first across the continent-第20节

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　vast　flocks　of　geese；　while　numerous　herds　of　buffalo　are　feeding　on　the　plains　which　surround　it。

〃Captain　Lewis　then　descended　the　hill；　and　directed　his　course　towards　the　river　falling　in　from　the　west。　He　soon　met　a　herd　of　at　least　a　thousand　buffalo；　and；　being　desirous　of　providing　for　supper；　shot　one　of　them。　The　animal　immediately　began　to　bleed；　and　Captain　Lewis；　who　had　forgotten　to　reload　his　rifle；　was　intently　watching　to　see　him　fall；　when　he　beheld　a　large　brown　bear　which　was　stealing　on　him　unperceived；　and　was　already　within　twenty　steps。　In　the　first　moment　of　surprise　he　lifted　his　rifle；　but；　remembering　instantly　that　it　was　not　charged；　and　that　he　had　no　time　to　reload；　he　felt　that　there　was　no　safety　but　in　flight。　It　was　in　the　open；　level　plain；　not　a　bush　nor　a　tree　within　three　hundred　yards；　the　bank　of　the　river　sloping；　and　not　more　than　three　feet　high；　so　that　there　was　no　possible　mode　of　concealment。　　Captain　Lewis；　therefore；　thought　of　retreating　with　a　quick　walk；　as　fast　as　the　bear　advanced；　towards　the　nearest　tree；　but；　as　soon　as　he　turned；　the　bear　rushed　open…mouthed；　and　at　full　speed；　upon　him。　Captain　Lewis　ran　about　eighty　yards；　but　finding　that　the　animal　gained　on　him　fast；　it　flashed　on　his　mind　that；　by　getting　into　the　water　to　such　a　depth　that　the　bear　would　be　obliged　to　attack　him　swimming；　there　was　still　some　chance　of　his　life；　he　therefore　turned　short；　plunged　into　the　river　about　waist…deep；　and　facing　about　presented　the　point　of　his　espontoon。　The　bear　arrived　at　the　water's　edge　within　twenty　feet　of　him；　but　as　soon　as　he　put　himself　in　this　posture　of　defence；　the　bear　seemed　frightened；　and　wheeling　about；　retreated　with　as　much　precipitation　as　he　had　pursued。　　Very　glad　to　be　released　from　this　danger；　Captain　Lewis　returned　to　the　shore；　and　observed　him　run　with　great　speed；　sometimes　looking　back　as　if　he　expected　to　be　pursued；　till　he　reached　the　woods。　He　could　not　conceive　the　cause　of　the　sudden　alarm　of　the　bear；　but　congratulated　himself　on　his　escape　when　he　saw　his　own　track　torn　to　pieces　by　the　furious　animal；　and　learned　from　the　whole　adventure　never　to　suffer　his　rifle　to　be　a　moment　unloaded。〃

Captain　Lewis　now　resumed　his　progress　towards　the　western；　or　Sun；　River；　then　more　commonly　known　among　the　Indians　as　Medicine　River。　　In　going　through　the　lowlands　of　this　stream；　he　met　an　animal　which　he　thought　was　a　wolf；　but　which　was　more　likely　a　wolverine；　or　carcajou。　The　journal　says：

