first across the continent-第18节

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ss　Captain　Lewis　and　his　party　were　frequently　obliged　to　quit　the　course　of　the　river　and　cross　the　plains　and　hills；　but　he　did　not　lose　sight　of　its　general　direction；　and　carefully　took　the　bearings　of　the　distant　mountains。　On　the　morning　of　the　third　day　he　became　convinced　that　this　river　pursued　a　course　too　far　north　for　his　contemplated　route　to　the　Pacific；　and　he　accordingly　determined　to　return；　but　judged　it　advisable　to　wait　till　noon；　that　he　might　obtain　a　meridian　altitude。　In　this；　however；　he　was　disappointed；　owing　to　the　state　of　the　weather。　Much　rain　had　fallen；　and　their　return　was　somewhat　difficult；　and　not　unattended　with　danger；　as　the　following　incident；　which　occurred　on　June　7th；　will　show：

〃In　passing　along　the　side　of　a　bluff　at　a　narrow　pass　thirty　yards　in　length；　Captain　Lewis　slipped；　and；　but　for　a　fortunate　recovery　by　means　of　his　spontoon；　would　have　been　precipitated　into　the　river　over　a　precipice　of　about　ninety　feet。　He　had　just　reached　a　spot　where；　by　the　assistance　of　his　spontoon；　he　could　stand　with　tolerable　safety；　when　he　heard　a　voice　behind　him　cry　out；　‘Good　God；　captain；　what　shall　I　do？'　He　turned　instantly；　and　found　it　was　Windsor；　who　had　lost　his　foothold　about　the　middle　of　the　narrow　pass；　and　had　slipped　down　to　the　very　verge　of　the　precipice；　where　he　lay　on　his　belly；　with　his　right　arm　and　leg　over　it；　while　with　the　other　leg　and　arm　he　was　with　difficulty　holding　on；　to　keep　himself　from　being　dashed　to　pieces　below。　His　dreadful　situation　was　instantly　perceived　by　Captain　Lewis；　who；　stifling　his　alarm；　calmly　told　him　that　he　was　in　no　danger；　that　he　should　take　his　knife　out　of　his　belt　with　his　right　hand；　and　dig　a　hole　in　the　side　of　the　bluff　to　receive　his　right　foot。　With　great　presence　of　mind　he　did　this；　and　then　raised　himself　on　his　knees。　　Captain　Lewis　then　told　him　to　take　off　his　moccasins　and　come　forward　on　his　hands　and　knees；　holding　the　knife　in　one　hand　and　his　rifle　in　the　other。　He　immediately　crawled　in　this　way　till　he　came　to　a　secure　spot。　The　men　who　had　not　attempted　this　passage　were　ordered　to　return　and　wade　the　river　at　the　foot　of　the　bluff；　where　they　found　the　water　breast…high。　This　adventure　taught　them　the　danger　of　crossing　the　slippery　heights　of　the　river；　but　as　the　plains　were　intersected　by　deep　ravines；　almost　as　difficult　to　pass；　they　continued　down　the　river；　sometimes　in　the　mud　of　the　low　grounds；　sometimes　up　to　their　arms　in　the　water；　and　when　it　became　too　deep　to　wade；　they　cut　footholds　with　their　knives　in　the　sides　of　the　banks。　In　this　way　they　travelled　through　the　rain；　mud；　and　water；　and　having　made　only　eighteen　miles　during　the　whole　day；　camped　in　an　old　Indian　lodge　of　sticks；　which　afforded　them　a　dry　shelter。　Here　they　cooked　part　of　six　deer　they　had　killed　in　the　course　of　their　walk；　and　having　eaten　the　only　morsel　they　had　tasted　during　the　whole　day；　slept　comfortably　on　some　willow…boughs。〃



Chapter　X

To　the　Great　Falls　of　the　Missouri

Next　day；　June　8；　the　Lewis　party　returned　to　the　main　body　of　the　expedition。　　They　reported　that　timber　was　scarce　along　the　river；　except　in　the　lowlands；　where　there　were　pretty　groves　and　thickets。　These　trees；　the　journal　says；　were　the　haunts　of　innumerable　birds；　which；　as　the　sun　rose；　sung　delightfully：

〃Among　these　birds　they　distinguished　the　brown　thrush；　robin；　turtle…dove；　linnet；　gold…finch；　large　and　small　blackbird；　wren；　and　some　others。　　As　they　came　along；　the　whole　party　were　of　opinion　that　this　river　was　the　true　Missouri；　but　Captain　Lewis；　being　fully　persuaded　that　it　was　neither　the　main　stream；　nor　that　which　it　would　be　advisable　to　ascend；　gave　it　the　name　of　Maria's　River。　　After　travelling　all　day　they　reached　camp　about　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　found　Captain　Clark　and　the　party　very　anxious　for　their　safety。　As　they　had　stayed　two　days　longer　than　had　been　expected；　and　as　Captain　Clark　had　returned　at　the　appointed　time；　it　was　feared　that　they　had　met　with　some　accident。〃

As　we　now　know；　the　stream　that　came　in　from　the　north　was　that　which　is　still　called　Maria's　（or　Marais）　River；　and　the　so…called　branch　from　the　southwest　was　the　Missouri　River。　　Lewis　and　Clark；　however；　were　in　the　dark　as　to　the　relations　of　the　two　streams。　　Which　was　the　parent？　　Which　was　the　branch？　After　pondering　all　the　evidence　that　could　be　collected　to　bear　on　the　important　question；　the　two　captains　agreed　that　the　southern　stream　was　the　true　Missouri；　and　the　northern　stream　was　an　important　branch。　The　journal　says：

