first across the continent-第21节

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ewis　and　Clark's　time　is　now　the　site　of　the　thriving　town　of　Great　Falls；　which　has　a　population　of　ten　thousand。

Here　is　a　lucid　and　connected　account　of　the　falls　and　rapids；　discovered　and　described　by　Lewis　and　Clark：

〃This　river　is　three　hundred　yards　wide　at　the　point　where　it　receives　the　waters　of　Medicine　＇Sun＇　River；　which　is　one　hundred　and　thirty…seven　yards　in　width。　　The　united　current　continues　three　hundred　and　twenty…eight　poles　to　a　small　rapid　on　the　north　side；　from　which　it　gradually　widens　to　fourteen　hundred　yards；　and　at　the　distance　of　five　hundred　and　forty…eight　poles　reaches　the　head　of　the　rapids；　narrowing　as　it　approaches　them。　　Here　the　hills　on　the　north；　which　had　withdrawn　from　the　bank；　closely　border　the　river；　which；　for　the　space　of　three　hundred　and　twenty　poles；　makes　its　way　over　the　rocks；　with　a　descent　of　thirty　feet。　In　this　course　the　current　is　contracted　to　five　hundred　and　eighty　yards；　and　after　throwing　itself　over　a　small　pitch　of　five　feet；　forms　a　beautiful　cascade　of　twenty…six　feet　five　inches；　this　does　not；　however；　fall　immediately　or　perpendicularly；　being　stopped　by　a　part　of　the　rock；　which　projects　at　about　one…third　of　the　distance。　After　descending　this　fall；　and　passing　the　cottonwood　island　on　which　the　eagle　has　fixed　her　nest；　the　river　goes　on　for　five　hundred　and　thirty…two　poles　over　rapids　and　little　falls；　the　estimated　descent　of　which　is　thirteen　and　one…half　feet；　till　it　is　joined　by　a　large　fountain　boiling　up　underneath　the　rocks　near　the　edge　of　the　river；　into　which　it　falls　with　a　cascade　of　eight　feet。　The　water　of　this　fountain　is　of　the　most　perfect　clearness；　and　of　rather　a　bluish　cast；　and；　even　after　falling　into　the　Missouri；　it　preserves　its　color　for　half　a　mile。　　From　the　fountain　the　river　descends　with　increased　rapidity　for　the　distance　of　two　hundred　and　fourteen　poles；　during　which　the　estimated　descent　is　five　feet；　and　from　this；　for　a　distance　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　poles；　it　descends　fourteen　feet　seven　inches；　including　a　perpendicular　fall　of　six　feet　seven　inches。　　The　Missouri　has　now　become　pressed　into　a　space　of　four　hundred　and　seventy…three　yards；　and　here　forms　a　grand　cataract；　by　falling　over　a　plain　rock　the　whole　distance　across　the　river；　to　the　depth　of　forty…seven　feet　eight　inches。　After　recovering　itself；　it　then　proceeds　with　an　estimated　descent　of　three　feet；　till；　at　the　distance　of　one　hundred　and　two　poles；　it　is　precipitated　down　the　Crooked　Falls　nineteen　feet　perpendicular。　Below　this；　at　the　mouth　of　a　deep　ravine；　is　a　fall　of　five　feet；　after　which；　for　the　distance　of　nine　hundred　and　seventy　poles；　the　descent　is　much　more　gradual；　not　being　more　than　ten　feet；　and　then　succeeds　a　handsome　level　plain　for　the　space　of　one　hundred　and　seventy…eight　poles；　with　a　computed　descent　of　three　feet；　the　river　making　a　bend　towards　the　north。　　Thence　it　descends；　for　four　hundred　and　eighty　poles；　about　eighteen　and　one…half　feet；　when　it　makes　a　perpendicular　fall　of　two　feet；　which　is　ninety　poles　beyond　the　great　cataract；　in　approaching　which；　it　descends　thirteen　feet　within　two　hundred　yards；　and；　gathering　strength　from　its　confined　channel；　which　is　only　two　hundred　and　eighty　yards　wide；　rushes　over　the　fall　to　the　depth　of　eighty…seven　feet。

〃After　raging　among　the　rocks；　and　losing　itself　in　foam；　it　is　compressed　immediately　into　a　bed　of　ninety…three　yards　in　width：　it　continues　for　three　hundred　and　forty　poles　to　the　entrance　of　a　run　or　deep　ravine；　where　there　is　a　fall　of　three　feet；　which；　added　to　the　decline　during　that　distance；　makes　the　descent　six　feet。　As　it　goes　on；　the　descent　within　the　next　two　hundred　and　forty　poles　is　only　four　feet；　from　this；　passing　a　run　or　deep　ravine；　the　descent　in　four　hundred　poles　is　thirteen　feet；　within　two　hundred　and　forty　poles；　another　descent　of　eighteen　feet；　thence；　in　one　hundred　and　sixty　poles；　a　descent　of　six　feet；　after　which；　to　the　mouth　of　Portage　Creek；　a　distance　of　two　hundred　and　eighty　poles；　the　descent　is　ten　feet。　From　this　survey　and　estimate；　it　results　that　the　river　experiences　a　descent　of　three　hundred　and　fifty…two　feet　in　the　distance　of　two　and　three　quarter　miles；　from　the　commencement　of　the　rapids　to　the　mouth　of　Portage　Creek；　exclusive　of　the　almost　impassable　rapids　which　extend　for　a　mile　below　its　entrance。〃

