first across the continent-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Chapter　VII

From　Fort　Mandan　to　the　Yellowstone

Up　to　this　time；　the　expedition　had　passed　through　regions　from　which　vague　reports　had　been　brought　by　the　few　white　men　who；　as　hunters　and　trappers　in　pursuit　of　fur…bearing　game；　had　dared　to　venture　into　these　trackless　wildernesses。　Now　they　were　to　launch　out　into　the　mysterious　unknown；　from　which　absolutely　no　tidings　had　ever　been　brought　by　white　men。　The　dim　reports　of　Indians　who　had　hunted　through　some　parts　of　the　region　were　unreliable；　and；　as　they　afterwards　proved；　were　often　as　absurdly　false　as　if　they　had　been　fairy　tales。

Here；　too；　they　parted　from　some　of　their　comrades　who　were　to　return　to　〃the　United　States；〃　as　the　explorers　fondly　termed　their　native　country；　although　the　strange　lands　through　which　they　were　voyaging　were　now　a　part　of　the　American　Republic。　　The　despatches　sent　to　Washington　by　these　men　contained　the　first　official　report　from　Lewis　and　Clark　since　their　departure　from　St。　Louis；　May　16；　1803；　and　they　were　the　last　word　from　the　explorers　until　their　return　in　September；　1806。　　During　all　that　long　interval；　the　adventurers　were　not　heard　of　in　the　States。　　No　wonder　that　croakers　declared　that　the　little　party　had　been　cut　off　to　perish　miserably　in　the　pathless　woods　that　cover　the　heart　of　the　continent。

But　they　set　out　on　the　long　journey　with　light　hearts。　In　his　journal；　whose　spelling　and　punctuation　are　not　always　models　for　the　faithful　imitation　of　school…boys；　Captain　Lewis　set　down　this　observation：

〃Our　vessels　consisted　of　six　small　canoes；　and　two　large　perogues。　This　little　fleet　altho'　not　quite　so　rispectable　as　those　of　Columbus　or　Capt。　Cook；　were　still　viewed　by　us　with　as　much　pleasure　as　those　deservedly　famed　adventurers　ever　beheld　theirs；　and　I　dare　say　with　quite　as　much　anxiety　for　their　safety　and　preservation。　we　were　now　about　to　penetrate　a　country　at　least　two　thousand　miles　in　width；　on　which　the　foot　of　civilized　man　had　never　trodden；　the　good　or　evil　it　had　in　store　for　us　was　for　experiment　yet　to　determine；　and　these　little　vessells　contained　every　article　by　which　we　were　to　expect　to　subsist　or　defend　ourselves。　however　as　the　state　of　mind　in　which　we　are；　generally　gives　the　colouring　to　events；　when　the　immagination　is　suffered　to　wander　into　futurity；　the　picture　which　now　presented　itself　to　me　was　a　most　pleasing　one。　entertaing　as　I　do　the　most　confident　hope　of　succeeding　in　a　voyage　which　had　formed　a　darling　project　of　mine　for　the　last　ten　years；　I　could　but　esteem　this　moment　of　our　departure　as　among　the　most　happy　of　my　life。〃

The　barge　sent　down　the　river　to　St。　Louis　was　in　command　of　Corporal　Wharfington；　and　with　him　were　six　private　soldiers；　two　French　voyageurs；　Joseph　Gravelines　（pilot　and　interpreter）；　and　Brave　Raven；　a　Ricara　（or　Arikara）　chief　who　was　to　be　escorted　to　Washington　to　visit　the　President。　　The　party　was　also　intrusted　with　sundry　gifts　for　the　President；　among　them　being　natural　history　specimens；　living　and　dead；　and　a　number　of　Indian　articles　which　would　be　objects　of　curiosity　in　Washington。

The　long　voyage　of　the　main　party　began　on　the　8th　of　April；　1805；　early　passing　the　mouth　of　the　Big　Knife　River；　one　of　the　five　considerable　streams　that　fall　into　the　Missouri　from　the　westward　in　this　region；　the　other　streams　are　the　Owl；　the　Grand；　the　Cannonball；　and　the　Heart。　　The　large　town　of　Stanton；　Mercer　County；　North　Dakota；　is　now　situated　at　the　mouth　of　the　Big　Knife。　　The　passage　of　the　party　up　the　river　was　slow；　owing　to　unfavorable　winds；　and　they　observed　along　the　banks　many　signs　of　early　convulsions　of　nature。　The　earth　of　the　bluffs　was　streaked　with　layers　of　coal；　or　carbonized　wood；　and　large　quantities　of　lava　and　pumice…stone　were　strewn　around；　showing　traces　of　ancient　volcanic　action。　The　journal　of　April　9　says：

