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ance　made　by　the　awning。　　Such　was　the　confusion　on　board；　and　the　waves　ran　so　high；　that　it　was　half　a　minute　before　she　righted；　and　then　nearly　full　of　water；　but　by　bailing　her　out　she　was　kept　from　sinking　until　they　rowed　ashore。　Besides　the　loss　of　the　lives　of　three　men；　who；　not　being　able　to　swim；　would　probably　have　perished；　we　should　have　been　deprived　of　nearly　everything　necessary　for　our　purposes；　at　a　distance　of　between　two　and　three　thousand　miles　from　any　place　where　we　could　supply　the　deficiency。〃

Fortunately；　there　was　no　great　loss　from　this　accident；　which　was　caused　by　the　clumsiness　and　timidity　of　the　steersman；　Chaboneau。　　Captain　Lewis's　account　of　the　incident　records　that　the　conduct　of　Chaboneau's　wife；　Sacajawea；　was　better　than　that　of　her　cowardly　husband。　　He　says：

〃The　Indian　woman；　to　whom　I　ascribe　equal　fortitude　and　resolution　with　any　person　on　board　at　the　time　of　the　accident；　caught　and　preserved　most　of　the　light　articles　which　were　washed　overboard。〃



Chapter　IX

In　the　Solitudes　of　the　Upper　Missouri

Under　date　of　May　17；　the　journal　of　the　party　has　the　following　interesting　entries：

〃We　set　out　early　and　proceeded　on　very　well；　the　banks　being　firm　and　the　shore　bold；　we　were　enabled　to　use　the　towline；　which；　whenever　the　banks　will　permit　it；　is　the　safest　and　most　expeditious　mode　of　ascending　the　river；　except　under　sail　with　a　steady　breeze。　　At　the　distance　of　ten　and　one…half　miles　we　came　to　the　mouth　of　a　small　creek　on　the　south；　below　which　the　hills　approach　the　river；　and　continue　near　it　during　the　day。　Three　miles　further　is　a　large　creek　on　the　north；　and　again；　six　and　three…quarters　miles　beyond　this；　is　another　large　creek；　to　the　south；　both　containing　a　small　quantity　of　running　water；　of　a　brackish　taste。　The　last　we　called　Rattlesnake　Creek；　from　our　seeing　that　animal　near　it。　Although　no　timber　can　be　observed　on　it　from　the　Missouri；　it　throws　out　large　quantities　of　driftwood；　among　which　were　some　pieces　of　coal　brought　down　by　the　stream。　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

The　game　is　in　great　quantities；　but　the　buffalo　are　not　so　numerous　as　they　were　some　days　ago；　two　rattlesnakes　were　seen　to…day；　and　one　of　them　was　killed。　　It　resembles　those　of　the　Middle　Atlantic　States；　being　about　thirty　inches　long；　of　a　yellowish　brown　on　the　back　and　sides；　variegated　with　a　row　of　oval　dark　brown　spots　lying　transversely　on　the　back　from　the　neck　to　the　tail；　and　two　other　rows　of　circular　spots　of　the　same　color　on　the　sides　along　the　edge　of　the　scuta；　there　are　one　hundred　and　seventy…six　scuta　on　the　belly；　and　seventeen　on　the　tail。〃

Two　days　later；　the　journal　records　that　one　of　the　party　killed　a　grizzly　bear；　〃which；　though　shot　through　the　heart；　ran　at　his　usual　pace　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　mile　before　he　fell。〃

The　mouth　of　the　Musselshell　River；　which　was　one　of　the　notable　points　that　marked　another　stage　in　the　journey；　was　reached　on　the　twentieth　of　May。　　This　stream　empties　into　the　Missouri　two　thousand　two　hundred　and　seventy　miles　above　its　mouth；　and　is　still　known　by　the　name　given　it　by　its　discoverers。　The　journal　says：

〃It　is　one　hundred　and　ten　yards　wide；　and　contains　more　water　than　streams　of　that　size　usually　do　in　this　country；　its　current　is　by　no　means　rapid；　and　there　is　every　appearance　of　its　being　susceptible　of　navigation　by　canoes　for　a　considerable　distance。　Its　bed　is　chiefly　formed　of　coarse　sand　and　gravel；　with　an　occasional　mixture　of　black　mud；　the　banks　are　abrupt　and　nearly　twelve　feet　high；　so　that　they　are　secure　from　being　overflowed；　the　water　is　of　a　greenish…yellow　cast；　and　much　more　transparent　than　that　of　the　Missouri；　which　itself；　though　clearer　than　below；　still　retains　its　whitish　hue　and　a　portion　of　its　sediment。　Opposite　the　point　of　junction　the　current　of　the　Missouri　is　gentle；　and　two　hundred　and　twenty…two　yards　in　width；　the　bed　is　principally　of　mud；　the　little　sand　remaining　being　wholly　confined　to　the　points；　and　the　water　is　still　too　deep　to　use　the　setting…pole。

