first across the continent-第24节

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ry。

〃The　rest　of　the　party　took　the　frame　of　the　boat　to　pieces；　deposited　it　in　a　cache　or　hole；　with　a　draught　of　the　country　from　Fort　Mandan　to　this　place；　and　also　some　other　papers　and　small　articles　of　less　importance。〃

High　winds　prevented　the　party　from　making　rapid　progress；　and　notwithstanding　the　winds　they　were　greatly　troubled　with　mosquitoes。　Lest　the　reader　should　think　the　explorers　too　sensitive　on　the　subject　of　these　troublesome　pests；　it　should　be　said　that　only　western　travellers　can　realize　the　numbers　and　venom　of　the　mosquitoes　of　that　region。　Early　emigrants　across　the　continent　were　so　afflicted　by　these　insects　that　the　air　at　times　seemed　full　of　gray　clouds　of　them。　It　was　the　custom　of　the　wayfarers　to　build　a　〃smudge；〃　as　it　was　called；　a　low；　smouldering　fire　of　green　boughs　and　brush；　the　dense　smoke　from　which　（almost　as　annoying　as　the　mosquitoes）　would　drive　off　their　persecutors　as　long；　as　the　victims　sat　in　the　smoke。　The　sleeping　tent　was　usually　cleared　in　this　way　before　〃turning　in〃　at　night；　every　opening　of　the　canvas　being　afterwards　closed。

Captain　Lewis；　on　the　thirteenth　of　July；　followed　Captain　Clark　up　the　river；　crossing　the　stream　to　the　north　bank；　with　his　six　canoes　and　all　his　baggage；　he　overtook　the　other　party　on　the　same　day　and　found　them　all　engaged　in　boat…building。

〃On　his　way　he　passed　a　very　large　Indian　lodge；　which　was　probably　designed　as　a　great　council…house；　but　it　differed　in　its　construction　from　all　that　we　had　seen；　lower　down　the　Missouri　or　elsewhere。　The　form　of　it　was　a　circle　two　hundred　and　sixteen　feet　in　circumference　at　the　base；　it　was　composed　of　sixteen　large　cottonwood　poles　about　fifty　feet　long　and　at　their　thicker　ends；　which　touched　the　ground；　about　the　size　of　a　man's　body。　　They　were　distributed　at　equal　distances；　except　that　one　was　omitted　to　the　cast；　probably　for　the　entrance。　From　the　circumference　of　this　circle　the　poles　converged　toward　the　centre；　where　they　were　united　and　secured　by　large　withes　of　willow…brush。　There　was　no　covering　over　this　fabric；　in　the　centre　of　which　were　the　remains　of　a　large　fire；　and　around　it　the　marks　of　about　eighty　leathern　lodges。　He　also　saw　a　number　of　turtle…doves；　and　some　pigeons；　of　which　he　shot　one；　differing　in　no　respect　from　the　wild　pigeon　of　the　United　States。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

The　buffalo　have　not　yet　quite　gone；　for　the　hunters　brought　in　three；　in　very　good　order。　　It　requires　some　diligence　to　supply　us　plentifully；　for　as　we　reserve　our　parched　meal　for　the　Rocky　Mountains；　where　we　do　not　expect　to　find　much　game；　our　principal　article　of　food　is　meat；　and　the　consumption　of　the　whole　thirty…two　persons　belonging　to　the　party　amounts　to　four　deer；　an　elk　and　a　deer；　or　one　buffalo；　every　twenty…four　hours。　　The　mosquitoes　and　gnats　persecute　us　as　violently　as　below；　so　that　we　can　get　no　sleep　unless　defended　by　biers　＇nets＇；　with　which　we　are　all　provided。　We　here　found　several　plants　hitherto　unknown　to　us；　of　which　we　preserved　specimens。〃

On　the　fourteenth　of　July；　the　boats　were　finally　launched；　and　next　day　the　journal　records　this　important　event：

〃We　rose　early；　embarked　all　our　baggage　on　board　the　canoes；　which；　though　eight　in　number；　are　heavily　loaded；　and　at　ten　o'clock　set　out　on　our　journey。　。　。　。　At　the　distance　of　seven　and　a　half　miles　we　came　to　the　lower　point　of　a　woodland；　at　the　entrance　of　a　beautiful　river；　which；　in　honor　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　we　called　Smith's　River。　　This　stream　falls　into　a　bend　on　the　south　side　of　the　Missouri；　and　is　eighty　yards　wide。　As　far　as　we　could　discern　its　course；　it　wound　through　a　charming　valley　towards　the　southeast；　in　which　many　herds　of　buffalo　were　feeding；　till；　at　the　distance　of　twenty…five　miles；　it　entered　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　was　lost　from　our　view。　。　。　。