〃A　great　number　of　brants　＇snow…geese＇　pass　up　the　river；　some　of　them　are　perfectly　white；　except　the　large　feathers　of　the　first　joint　of　the　wing；　which　are　black；　though　in　every　other　characteristic　they　resemble　common　gray　brant。　We　also　saw　but　could　not　procure　an　animal　＇gopher＇　that　burrows　in　the　ground；　and　is　similar　in　every　respect　to　the　burrowing…squirrel；　except　that　it　is　only　one…third　of　its　size。　This　may　be　the　animal　whose　works　we　have　often　seen　in　the　plains　and　prairies；　they　resemble　the　labors　of　the　salamander　in　the　sand…hills　of　South　Carolina　and　Georgia；　and　like　him　the　animals　rarely　come　above　ground；　they　consist　of　a　little　hillock　of　ten　or　twelve　pounds　of　loose　ground；　which　would　seem　to　have　been　reversed　from　a　pot；　though　no　aperture　is　seen　through　which　it　could　have　been　thrown。　On　removing　gently　the　earth；　you　discover　that　the　soil　has　been　broken　in　a　circle　of　about　an　inch　and　a　half　diameter；　where　the　ground　is　looser；　though　still　no　opening　is　perceptible。　When　we　stopped　for　dinner　the　squaw　＇Sacajawea＇　went　out；　and　after　penetrating　with　a　sharp　stick　the　holes　of　the　mice　＇gophers＇；　near　some　drift…wood；　brought　to　us　a　quantity　of　wild　artichokes；　which　the　mice　collect　and　hoard　in　large　numbers。　The　root　is　white；　of　an　ovate　form；　from　one　to　three　inches　long；　and　generally　of　the　size　of　a　man's　finger；　and　two；　four；　and　sometimes　six　roots　are　attached　to　a　single　stalk。　Its　flavor　as　well　as　the　stalk　which　issues　from　it　resemble　those　of　the　Jerusalem　artichoke；　except　that　the　latter　is　much　larger。〃

The　weather　rapidly　grew　so　warm；　although　this　was　early　in　April；　that　the　men　worked　half…naked　during　the　day；　and　they　were　very　much　annoyed　by　clouds　of　mosquitoes。　They　found　that　the　hillsides　and　even　the　banks　of　the　rivers　and　sand…bars　were　covered　with　〃a　white　substance；　which　appears　in　considerable　quantities　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　and　tastes　like　a　mixture　of　common　salt　with　Glauber's　salts。〃　〃Many　of　the　streams；〃　the　journal　adds；　〃are　so　strongly　impregnated　with　this　substance　that　the　water　has　an　unpleasant　taste　and　a　purgative　effect。〃　　This　is　nothing　more　than　the　so…called　alkali　which　has　since　become　known　all　over　the　farthest　West。　　It　abounds　in　the　regions　west　of　Salt　Lake　Valley；　whitening　vast　areas　like　snow　and　poisoning　the　waters　so　that　the　traveller　often　sees　the　margins　of　the　brown　pools　lined　with　skeletons　and　bodies　of　small　animals　whose　thirst　had　led　them　to　drink　the　deadly　fluid。　Men　and　animals　stiffer　from　smaller　doses　of　this　stuff；　which　is　largely　a　sulphate　of　soda；　and　even　in　small　quantities　is　harmful　to　the　system。

Here；　on　the　twelfth　of　April；　they　were　able　to　determine　the　exact　course　of　the　Little　Missouri；　a　stream　about　which　almost　nothing　was　then　known。　Near　here；　too；　they　found　the　source　of　the　Mouse　River；　only　a　few　miles　from　the　Missouri。　　The　river；　bending　to　the　north　and　then　making　many　eccentric　curves；　finally　empties　into　Lake　Winnipeg；　and　so　passes　into　the　great　chain　of　northern　lakes　in　British　America。　　At　this　point　the　explorers　saw　great　flocks　of　the　wild　Canada　goose。　The　journal　says：

〃These　geese；　we　observe；　do　not　build　their　nests　on　the　ground　or　in　the　sand…bars；　but　in　the　tops　of　the　lofty　cottonwood　trees。　We　saw　some　elk　and　buffalo　to…day；　but　at　too　great　a　distance　to　obtain　any　of　them；　though　a　number　of　the　carcasses　of　the　latter　animal　are　strewed　along　the　shore；　having　fallen　through　the　ice　and　been　swept　along　when　the　river　broke　up。　More　bald　eagles　are　seen　on　this　part　of　the　Missouri　than　we　have　previously　met　with；　the　small　sparrow…hawk；　common　in　most　parts　of　the　United　States；　is　also　found　here。　Great　quantities　of　geese　are　feeding　on　the　prairies；　and　one　flock　of　white　brant；　or　geese　with　black…tipped　wings；　and　some　gray　brant　with　them；　pass　up　the　river；　from　their　flight　they　seem　to　proceed　much　further　to　the　northwest。　We　killed　two　antelopes；　which　were　very　lean；　and　caught　last　night　two　beavers。〃

Lewis　and　Clark　were　laughed　at　by　some　very　knowing　people　who　scouted　the　idea　that　wild　geese　build　their　nests　in　trees。　But　later　travellers　have　confirmed　their　story；　the　wise　geese　avoid　foxes　and　other　of　their　four…footed　enemies　by　fixing　their　homes　in　the　tall　cottonwoods。　In　other　words；　they　roost　high。

The　Assiniboins　from　the　north　had　lately　been　on　their　spring　hunting　expeditions　through　this　region；　just　above　the　Little　Missouri；and　game　was　scarce　and　shy。　The　journal；　under　the　date　of　April　14；　says：

〃One　of　the　hunters　shot　at　an　otter　last　evening；　a　buffalo　was　killed；　and　an　elk；　both　so　poor　as　to　be　almost　unfit　for　use；　two　white　＇grizzly＇　bears　were　also　seen；　and　a　muskrat　swimming　across　the　river。　　The　river　continues　wide　and　of　about　the　same　rapidity　as　the　ordinary　current　of　the　Ohio。　　The　low　grounds　are　wide；　the　moister　parts　containing　timber；　the　upland　is　extremely　broken；　without　wood；　and　in　some　places　seems　as　if　it　had　slipped　down　in　masses　of　several　acres　in　surface。　The　mineral　appearance　of　salts；　coal；　and　sulphur；　with　the　burnt　hill　and　pumice…stone；　continue；　and　a　bituminous　water　about　the　color　of　strong　lye；　with　the　taste　of　Glauber's　salts　and　a　slight　tincture　of　alum。　Many　geese　were　fe