first across the continent-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　had　placed　on　a　pole。〃

The　party　were　very　much　annoyed　here　by　the　grizzlies　which　infested　their　camp　at　night。　　Their　faithful　dog　always　gave　warning　of　the　approach　of　one　of　these　monsters；　but　the　men　were　obliged　to　sleep　with　their　guns　by　their　side；　ready　to　repel　the　enemy　at　a　moment's　notice。

Captain　Clark　finally　broke　up　the　camp　on　Portage　Creek；　June　28；　having　deposited　in　his　cache　whatever　could　be　left　behind　without　inconvenience。　〃On　the　following　day；〃　the　journal　says：

〃Finding　it　impossible　to　reach　the　upper　end　of　the　portage　with　the　present　load；　in　consequence　of　the　state　of　the　road　after　the　rain；　he　sent　back　nearly　all　his　party　to　bring　on　the　articles　which　had　been　left　yesterday。　　Having　lost　some　notes　and　remarks　which　he　had　made　on　first　ascending　the　river；　he　determined　to　go　up　to　the　Whitebear　Islands　along　its　banks；　in　order　to　supply　the　deficiency。　He　there　left　one　man　to　guard　the　baggage；　and　went　on　to　the　falls；　accompanied　by　his　servant　York；　Chaboneau；　and　his　wife　with　her　young　child。

〃On　his　arrival　there　he　observed　a　very　dark　cloud　rising　in　the　west；　which　threatened　rain；　and　looked　around　for　some　shelter；　but　could　find　no　place　where　the　party　would　be　secure　from　being　blown　into　the　river；　if　the　wind　should　prove　as　violent　as　it　sometimes　does　in　the　plains。　　At　length；　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　above　the　falls；　he　found　a　deep　ravine；　where　there　were　some　shelving　rocks；　under　which　he　took　refuge。　They　were　on　the　upper　side　of　the　ravine　near　the　river；　perfectly　safe　from　the　rain；　and　therefore　laid　down　their　guns；　compass；　and　other　articles　which　they　carried　with　them。　The　shower　was　at　first　moderate；　it　then　increased　to　a　heavy　rain；　the　effects　of　which　they　did　not　feel；　but　soon　after；　a　torrent　of　rain　and　hail　descended。　The　rain　seemed　to　fall　in　a　solid　mass；　and　instantly；　collecting　in　the　ravine；　came　rolling　down　in　a　dreadful　current；　carrying　the　mud；　rocks；　and　everything　that　opposed　it。　Captain　Clark　fortunately　saw　it　a　moment　before　it　reached　them；　and　springing　up　with　his　gun　and　shot…pouch　in　his　left　hand；　with　his　right　clambered　up　the　steep　bluff；　pushing　on　the　Indian　woman　with　her　child　in　her　arms；　her　husband　too　had　seized　her　hand　and　was　pulling　her　tip　the　hill；　but　he　was　so　terrified　at　the　danger　that　he　remained　frequently　motionless；　and　but　for　Captain　Clark；　himself　and　his　wife　and　child　would　have　been　lost。　　So　instantaneous　was　the　rise　of　the　water　that；　before　Captain　Clark　had　reached　his　gun　and　begun　to　ascend　the　bank；　the　water　was　up　to　his　waist；　and　he　could　scarcely　get　up　faster　than　it　rose；　till　it　reached　the　height　of　fifteen　feet；　with　a　furious　current　which；　had　they　waited　a　moment　longer；　would　have　swept　them　into　the　river　just　above　the　Great　Falls；　down　which　they　must　inevitably　have　been　precipitated。　They　reached　the　plain　in　safety　and　found　York；　who　had　separated　from　them　just　before　the　storm　to　hunt　some　buffalo；　and　was　now　returning　to　find　his　master。　　They　had　been　obliged　to　escape　so　rapidly　that　Captain　Clark　lost　his　compass　＇that　is；　circumferentor＇　and　umbrella；　Chaboneau　left　his　gun；　with　Captain　Lewis'　wiping…rod；　shot…pouch；　and　tomahawk；　and　the　Indian　woman　had　just　time　to　grasp　her　child；　before　the　net　in　which　it　lay　at　her　feet　was　carried　down　the　current。〃

Such　a　storm　is　known　in　the　West　as　a　cloud…burst。　Overland　emigrants　in　the　early　rush　to　California　often　suffered　loss　from　these　sudden　deluges。　A　party　of　men；　with　wagons　and　animals；　have　been　known　to　be　swept　away　and　lost　in　a　flood　bursting　in　a　narrow　canyon　in　the　mountains。

〃Captain　Clark　now　relinquished　his　intention　of　going　up　the　river；　and　returned　to　the　camp　at　Willow　Run。　　Here　he　found　that　the　party　sent　this　morning　for　the　baggage　had　all　returned　to　camp　in　great　confusion；　leaving　their　loads　in　the　plain。　On　account　of　the　heat；　they　generally　go　nearly　naked；　and　with　no　covering　on　their　heads。　　The　hail　was　so　large；　and　driven　so　furiously　against　them　by　the　high　wind；　that　it　knocked　several　of　them　down：　one　of　them；　particularly；　was　thrown　on　the　ground　three　times；　and　most　of　them　were　bleeding　freely；　and　complained　of　being　much　bruised。　Willow　Run　had　risen　six　feet　since　the　rain；　and；　as　the　plains　were　so　wet　that　they　could　not　proceed；　they　passed　the　night　at　their　camp。

