first across the continent-第19节

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mal。　Having　made　a　meal　of　a　part；　and　hung　the　remainder　on　a　tree；　with　a　note　for　Captain　Clark；　they　again　ascended　the　bluffs　into　the　open　plains。　　Here　they　saw　great　numbers　of　the　burrowing…squirrel；　also　some　wolves；　antelopes；　mule…deer；　and　vast　herds　of　buffalo。　They　soon　crossed　a　ridge　considerably　higher　than　the　surrounding　plains；　and　from　its　top　had　a　beautiful　view　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　which　are　now　completely　covered　with　snow。　　Their　general　course　is　from　S。E。　to　N。　of　N。W。；　and　they　seem　to　consist　of　several　ranges　which　successively　rise　above　each　other；　till　the　most　distant　mingles　with　the　clouds。　After　travelling　twelve　miles　they　again　met　the　river；　where　there　was　a　handsome　plain　of　cottonwood。〃

Again　leaving　the　river；　Captain　Lewis　bore　off　more　to　the　north；　the　stream　here　bearing　considerably　to　the　south；　with　difficult　bluffs　along　its　course。　　But　fearful　of　passing　the　Great　Falls　before　reaching　the　Rocky　Mountains；　he　again　changed　his　course　and；　leaving　the　bluffs　to　his　right　he　turned　towards　the　river。

The　journal　gives　this　description　of　what　followed：

〃In　this　direction　Captain　Lewis　had　gone　about　two　miles；　when　his　ears　were　saluted　with　the　agreeable　sound　of　a　fall　of　water；　and　as　he　advanced　a　spray；　which　seemed　driven　by　the　high　southwest　wind；　arose　above　the　plain　like　a　column　of　smoke；　and　vanished　in　an　instant。　Toward　this　point　he　directed　his　steps；　the　noise　increased　as　he　approached；　and　soon　became　too　tremendous　to　be　mistaken　for　anything　but　the　Great　Falls　of　the　Missouri。　　Having　travelled　seven　miles　after　first　hearing　the　sound；　he　reached　the　falls　about　twelve　o'clock。　The　hills　as　he　approached　were　difficult　of　access　and　two　hundred　feet　high。　　Down　these　he　hurried　with　impatience；　and；　seating　himself　on　some　rocks　under　the　centre　of　the　falls；　enjoyed　the　sublime　spectacle　of　this　stupendous　object；　which　since　the　creation　had　been　lavishing　its　magnificence　upon　the　desert；　unknown　to　civilization。

〃The　river　immediately　at　this　cascade　is　three　hundred　yards　wide；　and　is　pressed　in　by　a　perpendicular　cliff　on　the　left；　which　rises　to　about　one　hundred　feet　and　extends　up　the　stream　for　a　mile；　on　the　right　the　bluff　is　also　perpendicular　for　three　hundred　yards　above　the　falls。　　For　ninety　or　one　hundred　yards　from　the　left　cliff；　the　water　falls　in　one　smooth；　even　sheet；　over　a　precipice　of　at　least　eighty　feet。　　The　remaining　part　of　the　river　precipitates　itself　with　a　more　rapid　current；　but　being　received　as　it　falls　by　the　irregular　and　somewhat　projecting　rocks　below；　forms　a　splendid　prospect　of　perfectly　white　foam；　two　hundred　yards　in　length　and　eighty　in　perpendicular　elevation。　This　spray　is　dissipated　into　a　thousand　shapes；　sometimes　flying　up　in　columns　of　fifteen　or　twenty　feet；　which　are　then　oppressed　by　larger　masses　of　the　white　foam；　on　all　of　which　the　sun　impresses　the　brightest　colors　of　the　rainbow。　　Below　the　fall　the　water　beats　with　fury　against　a　ledge　of　rocks；　which　extends　across　the　river　at　one　hundred　and　fifty　yards　from　the　precipice。　From　the　perpendicular　cliff　on　the　north　to　the　distance　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　yards；　the　rocks　are　only　a　few　feet　above　the　water；　and；　when　the　river　is　high；　the　stream　finds　a　channel　across　them　forty　yards　wide；　and　near　the　higher　parts　of　the　ledge；　which　rise　about　twenty　feet；　and　terminate　abruptly　within　eighty　or　ninety　yards　of　the　southern　side。　Between　them　and　the　perpendicular　cliff　on　the　south；　the　whole　body　of　water　runs　with　great　swiftness。　　A　few　small　cedars　grow　near　this　ridge　of　rocks；　which　serves　as　a　barrier　to　defend　a　small　plain　of　about　three　acres；　shaded　with　cottonwood；　at　the　lower　extremity　of　which　is　a　grove　of　the　same　trees；　where　are　several　deserted　Indian　cabins　of　sticks；　below　which　the　river　is　divided　by　a　large　rock；　several　feet　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　extending　down　the　stream　for　twenty　yards。　At　the　distance　of　three　hundred　yards　from　the　same　ridge　is　a　second　abutment　of　solid　perpendicular　rock；　about　sixty　feet　high；　projecting　at　right　angles　from　the　small　plain　on　the　north　for　one　hundred　and　thirty…four　yards　into　the　river。　After　leaving　this；　the　Missouri　again　spreads　itself　to　its　previous　breadth　of　three　hundred　yards；　though　with　more　than　its　ordinary　rapidity。〃

One　of　Lewis's　men　was　sent　back　to　inform　Captain　Clark　of　this　momentous　discovery；　which　finally　settled　all　doubt　as　to　which　was　the　true　Missouri。　　The　famous　Great　Falls　of　the　river　had　been　finally　reached。　Captain　Lewis　next　went　on　to　examine　the　rapids　above　the　falls。　The　journal　says：