〃It　proved　to　be　some　brownish　yellow　animal；　standing　near　its　burrow；　which；　when　he　came　nigh；　crouched；　and　seemed　as　if　about　to　spring　on　him。　Captain　Lewis　fired；　and　the　beast　disappeared　in　its　burrow。　From　the　track；　and　the　general　appearance　of　the　animal；　he　supposed　it　to　be　of　the　tiger　kind。　　He　then　went　on；　but；　as　if　the　beasts　of　the　forest　had　conspired　against　him；　three　buffalo　bulls；　which　were　feeding　with　a　large　herd　at　the　distance　of　half　a　mile；　left　their　companions；　and　ran　at　full　speed　towards　him。　He　turned　round；　and；　unwilling　to　give　up　the　field；　advanced　to　meet　them：　when　they　were　within　a　hundred　yards　they　stopped；　looked　at　him　for　some　time；　and　then　retreated　as　they　came。　　He　now　pursued　his　route　in　the　dark；　reflecting　on　the　strange　adventures　and　sights　of　the　day；　which　crowded　on　his　mind　so　rapidly；　that　he　should　have　been　inclined　to　believe　it　all　enchantment　if　the　thorns　of　the　prickly　pear；　piercing　his　feet；　had　not　dispelled　at　every　moment　the　illusion。　He　at　last　reached　the　party；　who　had　been　very　anxious　for　his　safety；　and　who　had　already　decided　on　the　route　which　each　should　take　in　the　morning　to　look　for　him。　　Being　much　fatigued；　he　supped；　and　slept　well　during　the　night。〃

On　awaking　the　next　morning；　Captain　Lewis　found　a　large　rattlesnake　coiled　on　the　trunk　of　a　tree　under　which　he　had　been　sleeping。　He　killed　it；　and　found　it　like　those　he　had　seen　before；　differing　from　those　of　the　Atlantic　States；　not　in　its　colors；　but　in　the　form　and　arrangement　of　them。　　Information　was　received　that　Captain　Clark　had　arrived　five　miles　below；　at　a　rapid　which　he　did　not　think　it　prudent　to　ascend；　and　that　he　was　waiting　there　for　the　party　above　to　rejoin　him。

After　the　departure　of　Captain　Lewis；　Captain　Clark　had　remained　a　day　at　Maria's　River；　to　complete　the　deposit　of　such　articles　as　they　could　dispense　with；　and　started　on　the　twelfth　of　June。

Four　days　later；　Captain　Clark　left　the　river；　having　sent　his　messenger　to　Captain　Lewis；　and　began　to　search　for　a　proper　portage　to　convey　the　pirogue　and　canoes　across　to　the　Columbia　River；　leaving　most　of　the　men　to　hunt；　make　wheels　and　draw　the　canoes　up　a　creek　which　they　named　Portage　Creek；　as　it　was　to　be　the　base　of　their　future　operations。　The　stream　is　now　known　as　Belt　Mountain　Creek。　　But　the　explorers　soon　found　that　although　the　pirogue　was　to　be　left　behind；　the　way　was　too　difficult　for　a　portage　even　for　canoes。　The　journal　says：

〃We　found　great　difficulty　and　some　danger　in　even　ascending　the　creek　thus　far；　in　consequence　of　the　rapids　and　rocks　of　the　channel　of　the　creek；　which　just　above　where　we　brought　the　canoes　has　a　fall　of　five　feet；　with　high　steep　bluffs　beyond　it。　We　were　very　fortunate　in　finding；　just　below　Portage　Creek；　a　cottonwood　tree　about　twenty…two　inches　in　diameter；　large　enough　to　make　the　carriage…wheels。　It　was；　perhaps；　the　only　one　of　the　same　size　within　twenty　miles；　and　the　cottonwood　which　we　are　obliged　to　employ　in　the　other　parts　of　the　work　is　extremely　soft　and　brittle。　The　mast　of　the　white　pirogue；　which　we　mean　to　leave　behind；　supplied　us　with　two　axle…trees。

〃There　are　vast　quantities　of　buffalo　feeding　on　the　plains　or　watering　in　the　river；　which　is　also　strewed　with　the　floating　carcasses　and　limbs　of　these　animals。　　They　go　in　large　herds　to　water　about　the　falls；　and　as　all　the　passages　to　the　river　near　that　place　are　narrow　and　steep；　the　foremost　are　pressed　into　the　river　by　the　impatience　of　those　behind。　In　this　way　we　have　seen　ten　or　a　dozen　disappear　over　the　falls　in　a　few　minutes。　　They　afford　excellent　food　for　the　wolves；　bears；　and　birds　of　prey；　which　circumstance　may　account　for　the　reluctance　of　the　bears　to　yield　their　dominion　over　the　neighborhood。

