Whitebear
islands, but only sixty feet in diameter: round it were the remains of
about eighty leathern lodges, all which seemed to have been built during
the last autumn; within the next fifteen and a quarter miles we passed
ten islands, on the last of which we encamped near the right shore,
having made twenty-three miles. The next morning,

Wednesday 17, we set out early, and at four miles distance joined
captain Lewis at foot of the rapids, and after breakfast began the
passage of them: some of the articles most liable to be injured by the
water were carried round. We then double manned the canoes, and with the
aid of the towing-line got them up without accident. For several miles
below the rapids the current of the Missouri becomes stronger as you
approach, and the spurs of the mountains advance towards the river,
which is deep and not more than seventy yards wide: at the rapids the
river is closely hemmed in on both sides by the hills, and foams for
half a mile over the rocks which obstruct its channel. The low grounds
are now not more than a few yards in width, but they furnish room for an
Indian road which winds under the hills on the north side of the river.
The general range of these hills is from southeast to northwest, and the
cliffs themselves are about eight hundred feet above the water, formed
almost entirely of a hard black granite, on which are scattered a few
dwarf pine and cedar trees. Immediately in the gap is a large rock four
hundred feet high, which on one side is washed by the Missouri, while on
its other sides a handsome little plain separates it from the
neighbouring mountains. It may be ascended with some difficulty nearly
to its summit, and affords a beautiful prospect of the plains below, in
which we could observe large herds of buffaloe. After ascending the
rapids for half a mile we came to a small island at the head of them,
which we called Pine island from a large pine tree at the lower end of
it, which is the first we have seen near the river for a great distance.
A mile beyond captain Lewis's camp we had a meridian altitude which gave
us the latitude of 46 degrees 42' 14" 7"'. As the canoes were still
heavily loaded all those not employed in working them walked on shore.
The navigation is now very laborious. The river is deep but with little
current and from seventy to one hundred yards wide; the low grounds are
very narrow, with but little timber and that chiefly the aspen tree. The
cliffs are steep and hang over the river so much that often we could not
cross them, but were obliged to pass and repass from one side of the
river to the other in order to make our way. In some places the banks
are formed of rocks, of dark black granite rising perpendicularly to a
great height, through which the river seems in the progress of time to
have worn its channel. On these mountains we see more pine than usual,
but it is still in small quantities. Along the bottoms, which have a
covering of high grass, we observe the sunflower blooming in great
abundance. The Indians of the Missouri, and more especially those who do
not cultivate maize, make great use of the seed of this plant for bread
or in thickening their soup. They first parch and then pound it between
two stones until it is reduced to a fine meal. Sometimes they add a
portion of water, and drink it thus diluted: at other times they add a
sufficient proportion of marrow grease to reduce it to the consistency
of common dough and eat it in that manner. This last composition we
preferred to all the rest, and thought it at that time a very palatable
dish. There is however little of the broad-leafed cottonwood on this
side of the falls, much the greater part of what we see being of the
narrow-leafed species. There are also great quantities of red, purple,
yellow and black currants. The currants are very pleasant to the taste,
and much preferable to those of our common garden. The bush rises to the
height of six or eight feet; the stem simple, branching and erect. These
shrubs associate in corps either in upper or timbered lands near the
water courses. The leaf is peteolate, of a pale green, and in form
resembles the red currant so common in our gardens. The perianth of the
fruit is one leaved, five cleft, abbriviated and tubular. The corolla is
monopetallous, funnel-shaped, very long, and of a fine orange colour.
There are five stamens and one pistillum of the first, the filaments are
capillar, inserted in the corolla, equal and converging, the anther
ovate and incumbent. The germ of the second species is round, smooth,
inferior and pidicelled: the style long and thicker than the stamens,
simple, cylindrical, smooth and erect. It remains with the corolla until
the fruit is ripe, the stamen is simple and obtuse, and the fruit much
the size and shape of our common garden currants, growing like them in
clusters supported by a compound footstalk. The peduncles are longer in
this species, and the berries are more scattered. The fruit is not so
acid as the common currant, and has a more agreeable flavour.

The other species differs in no respect from the yellow currant
excepting in the colour and flavour of the berries.

The serviceberry differs in some points from that of the United States.
The bushes are small, sometimes not more than two feet high, and rarely
exceed eight inches. They are proportionably small in their stems,
growing very thickly, associated in clumps. The fruit is of the same
form, but for the most part larger and of a very dark purple. They are
now ripe and in great perfection. There are two species of gooseberry
here, but neither of them yet ripe: nor are the chokecherry, though in
great quantities. Besides there are also at that place the box alder,
red willow and a species of sumach. In the evening we saw some mountain
rams or big-horned animals, but no other game of any sort. After leaving
Pine island we passed a small run on the left, which is formed by a
large spring rising at the distance of half a mile under the mountain.
One mile and a half above the island is another, and two miles further a
third island, the river making small bends constantly to the north. From
this last island to a point of rocks on the south side the low grounds
become rather wider, and three quarters of a mile beyond these rocks, in
a bend on the north, we encamped opposite to a very high cliff, having
made during the day eleven and a half miles.