〃After　passing　one　continued　rapid　and　three　cascades；　each　three　or　four　feet　high；　he　reached；　at　the　distance　of　five　miles；　a　second　fall。　　The　river　is　here　about　four　hundred　yards　wide；　and　for　the　distance　of　three　hundred　rushes　down　to　the　depth　of　nineteen　feet；　and　so　irregularly　that　he　gave　it　the　name　of　the　Crooked　Falls。　　From　the　southern　shore　it　extends　obliquely　upward　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　yards；　and　then　forms　an　acute　angle　downward　nearly　to　the　commencement　of　four　small　islands　close　to　the　northern　side。　　From　the　perpendicular　pitch　to　these　islands；　a　distance　of　more　than　one　hundred　yards；　the　water　glides　down　a　sloping　rock　with　a　velocity　almost　equal　to　that　of　its　fall：　above　this　fall　the　river　bends　suddenly　to　the　northward。　While　viewing　this　place；　Captain　Lewis　heard　a　loud　roar　above　him；　and；　crossing　the　point　of　a　hill　a　few　hundred　yards；　he　saw　one　of　the　most　beautiful　objects　in　nature：　　the　whole　Missouri　is　suddenly　stopped　by　one　shelving　rock；　which；　without　a　single　niche；　and　with　an　edge　as　straight　and　regular　as　if　formed　by　art；　stretches　itself　from　one　side　of　the　river　to　the　other　for　at　least　a　quarter　of　a　mile。　　Over　this　it　precipitates　itself　in　an　even；　uninterrupted　sheet；　to　the　perpendicular　depth　of　fifty　feet；　whence；　dashing　against　the　rocky　bottom；　it　rushes　rapidly　down；　leaving　behind　it　a　sheet　of　the　purest　foam　across　the　river。　The　scene　which　it　presented　was　indeed　singularly　beautiful；　since；　without　any　of　the　wild；　irregular　sublimity　of　the　lower　falls；　it　combined　all　the　regular　elegancies　which　the　fancy　of　a　painter　would　select　to　form　a　beautiful　waterfall。　　The　eye　had　scarcely　been　regaled　with　this　charming　prospect；　when　at　the　distance　of　half　a　mile　Captain　Lewis　observed　another　of　a　similar　kind。　To　this　he　immediately　hastened；　and　found　a　cascade　stretching　across　the　whole　river　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　with　a　descent　of　fourteen　feet；　though　the　perpendicular　pitch　was　only　six　feet。　　This；　too；　in　any　other　neighborhood；　would　have　been　an　object　of　great　magnificence；　but　after　what　he　had　just　seen；　it　became　of　secondary　interest。　His　curiosity　being；　however；　awakened；　he　determined　to　go　on；　even　should　night　overtake　him；　to　the　head　of　the　falls。

〃He　therefore　pursued　the　southwest　course　of　the　river；　which　was　one　constant　succession　of　rapids　and　small　cascades；　at　every　one　of　which　the　bluffs　grew　lower；　or　the　bed　of　the　river　became　more　on　a　level　with　the　plains。　　At　the　distance　of　two　and　one…half　miles　he　arrived　at　another　cataract；　of　twenty…six　feet。　　The　river　is　here　six　hundred　yards　wide；　but　the　descent　is　not　immediately　perpendicular；　though　the　river　falls　generally　with　a　regular　and　smooth　sheet；　for　about　one…third　of　the　descent　a　rock　protrudes　to　a　small　distance；　receives　the　water　in　its　passage；　and　gives　it　a　curve。　On　the　south　side　is　a　beautiful　plain；　a　few　feet　above　the　level　of　the　falls；　on　the　north；　the　country　is　more　broken；　and　there　is　a　hill　not　far　from　the　river。　　Just　below　the　falls　is　a　little　island　in　the　middle　of　the　river；　well　covered　with　timber。　Here　on　a　cottonwood　tree　an　eagle　had　fixed　her　nest；　and　seemed　the　undisputed　mistress　of　a　spot；　to　contest　whose　dominion　neither　man　nor　beast　would　venture　across　the　gulfs　that　surround　it；　and　which　is　further　secured　by　the　mist　rising　from　the　falls。　This　solitary　bird　could　not　escape　the　observation　of　the　Indians；　who　made　the　eagle's　nest　a　part　of　their　description　of　the　falls；　which　now　proves　to　be　correct　in　almost　every　particular；　except　that　they　did　not　do　justice　to　the　height。

〃Just　above　this　is　a　cascade　of　about　five　feet；　beyond　which；　as　far　as　could　be　discerned；　the　velocity　of　the　water　seemed　to　abate。　Captain　Lewis　now　ascended　the　hill　which　was　behind　him；　and　saw　from　its　top　a　delightful　plain；　extending　from　the　river　to　the　base　of　the　Snowy　＇Rocky＇　Mountains　to　the　south　and　southwest。　Along　this　wide；　level　country　the　Missouri　pursued　its　winding　course；　filled　with　water　to　its　smooth；　grassy　banks；　while　about　four　miles　above；　it　was　joined　by　a　large　river　flowing　from　the　northwest；　through　a　valley　three　miles　in　width；　and　distinguished　by　the　timber　which　adorned　its　shores。　The　Missouri　itself　stretches　to　the　south；　in　one　unruffled　stream　of　water；　as　if　unconscious　of　the　roughness　it　must　soon　encounter；　and　bearing　on　its　bosom　vast　flocks　of　geese；　while　numerous　herds　of　buffalo　are　feeding　on　the　plains　which　surround　it。