〃At　the　White　Bear　camp；　also；〃　（says　Lewis）；　〃we　had　not　been　insensible　to　the　hailstorm；　though　less　exposed。　　In　the　morning　there　had　been　a　heavy　shower　of　rain；　after　which　it　became　fair。　After　assigning　to　the　men　their　respective　employments；　Captain　Lewis　took　one　of　them；　and　went　to　see　the　large　fountain　near　the　falls。　。　。　。　It　is；　perhaps；　the　largest　in　America；　and　is　situated　in　a　pleasant　level　plain；　about　twenty…five　yards　from　the　river；　into　which　it　falls　over　some　steep；　irregular　rocks；　with　a　sudden　ascent　of　about　six　feet　in　one　part　of　its　course。　The　water　boils　up　from　among　the　rocks；　and　with　such　force　near　the　centre　that　the　surface　seems　higher　there　than　the　earth　on　the　sides　of　the　fountain；　which　is　a　handsome　turf　of　fine　green　grass。　The　water　is　extremely　pure；　cold；　and　pleasant　to　the　taste；　not　being　impregnated　with　lime　or　any　foreign　substance。　It　is　perfectly　transparent；　and　continues　its　bluish　cast　for　half　a　mile　down　the　Missouri；　notwithstanding　the　rapidity　of　the　river。　After　examining　it　for　some　time；　Captain　Lewis　returned　to　the　camp。

。　。　。　〃Two　men　were　sent　＇June　30＇　to　the　falls　to　look　for　the　articles　lost　yesterday；　but　they　found　nothing　but　the　compass；　covered　with　mud　and　sand；　at　the　mouth　of　the　ravine。　　The　place　at　which　Captain　Clark　had　been　caught　by　the　storm　was　filled　with　large　rocks。　The　men　complain　much　of　the　bruises　received　yesterday　from　the　hail。　A　more　than　usual　number　of　buffalo　appeared　about　the　camp　to…day；　and　furnished　plenty　of　meat。　　Captain　Clark　thought　that　at　one　view　he　must　have　seen　at　least　ten　thousand。〃

Of　the　party　at　the　upper　camp；　opposite　White　Bear　Islands；　the　journal　makes　this　observation：

〃The　party　continues　to　be　occupied　with　the　boat；　the　cross…bars　for　which　are　now　finished；　and　there　remain　only　the　strips　to　complete　the　woodwork。　　The　skins　necessary　to　cover　it　have　already　been　prepared；　they　amount　to　twenty…eight　elk…skins　and　four　buffalo…skins。　Among　our　game　were　two　beaver；　which　we　have　had　occasion　to　observe　are　found　wherever　there　is　timber。　We　also　killed　a　large　bull…bat　or　goatsucker；　of　which　there　are　many　in　this　neighborhood；　resembling　in　every　respect　those　of　the　same　species　in　the　United　States。　　We　have　not　seen　the　leather…winged　bat　for　some　time；　nor　are　there　any　of　the　small　goatsucker　in　this　part　of　the　Missouri。　　We　have　not　seen　that　species　of　goatsucker　called　the　whippoorwill；　which　is　commonly　confounded　in　the　United　States　with　the　large　goatsucker　which　we　observe　here。　　This　last　prepares　no　nest；　but　lays　its　eggs　on　the　open　plains；　they　generally　begin　to　sit　on　two　eggs；　and　we　believe　raise　only　one　brood　in　a　season；　at　the　present　moment　they　are　just　hatching　their　young。〃

Dr。　Coues　says　that　we　should　bear　in　mind　that　this　was　written　〃when　bats　were　birds　and　whales　were　fishes　for　most　persons。〃　The　journal　confounds　bats；　which　are　winged　mammals；　with　goatsuckers；　or　whippoorwills；　which　are　birds。

The　second　of　July　was　an　interesting　date　for　the　explorers。　On　that　day　we　find　the　following　entry　in　their　journal：

〃A　shower　of　rain　fell　very　early　this　morning。　　We　then　despatched　some　men　for　the　baggage　left　behind　yesterday；　and　the　rest　were　engaged　in　putting　the　boat　together。　This　was　accomplished　in　about　three　hours；　and　then　we　began　to　sew　on　the　leather　over　the　crossbars　of　iron　on　the　inner　side　of　the　boat　which　form　the　ends　of　the　sections。　By　two　o'clock　the　last　of　the　baggage　arrived；　to　the　great　delight　of　the　party；　who　were　anxious　to　proceed。　The　mosquitoes　we　find　very　troublesome。

〃Having　completed　our　celestial　observations；　we　went　over　to　the　large　island　to　make　an　attack　upon　its　inhabitants；　the　bears；　which　have　annoyed　us　very　much　of　late；　and　were　prowling　about　our　camp　all　last　night。　We　found　that　the　part　of　the　island　frequented　by　the　bears　forms　an　almost　impenetrable　thicket　of　the　broad…leaved　willow。　Into　this　we　forced　our　way　in　parties　of　three；　but　could　see　only　one　bear；　which　instantly　attacked　Drewyer。　　Fortunately；　as　he　was　rushing　on；　the　hunter　shot　him　through　the　heart　within　twenty　paces　and　he　fell；　which　enabled　Drewyer　to　get　out　of　his　way。　We　then　followed　him　one　hundred　yards；　and　found　that　the　wound　had　been　mortal。

〃Not　being　able　to　discover　any　more　of　these　animals；　we　returned　to　camp。　　Here；　in　turning　over　some　of　the　baggage；　we　caught　a　rat　somewhat　larger　than　the　common　European　rat；　and　of　a　lighter　color；　the　body　and　outer　parts　of　the　legs　and　head　of　a　light　lead　color；　the　inner　side　of　the　legs；　as　well　as　the　belly；　feet；　and　ears；　white；　the　ears　are　not　covered　with　hair；　and　are　much　larger　than　those　of　the　common　rat；　the　toes　also　are　longer；　the　eyes　a