first across the continent-第16节

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se；　with　the　river。　On　the　twenty…fifth　of　May　the　journal　records　this：

〃The　country　on　each　side　is　high；　broken；　and　rocky；　the　rock　being　either　a　soft　brown　sandstone；　covered　with　a　thin　stratum　of　limestone；　or　else　a　hard；　black；　rugged　granite；　both　usually　in　horizontal　strata；　and　the　sand…rock　overlaying　the　other。　Salts　and　quartz；　as　well　as　some　coal　and　pumice…stone；　still　appear。　The　bars　of　the　river　are　composed　principally　of　gravel；　the　river　low　grounds　are　narrow；　and　afford　scarcely　any　timber；　nor　is　there　much　pine　on　the　hills。　　The　buffalo　have　now　become　scarce；　we　saw　a　polecat　＇skunk＇　this　evening；　which　was　the　first　for　several　days；　in　the　course　of　the　day　we　also　saw　several　herds　of　the　bighorned　animals　among　the　steep　cliffs　on　the　north；　and　killed　several　of　them。〃

The　bighorned　animals；　the　first　of　which　were　killed　here；　were　sometimes　called　〃Rocky　Mountain　sheep。〃　　But　sheep　they　were　not；　bearing　hair　and　not　wool。　　As　we　have　said；　they　are　now　more　commonly　known　as　bighorns。

The　patience　of　the　explorers　was　rewarded；　on　Sunday；　May　26；　1806；　by　their　first　view　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　Here　is　the　journal's　record　on　that　date：

〃It　was　here　＇Cow　Creek；　Mont。＇　that；　after　ascending　the　highest　summit　of　the　hills　on　the　north　side　of　the　river；　Captain　Lewis　first　caught　a　distant　view　of　the　Rock　mountainsthe　object　of　all　our　hopes；　and　the　reward　of　all　our　ambition。　　On　both　sides　of　the　river；　and　at　no　great　distance　from　it；　the　mountains　followed　its　course。　Above　these　at　the　distance　of　fifty　miles　from　us；　an　irregular　range　of　mountains　spread　from　west　to　northwest　from　his　position。　To　the　north　of　these；　a　few　elevated　points；　the　most　remarkable　of　which　bore　N。　65'0　W。；　appeared　above　the　horizon；　and　as　the　sun　shone　on　the　snows　of　their　summits；　he　obtained　a　clear　and　satisfactory　view　of　those　mountains　which　close　on　the　Missouri　the　passage　to　the　Pacific。〃

As　they　continued　to　ascend　the　Missouri　they　found　themselves　confronted　by　many　considerable　rapids　which　sometimes　delayed　their　progress。　They　also　set　forth　this　observation：　　〃The　only　animals　we　have　observed　are　the　elk；　the　bighorn；　and　the　hare　common　to　this　country。〃　Wayfarers　across　the　plains　now　call　this　hare　the　jack…rabbit。　The　river　soon　became　very　rapid　with　a　marked　descent；　indicating　their　nearness　to　its　mountain　sources。　　The　journal　says：

〃Its　general　width　is　about　two　hundred　yards；　the　shoals　are　more　frequent；　and　the　rocky　points　at　the　mouths　of　the　gullies　more　troublesome　to　pass。　Great　quantities　of　stone　lie　in　the　river　and　on　its　bank；　and　seem　to　have　fallen　down　as　the　rain　washed　away　the　clay　and　sand　in　which　they　were　imbedded。　　The　water　is　bordered　by　high；　rugged　bluffs；　composed　of　irregular　but　horizontal　strata　of　yellow　and　brown　or　black　clay；　brown　and　yellowish…white　sand；　soft　yellowish…white　sandstone；　and　hard　dark　brown　freestone；　also；　large　round　kidney…formed　irregular　separate　masses　of　a　hard　black　ironstone；　imbedded　in　the　clay　and　sand；　some　coal　or　carbonated　wood　also　makes　its　appearance　in　the　cliffs；　as　do　its　usual　attendants；　the　pumice…stone　and　burnt　earth。　　The　salts　and　quartz　are　less　abundant；　and；　generally　speaking；　the　country　is；　if　possible；　more　rugged　and　barren　than　that　we　passed　yesterday；　the　only　growth　of　the　hills　being　a　few　pine；　spruce；　and　dwarf　cedar；　interspersed　with　an　occasional　contrast；　once　in　the　course　of　some　miles；　of　several　acres　of　level　ground；　which　supply　a　scanty　subsistence　for　a　few　little　cottonwoods。〃

But；　a　few　days　later；　the　party　passed　out　of　this　inhospitable　region；　and；　after　passing　a　stream　which　they　named　Thompson's　（now　Birch）　Creek；　after　one　of　their　men；　they　were　glad　to　make　this　entry　in　their　diary：

〃Here　the　country　assumed　a　totally　different　aspect：　　the　hills　retired　on　both　sides　from　the　river；　which　spreads　to　more　than　three　times　its　former　size；　and　is　filled　with　a　number　of　small　handsome　islands　covered　with　cottonwood。　　The　low　grounds　on　its　banks　are　again　wide；　fertile；　and　enriched　with　trees：　　those　on　the　north　are　particularly　wide；　the　hills　being　comparatively　low；　and　opening　into　three　large　valleys；　which　extend　themselves　for　a　considerable　distance　towards　the　north。　These　appearances　of　vegetation　are　delightful　after　the　dreary　hills　among　which　we　have　passed；　and　we　have　now　to　congratulate　ourselves　at　having　escaped　from　the　last　ridges　of　the　Black　Mountains。　　On　leaving　Thompson's　Creek　we　passed　two　small　islands；　and　at　twenty…three　miles'　distance　encamped　among　some　timber；　on　the　north；　opposite　to　a　small　creek；　which　we　named　Bull　Creek。　　The　bighorn　are　in　great　quantities；　and　must　bring　forth　their　young　at　a　very　early　season；　as　they　are　now　half　grown。　One　of　the　party　saw　a　large　bear　also；　but；　being　at　a　distance　from　the　river；　and　having　no　timber　to　conceal　him；　he　would　not　venture　to　fire。〃