〃If　this　be；　as　we　suppose；　the　Musselshell；　our　Indian　information　is　that　it　rises　in　the　first　chain　of　the　Rocky　mountains　not　far　from　the　sources　of　the　Yellowstone；　whence　in　its　course　to　this　place　it　waters　a　high　broken　country；　well　timbered；　particularly　on　its　borders；　and　interspersed　with　handsome　fertile　plains　and　meadows。　We　have　reason；　however；　to　believe；　from　their　giving　a　similar　account　of　the　timber　where　we　now　are；　that　the　timber　of　which　they　speak　is　similar　to　that　which　we　have　seen　for　a　few　days　past；　which　consists　of　nothing　more　than　a　few　straggling　small　pines　and　dwarf　cedars　on　the　summits　of　the　hills；　nine…tenths　of　the　ground　being　totally　destitute　of　wood；　and　covered　with　short　grass；　aromatic　herbs；　and　an　immense　quantity　of　prickly…pear；　though　the　party　who　explored　it　for　eight　miles　represented　the　low　grounds　on　the　river　to　be　well　supplied　with　cottonwood　of　a　tolerable　size；　and　of　an　excellent　soil。　They　also　report　that　the　country　is　broken　and　irregular；　like　that　near　our　camp；　and　that　about　five　miles　up；　a　handsome　river；　about　fifty　yards　wide；　which　we　named　after　Chaboneau's　wife；　Sacajawea's　or　the　Bird…woman's　River；　discharges　into　the　Musselshell　on　the　north　or　upper　side。〃

Later　explorations　have　shown　that　the　Musselshell　rises　in　the　Little　Belt　Mountains；　considerably　to　the　north　of　the　sources　of　the　Yellowstone。　　Modern　geography　has　also　taken　from　the　good　Sacajawea　the　honor　of　having　her　name　bestowed　on　one　of　the　branches　of　the　Musselshell。　　The　stream　once　named　for　her　is　now　known　as　Crooked　Creek：　　it　joins　the　river　near　its　mouth；　in　the　central　portion　of　Montana。　　The　journal；　under　date　of　May　22；　has　this　entry：

〃The　river　＇the　Missouri＇　continues　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　yards　wide；　with　fewer　sand…bars；　and　the　current　more　gentle　and　regular。　　Game　is　no　longer　in　such　abundance　since　leaving　the　Musselshell。　　We　have　caught　very　few　fish　on　this　side　of　the　Mandans；　and　these　were　the　white　catfish；　of　two　to　five　pounds。　We　killed　a　deer　and　a　bear。　　We　have　not　seen　in　this　quarter　the　black　bear；　common　in　the　United　States　and　on　the　lower　parts　of　the　Missouri；　nor　have　we　discerned　any　of　their　tracks。　They　may　easily　be　distinguished　by　the　shortness　of　the　talons　from　the　brown；　grizzly；　or　white　bear；　all　of　which　seem　to　be　of　the　same　species；　which　assumes　those　colors　at　different　seasons　of　the　year。　　We　halted　earlier　than　usual；　and　camped　on　the　north；　in　a　point　of　woods；　at　the　distance　of　sixteen　and　one　half　miles　＇thus　past　the　site　of　Fort　Hawley；　on　the　south＇。〃

Notwithstanding　the　advance　of　the　season；　the　weather　in　those　great　altitudes　grew　more　and　more　cold。　　Under　date　of　May　23；　the　journal　records　the　fact　that　ice　appeared　along　the　edges　of　the　river；　and　water　froze　upon　their　oars。　But　notwithstanding　the　coolness　of　the　nights　and　mornings；　mosquitoes　were　very　troublesome。

The　explorers　judged　that　the　cold　was　somewhat　unusual　for　that　locality；　inasmuch　as　the　cottonwood　trees　lost　their　leaves　by　the　frost；　showing　that　vegetation；　generally　well　suited　to　the　temperature　of　its　country；　or　habitat；　had　been　caught　by　an　unusual　nip　of　the　frost。　The　explorers　noticed　that　the　air　of　those　highlands　was　so　pure　and　clear　that　objects　appeared　to　be　much　nearer　than　they　really　were。　A　man　who　was　sent　out　to　explore　the　country　attempted　to　reach　a　ridge　（now　known　as　the　Little　Rocky　Mountains）；　apparently　about　fifteen　miles　from　the　river。　　He　travelled　about　ten　miles；　but　finding　himself　not　halfway　to　the　object　of　his　search；　he　returned　without　reaching　it。

The　party　was　now　just　westward　of　the　site　of　the　present　town　of　Carroll；　Montana；　on　the　Missouri。　　Their　journal　says：

〃The　low　grounds　are　narrow　and　without　timber；　the　country　is　high　and　broken；　a　large　portion　of　black　rock　and　brown　sandy　rock　appears　in　the　face　of　the　hills；　the　tops　of　which　are　covered　with　scattered　pine；　spruce；　and　dwarf　cedar；　the　soil　is　generally　poor；　sandy　near　the　tops　of　the　hills；　and　nowhere　producing　much　grass；　the　low　grounds　being　covered　with　little　else　than　the　hyssop；　or　southernwood；　and　the　pulpy…leaved　thorn。　Game　is　more　scarce；　particularly　beaver；　of　which　we　have　seen　but　few　for　several　days；　and　the　abundance　or　scarcity　of　which　seems　to　depend　on　the　greater　or　less　quantity　of　timber。　At　twenty…four　and　one…half　miles　we　reached　a　point　of　woodland　on　the　south；　where　we　observed　that　the　trees　had　no　leaves；　and　camped　for　the　night。〃

The　〃hyssop；　or　southernwood；〃　the　reader　now　knows　to　be　the　wild　sage；　or　sage…brush。　The　〃pulpy…leaved　thorn〃　mentioned　in　the　journal　is　the　greasewood　；　and　both　of　these　shrubs　flourish　in　the　poverty…stricken；　sandy；　alkaline　soil　of　the　far　West　and　Northwest。　　The　woody　fibre　of　these　furnished　the　only　fuel　available　for　early　overland　emigrants　to　the　Pacific。

The　character　of　this　country　now　changed　considerably　as　the　explorers　turned　to　the　northward；　in　their　crooked　course；　with　the　river。　On　the　twenty…fifth　of　May　the　journal　records　this：

〃The　country　on　each　sid