〃These　observations；　which　satisfied　our　minds　completely；　we　communicated　to　the　party；　but　every　one　of　them　was　of　a　contrary　opinion。　Much　of　their　belief　depended　on　Crusatte；　an　experienced　waterman　on　the　Missouri；　who　gave　it　as　his　decided　judgment　that　the　north　fork　was　the　genuine　Missouri。　　The　men；　therefore；　mentioned　that；　although　they　would　most　cheerfully　follow　us　wherever　we　should　direct；　yet　they　were　afraid　that　the　south　fork　would　soon　terminate　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　and　leave　us　at　a　great　distance　from　the　Columbia。　　In　order　that　nothing　might　be　omitted　which　could　prevent　our　falling　into　an　error；　it　was　agreed　that　one　of　us　should　ascend　the　southern　branch　by　land；　until　we　reached　either　the　falls　or　the　mountains。　　In　the　meantime；　in　order　to　lighten　our　burdens　as　much　as　possible；　we　determined　to　deposit　here　one　of　the　pirogues；　and　all　the　heavy　baggage　which　we　could　possibly　spare；　as　well　as　some　provision；　salt；　powder；　and　tools。　This　would　at　once　lighten　the　other　boats；　and　give　them　the　crew　which　had　been　employed　on　board　the　pirogue。〃

On　the　tenth　of　June；　the　weather　being　fair　and　pleasant；　they　dried　all　their　baggage　and　merchandise　and　secreted　them　in　places　of　deposits；　called　caches；　as　follows：

〃These　depositsor　caches；　as　they　are　called　by　the　Missouri　tradersare　very　common；　particularly　among　those　who　deal　with　the　Sioux；　as　the　skins　and　merchandise　will　keep　perfectly　sound　for　years；　and　are　protected　from　robbery。　　Our　cache　was　built　in　the　usual　manner。　In　the　high　plain　on　the　north　side　of　the　Missouri；　and　forty　yards　from　a　steep　bluff；　we　chose　a　dry　situation；　and　then；　describing　a　small　circle　of　about　twenty　inches　diameter；　removed　the　sod　as　gently　and　carefully　as　possible：　the　hole　was　then　sunk　perpendicularly　for　a　foot　deep。　It　was　now　worked　gradually　wider　as　it　descended；　till　at　length　it　became　six　or　seven　feet　deep；　shaped　nearly　like　a　kettle；　or　the　lower　part　of　a　large　still　with　the　bottom　somewhat　sunk　at　the　centre。　　As　the　earth　was　dug　it　was　handed　up　in　a　vessel；　and　carefully　laid　on　a　skin　or　cloth；　in　which　it　was　carried　away　and　thrown　into　the　river；　so　as　to　leave　no　trace　of　it。　A　floor　of　three　or　four　inches　in　thickness　was　then　made　of　dry　sticks；　on　which　was　placed　a　hide　perfectly　dry。　The　goods；　being　well　aired　and　dried；　were　laid　on　this　floor；　and　prevented　from　touching　the　wall　by　other　dried　sticks；　as　the　merchandise　was　stowed　away。　　When　the　hole　was　nearly　full；　a　skin　was　laid　over　the　goods；　and　on　this　earth　was　thrown　and　beaten　down；　until；　with　the　addition　of　the　sod　first　removed；　the　whole　was　on　a　level　with　the　ground；　and　there　remained　not　the　slightest　appearance　of　an　excavation。　In　addition　to　this；　we　made　another　of　smaller　dimensions；　in　which　we　placed　all　the　baggage；　some　powder；　and　our　blacksmith's　tools；　having　previously　repaired　such　of　the　tools　as　we　carry　with　us　that　require　mending。　　To　guard　against　accident；　we　had　two　parcelss　of　lead　and　powder　in　the　two　places。　The　red　pirogue　was　drawn　up　on　the　middle　of　a　small　island；　at　the　entrance　of　Maria's　River；　and　secured；　by　being　fastened　to　the　trees；　from　the　effects　of　any　floods。　We　now　took　another　observation　of　the　meridian　altitude　of　the　sun；　and　found　that　the　mean　latitude　of　Maria's　River；　as　deduced　from　three　observations；　is　49'0　25'　17。2〃　N。〃

In　order　to　make　assurance　doubly　sure；　Captain　Lewis　resolved　to　take　four　men　with　him　and　ascend　the　south　branch　（that　is；　the　true　Missouri）；　before　committing　the　expedition　to　that　route　as　the　final　one。　　His　proposition　was　that　his　party　should　proceed　up　the　river　as　rapidly　as　possible　in　advance　of　the　main　party。　On　the　second　day　out；　says　the　journal：

〃Captain　Lewis　left　the　bank　of　the　river　in　order　to　avoid　the　steep　ravines；　which　generally　run　from　the　shore　to　the　distance　of　one　or　two　miles　in　the　plain。　　Having　reached　the　open　country　he　went　for　twelve　miles　in　a　course　a　little　to　the　W。　of　S。W。；　when；　the　sun　becoming　warm　by　nine　o'clock；　he　returned　to　the　river　in　quest　of　water；　and　to　kill　something　for　breakfast；　there　being　no　water　in　the　plain；　and　the　buffalo；　discovering　them　before　they　came　within　gunshot；　took　to　flight。　　They　reached　the　banks　in　a　handsome　open　low　ground　with　cottonwood；　after　three　miles'　walk。　　Here　they　saw　two　large　brown　bears；　and　killed　them　both　at　the　first　firea　circumstance　which　has　never　before　occurred　since　we　have　seen　that　animal。　Having　made　a　meal　of　a　part；　and　hung　the　remainder　on　a　tree；　with　a　note　for　Captain　Clark；