A　curious　adventure　happened　on　the　twenty…eighth；　of　which　the　journal；　next　day；　makes　this　mention：

〃Last　night　we　were　alarmed　by　a　new　sort　of　enemy。　A　buffalo　swam　over　from　the　opposite　side；　and　to　the　spot　where　lay　one　of　our　canoes；　over　which　he　clambered　to　the　shore：　then；　taking　fright；　he　ran　full　speed　up　the　bank　towards　our　fires；　and　passed　within　eighteen　inches　of　the　heads　of　some　of　the　men　before　the　sentinel　could　make　him　change　his　course。　Still　more　alarmed；　he　ran　down　between　four　fires；　and　within　a　few　inches　of　the　heads　of　a　second　row　of　the　men；　and　would　have　broken　into　our　lodge　if　the　barking　of　the　dog　had　not　stopped　him。　　He　suddenly　turned　to　the　right；　and　was　out　of　sight　in　a　moment；　leaving　us　all　in　confusion；　every　one　seizing　his　rifle　and　inquiring　the　cause　of　the　alarm。　On　learning　what　had　happened；　we　had　to　rejoice　at　suffering　no　more　injury　than　some　damage　to　the　guns　that　were　in　the　canoe　which　the　buffalo　crossed。

。。。〃We　passed　an　island　and　two　sand…bars；　and　at　the　distance　of　two　and　a　half　miles　came　to　a　handsome　river；　which　discharges　itself　on　the　South；　and　which　we　ascended　to　the　distance　of　a　mile　and　a　half：　we　called　it　Judith's　River。　　It　rises　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　in　about　the　same　place　with　the　Musselshell；　and　near　the　Yellowstone　River。　　Its　entrance　is　one　hundred　yards　wide　from　one　bank　to　the　other；　the　water　occupying　about　seventy…five　yards；　and　being　in　greater　quantity　than　that　of　the　Musselshell　River。　。　。　。　There　were　great　numbers　of　the　argalea；　or　bighorned　animals；　in　the　high　country　through　which　it　passes；　and　of　beaver　in　its　waters。　Just　above　the　entrance　of　it　we　saw　the　ashes　of　the　fires　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…six　lodges；　which　appeared　to　have　been　deserted　about　twelve　or　fifteen　days。〃

Leaving　Judith's　River；　named　for　a　sweet　Virginia　lass；　the　explorers　sailed；　or　were　towed；　seventeen　miles　up　the　river；　where　they　camped　at　the　mouth　of　a　bold；　running　river　to　which　they　gave　the　name　of　Slaughter　River。　　The　stream　is　now　known　as　the　Arrow；　the　appropriateness　of　the　title　conferred　on　the　stream　by　Lewis　and　Clark　appears　from　the　story　which　they　tell　of　their　experience　just　below　〃Slaughter　River；〃　as　follows：

〃On　the　north　we　passed　a　precipice　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　feet　high；　under　which　lay　scattered　the　fragments　of　at　least　one　hundred　carcasses　of　buffaloes；　although　the　water　which　had　washed　away　the　lower　part　of　the　hill　must　have　carried　off　many　of　the　dead。　These　buffaloes　had　been　chased　down　the　precipice　in　a　way　very　common　on　the　Missouri；　by　which　vast　herds　are　destroyed　in　a　moment。　The　mode　of　hunting　is　to　select　one　of　the　most　active　and　fleet　young　men；　who　is　disguised　by　a　buffalo…skin　round　his　body；　the　skin　of　the　head　with　the　ears　and　horns　being　fastened　on　his　own　head　in　such　a　way　as　to　deceive　the　buffalo。　　Thus　dressed；　he　fixes　himself　at　a　convenient　distance　between　a　herd　of　buffalo　and　any　of　the　river　precipices；　which　sometimes　extend　for　some　miles。　His　companions　in　the　mean　time　get　in　the　rear　and　side　of　the　herd；　and　at　a　given　signal　show　themselves　and　advance　toward　the　buffaloes。　These　instantly　take　the　alarm；　and　finding　the　hunters　beside　them；　they　run　toward　the　disguised　Indian　or　decoy；　who　leads　them　on　at　full　speed　toward　the　river；　when；　suddenly　securing　himself　in　some　crevice　of　the　cliff　which　he　had　previously　fixed　on；　the　herd　is　left　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice。　　It　is　then　in　vain　for　the　foremost　buffaloes　to　retreat　or　even　to　stop；　they　are　pressed　on　by　the　hindmost　rank；　which；　seeing　no　danger　but　from　the　hunters；　goad　on　those　before　them　till　the　whole　are　precipitated；　and　the　shore　is　strewn　with　their　dead　bodies。　Sometimes；　in　this　perilous　seduction；　the　Indian　is　himself　either　trodden　under　foot　by　the　rapid　movements　of　the　buffaloes；　or　missing　his　footing　in　the　cliff　is　urged　down　the　precipice　by　the　falling　herd。　The　Indians　then　select　as　much　meat　as　they　wish；　the　rest　is　abandoned　to　the　wolves；　and　creates　a　most　dreadful　stench。　The　wolves　which　had　been　feasting　on　these　carcasses　were　very　fat；　and　so　gentle　that　one　of　them　was　killed　with　an　espontoon。〃