Thursday 18. This morning early before our departure we saw a large herd
of the big-horned animals, who were bounding among the rocks in the
opposite cliff with great agility. These inaccessible spots secure them
from all their enemies, and the only danger is in wandering among these
precipices, where we should suppose it scarcely possible for any animal
to stand; a single false step would precipitate them at least five
hundred feet into the water. At one mile and a quarter we passed another
single cliff on the left; at the same distance beyond which is the mouth
of a large river emptying itself from the north. It is a handsome, bold,
and clear stream, eighty yards wide, that is nearly as broad as the
Missouri, with a rapid current over a bed of small smooth stones of
various figures. The water is extremely transparent, the low grounds are
narrow, but possess as much wood as those of the Missouri; and it has
every appearance of being navigable, though to what distance we cannot
ascertain, as the country which it waters, is broken and mountainous. In
honour of the secretary at war we called it Dearborn's river. Being now
very anxious to meet with the Shoshonees or Snake Indians, for the
purpose of obtaining the necessary information of our route, as well as
to procure horses, it was thought best for one of us to go forward with
a small party and endeavour to discover them, before the daily discharge
of our guns, which is necessary for our subsistence, should give them
notice of our approach: if by an accident they hear us, they will most
probably retreat to the mountains, mistaking us for their enemies who
usually attack them on this side. Accordingly captain Clarke set out
with three men, and followed the course of the river on the north side;
but the hills were so steep at first that he was not able to go much
faster than ourselves. In the evening however he cut off many miles of
the circuitous course of the river, by crossing a mountain over which he
found a wide Indian road which in many places seems to have been cut or
dug down in the earth. He passed also two branches of a stream which he
called Ordway's creek, where he saw a number of beaver-dams extending in
close succession towards the mountains as far as he could distinguish:
on the cliffs were many of the big-horned animals. After crossing this
mountain he encamped near a small stream of running water, having
travelled twenty miles.

On leaving Dearborn's river we passed at three and a half miles a small
creek, and at six beyond it an island on the north side of the river,
which makes within that distance many small bends. At two and a half
miles further is another island: three quarters of a mile beyond this is
a small creek on the north side. At a mile and a half above the creek is
a much larger stream thirty yards wide, and discharging itself with a
bold current on the north side: the banks are low, and the bed formed of
stones altogether. To this stream we gave the name of Ordway's creek,
after serjeant John Ordway. At two miles beyond this the valley widens:
we passed several bends of the river, and encamped in the centre of one
on the south, having made twenty-one miles. Here we found a small grove
of the narrow-leafed cottonwood, there being no longer any of the
broad-leafed kind since we entered the mountains. The water of these
rivulets which come down from the mountains is very cold, pure, and well
tasted. Along their banks as well as on the Missouri the aspen is very
common, but of a small kind. The river is somewhat wider than we found
it yesterday; the hills more distant from the river and not so high;
there are some pines on the mountains, but they are principally confined
to the upper regions of them: the low grounds are still narrower and
have little or no timber. The soil near the river is good, and produces
a luxuriant growth of grass and weeds; among these productions the
sunflower holds a very distinguished place. For several days past we
have observed a species of flax in the low grounds, the leaf-stem and
pericarp of which resemble those of the flax commonly cultivated in the
United States: the stem rises to the height of two and a half or three
feet, and spring to the number of eight or ten from the same root, with
a strong thick bark apparently well calculated for use: the root seems
to be perennial, and it is probable that the cutting of the stems may
not at all injure it, for although the seeds are not yet ripe, there are
young suckers shooting up from the root, whence we may infer that the
stems which are fully grown and in the proper stage of vegetation to
produce the best flax, are not essential to the preservation or support
of the root, a circumstance which would render it a most valuable plant.
To-day we have met with a second species of flax smaller than the first,
as it seldom obtains a greater height than nine or twelve inches: the
leaf and stem resemble those of the species just mentioned, except that
the latter is rarely branched, and bears a single monopetalous
bell-shaped blue flower, suspended with its limb downwards. We saw
several herds of the big-horn, but they were in the cliffs beyond our
reach. We killed an elk this morning and found part of a deer which had
been left for us by captain Clarke. He pursued his route,

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39