〃The　pirogue　was　drawn　up　a　little　below　our　camp；　and　secured　in　a　thick　copse　of　willow…bushes。　We　now　began　to　form　a　cache　or　place　of　deposit；　and　to　dry　our　goods　and　other　articles　which　required　inspection。　　The　wagons　are　completed。　　Our　hunters　brought　us　ten　deer；　and　we　shot　two　out　of　a　herd　of　buffalo　that　came　to　water　at　Sulphur　Spring。　　There　is　a　species　of　gooseberry；　growing　abundantly　among　the　rocks　on　the　sides　of　the　cliffs。　It　is　now　ripe；　of　a　pale　red　color；　about　the　size　of　the　common　gooseberry；　and　like　it　is　an　ovate　pericarp　of　soft　pulp　enveloping　a　number　of　small　whitish　seeds；　and　consisting　of　a　yellowish；　slimy；　mucilaginous　substance；　with　a　sweet　taste；　the　surface　of　the　berry　is　covered　glutinous；　adhesive　matter；　and　its　fruit；　though　ripe；　retains　its　withered　corolla。　The　shrub　itself　seldom　rises　more　than　two　feet　high；　is　much　branched；　and　has　no　thorns。　　The　leaves　resemble　those　of　the　common　gooseberry；　except　in　being　smaller；　and　the　berry　is　supported　by　separate　peduncles　or　foot…stalks　half　an　inch　long。　　There　are　also　immense　quantities　of　grasshoppers；　of　a　brown　color；　on　the　plains；　they；　no　doubt；　contribute　to　the　lowness　of　the　grass；　which　is　not　generally　more　than　three　inches　high；　though　it　is　soft；　narrow…leaved；　and　affords　a　fine　pasture　for　the　buffalo。〃



Chapter　XI

A　the　Heart　of　the　Continent

Captain　Clark　continued　his　observations　up　the　long　series　of　rapids　and　falls　until　he　came　to　a　group　of　three　small　islands　to　which　he　gave　the　name　of　White　Bear　Islands；　from　his　having　seen　numerous　white；　or　grizzly；　bears　on　them。　On　the　nineteenth　of　June；　Captain　Clark；　after　a　careful　survey　of　the　country　on　both　sides　of　the　stream；　decided　that　the　best　place　for　a　portage　was　on　the　south；　or　lower；　side　of　the　river；　the　length　of　the　portage　being　estimated　to　be　about　eighteen　miles；　over　which　the　canoes　and　supplies　must　be　carried。　Next　day　he　proceeded　to　mark　out　the　exact　route　of　the　portage；　or　carry；　by　driving　stakes　along　its　lines　and　angles。　From　the　survey　and　drawing　which　he　made；　the　party　now　had　a　clear　and　accurate　view　of　the　falls；　cascades；　and　rapids　of　the　Missouri；　and；　it　may　be　added；　this　draught；　which　is　reproduced　on　another　page　of　this　book；　is　still　so　correct　in　all　its　measurements　that　when　a　Montana　manufacturing　company　undertook　to　build　a　dam　at　Black　Eagle　Falls；　nearly　one　hundred　years　afterwards；　they　discovered　that　their　surveys　and　those　of　Captain　Clark　were　precisely　alike。　The　total　fall　of　the　river；　from　the　White　Bear　Islands；　as　Lewis　and　Clark　called　them；　to　the　foot　of　the　Great　Falls；　is　four　hundred　twelve　and　five…tenths　feet；　the　sheer　drop　of　the　Great　Fall　is　seventy…five　and　five…tenths　feet。　The　wild；　trackless　prairie　of　Lewis　and　Clark's　time　is　now　the　site　of　the　thriving　town　of　Great　Falls；　which　has　a　population　of