On　the　twenty…first　of　the　month；　all　the　needed　preparations　having　been　finished；　the　arduous　work　of　making　the　portage；　or　carry；　was　begun。　　All　the　members　of　the　expedition　were　now　together；　and　the　two　captains　divided　with　their　men　the　labor　of　hunting；　carrying　luggage；　boat…building；　exploring；　and　so　on。　They　made　three　camps；　the　lower　one　on　Portage　Creek；　the　next　at　Willow　Run　＇see　map＇；　and　a　third　at　a　point　opposite　White　Bear　Islands。　　The　portage　was　not　completed　until　July　second。　They　were　often　delayed　by　the　breaking　down　of　their　rude　carriages；　and　during　the　last　stage　of　their　journey　much　of　their　luggage　was　carried　on　the　backs　of　the　men。　They　were　also　very　much　annoyed　with　the　spines　of　the　prickly　pear；　a　species　of　cactus；　which；　growing　low　on　the　ground；　is　certain　to　be　trampled　upon　by　the　wayfarer。　　The　spines　ran　through　the　moccasins　of　the　men　and　sorely　wounded　their　feet。　Thus；　under　date　of　June　twenty…fourth；　the　journal　says　（It　should　be　understood　that　the　portage　was　worked　from　above　and　below　the　rapids）：

〃On　going　down　yesterday　Captain　Clark　cut　off　several　angles　of　the　former　route；　so　as　to　shorten　the　portage　considerably；　and　marked　it　with　stakes。　　He　arrived　there　in　time　to　have　two　of　the　canoes　carried　up　in　the　high　plain；　about　a　mile　in　advance。　Here　they　all　repaired　their　moccasins；　and　put　on　double　soles　to　protect　them　from　the　prickly　pear；　and　from　the　sharp　points　of　earth　which　have　been　formed　by　the　trampling　of　the　buffalo　during　the　late　rains。　This　of　itself　is　sufficient　to　render　the　portage　disagreeable　to　one　who　has　no　burden；　but　as　the　men　are　loaded　as　heavily　as　their　strength　will　permit；　the　crossing　is　really　painful。　Some　are　limping　with　the　soreness　of　their　feet；　others　are　scarcely　able　to　stand　for　more　than　a　few　minutes；　from　the　heat　and　fatigue。　They　are　all　obliged　to　halt　and　rest　frequently；　at　almost　every　stopping…place　they　fall；　and　many　of　them　are　asleep　in　an　instant；　yet　no　one　complains；　and　they　go　on　with　great　cheerfulness。　At　the　camp；　midway　in　the　portage；　Drewyer　and　Fields　joined　them；　for；　while　Captain　Lewis　was　looking　for　them　at　Medicine　River；　they　returned　to　report　the　absence　of　Shannon；　about　whom　they　had　been　very　uneasy。　　They　had　killed　several　buffalo　at　the　bend　of　the　Missouri　above　the　falls；　dried　about　eight　hundred　pounds　of　meat；　and　got　one　hundred　pounds　of　tallow；　they　had　also　killed　some　deer；　but　had　seen　no　elk。〃

Under　this　date；　too；　Captain　Lewis；　who　was　with　another　branch　of　the　expedition；　makes　this　note：　　〃Such　as　were　able　to　shake　a　foot　amused　themselves　in　dancing　on　the　green　to　the　music　of　the　violin　which　Cruzatte　plays　extremely　well。〃

The　journal　continues：

〃We　were　now　occupied　＇at　White　Bear　camp＇　in　fitting　up　a　boat　of　skins；　the　frame　of　which　had　been　prepared　for　the　purpose　at　Harper's　Ferry　in　Virginia。　　It　was　made　of　iron；　thirty…six　feet　long；　four　and　one…half　feet　in　the　beam；　and　twenty…six　inches　wide　in　the　bottom。　Two　men　had　been　sent　this　morning　for　timber　to　complete　it；　but　they　could　find　scarcely　any　even　tolerably　straight　sticks　four　and　one…half　feet　long；　and　as　the　cottonwood　is　too　soft　and　brittle；　we　were　obliged　to　use　willow　and　box…elder。〃

On　the　twenty…seventh；　the　main　party；　which　was　working　on　the　upper　part　of　the　portage；　joined　that　of　Captain　Clark　at　the　lower　camp；　where　a　second　cache；　or　place　of　deposit；　had　been　formed；　and　where　the　boat…swivel　was　now　hidden　under　the　rocks。　The　journal　says：

〃The　party　were　employed　in　preparing　timber　for　the　boat；　except　two　who　were　sent　to　hunt。　　About　one　in　the　afternoon　a　cloud　arose　from　the　southwest；　and　brought　with　it　violent　thunder；　lightning；　and　hail。　Soon　after　it　passed；　the　hunters　came　in；　from　about　four　miles　above　us。　They　had　killed　nine　elk　and　three　bears。　　As　they　were　hunting　on　the　river　they　saw　a　low　ground　covered　with　thick　brushwood；　where　from　the　tracks　along　shore　they　thought　a　bear　had　probably　taken　refuge。　They　therefore　landed；　without　making　a　noise；　and　climbed　a　tree　about　twenty　feet　above　the　ground。　　Having　fixed　themselves　securely；　they　raised　a　loud　shout；　and　a　bear　instantly　rushed　toward　them。　These　animals　never　climb；　and　therefore　when　he　came　to　the　tree　and　stopped　to　look　at　them；　Drewyer　shot　him　in　the　head。　　He　proved　to　be　the　largest　we　had　yet　seen；　his　nose　appeared　to　be　like　that　of　a　common　ox；　his　fore　feet　measured　nine　inches　across；　the　hind　feet　were　seven　inches　wide　and　eleven　and　three　quarters　long；　exclusive　of　the　talons。　One　of　these　animals　came　within　thirty　yards　of　the　camp　last　night；　and　carried　off　some　buffalo…meat　which　we　had　placed　on　a　pole。〃

The　party　were　very　much　annoyed　here　by　the　grizzlies　which　infested　th