〃We　find　the　prickly　pear；　one　of　the　greatest　beauties　as　well　as　greatest　inconveniences　of　the　plains；　now　in　full　bloom。　The　sunflower；　too；　a　plant　common　on　every　part　of　the　Missouri　from　its　entrance　to　this　place；　is　here　very　abundant；　and　in　bloom。　The　lamb's…quarter；　wild　cucumber；　sand…rush；　and　narrow　dock；　are　also　common。〃

The　journal　here　records　the　fact　that　the　great　river　had　now　become　so　crooked　that　it　was　expedient　to　note　only　its　general　course；　leaving　out　all　description　of　its　turns　and　windings。　The　Missouri　was　now　flowing　due　north；　leaving　its　bends　out　of　account；　and　the　explorers；　ascending　the　river；　were　therefore　travelling　south；　and　although　the　journal　sets　forth　〃the　north　bank〃　and　〃the　south　bank；〃　it　should　be　understood　that　west　is　meant　by　the　one；　and　east　by　the　other。　　Buffalo　were　observed　in　great　numbers。　Many　obstacles　to　navigating　the　river　were　encountered。　Under　date　of　July　17；　the　journal　says：

〃The　navigation　is　now　very　laborious。　　The　river　is　deep；　but　with　little　current；　and　from　seventy　to　one　hundred　yards　wide；　the　low　grounds　are　very　narrow；　with　but　little　timber；　and　that　chiefly　the　aspen　tree。　　The　cliffs　are　steep；　and　hang　over　the　river　so　much　that　often　we　could　not　cross　them；　but　were　obliged　to　pass　and　repass　from　one　side　of　the　river　to　the　other；　in　order　to　make　our　way。　In　some　places　the　banks　are　formed　of　dark　or　black　granite　rising　perpendicularly　to　a　great　height；　through　which　the　river　seems；　in　the　progress　of　time；　to　have　worn　its　channel。　　On　these　mountains　we　see　more　pine　than　usual；　but　it　is　still　in　small　quantities。　Along　the　bottoms；　which　have　a　covering　of　high　grass；　we　observed　the　sunflower　blooming　in　great　abundance。　　The　Indians　of　the　Missouri；　more　especially　those　who　do　not　cultivate　maize；　make　great　use　of　the　seed　of　this　plant　for　bread；　or　in　thickening　their　soup。　　They　first　parch　and　then　pound　it　between　two　stones；　until　it　is　reduced　to　a　fine　meal。　Sometimes　they　add　a　portion　of　water；　and　drink　it　thus　diluted；　at　other　times　they　add　a　sufficient　proportion　of　marrow…grease　to　reduce　it　to　the　consistency　of　common　dough；　and　eat　it　in　that　manner。　This　last　composition　we　preferred　to　all　the　rest；　and　thought　it　at　that　time　a　very　palatable　dish。〃

They　also　feasted　on　a　great　variety　of　wild　berries；　purple；　yellow；　and　black　currants；　which　were　delicious　and　more　pleasant　to　the　palate　than　those　grown　in　their　Virginia　home…gardens；　also　service…berries；　popularly　known　to　later　emigrants　as　〃sarvice…berries。〃　These　grow　on　small　bushes；　two　or　three　feet　high；　and　the　fruit　is　purple…skinned；　with　a　white　pulp；　resembling　a　ripe　gooseberry。

The　journal；　next　day；　has　the　following　entry：

〃This　morning　early；　before　our　departure；　we　saw　a　large　herd　of　the　big…horned　animals；　which　were　bounding　among　the　rocks　on　the　opposite　cliff　with　great　agility。　These　inaccessible　spots　secure　them　from　all　their　enemies；　and　their　only　danger　is　in　wandering　among　these　precipices；　where　we　would　suppose　it　scarcely　possible　for　any　animal　to　stand；　a　single　false　step　would　precipitate　them　at　least　five　hundred　feet　into　the　water。

〃At　one　and　one　fourth　miles　we　passed　another　single　cliff　on　the　left；　at　the　same　distance　beyond　which　is　the　mouth　of　a　large　river　emptying　from　the　north。　　It　is　a　handsome；　bold；　and　clear　stream；　eighty　yards　widethat　is；　nearly　as　broad　as　the　Missouriwith　a　rapid　current；　over　a　bed　of　small　smooth　stones　of　various　figures。　The　water　is　extremely　transparent；　the　low　grounds　are　narrow；　but　possess　as　much　wood　as　those　of　the　Missouri。　　The　river　has　every　appearance　of　being　navigable；　though　to　what　distance　we　cannot　ascertain；　as　the　country　which　it　waters　is　broken　and　mountainous。　In　honor　of　the　Secretary　of　War　we　called　it　Dearborn's　River。〃

General　Henry　Dearborn；　who　was　then　Secretary　of　War；　in　Jefferson's　administration；　gave　his　name；　a　few　years　later；　to　a　collection　of　camps　and　log…cabins　on　Lake　Michigan；　and　in　due　time　Fort　Dearborn　became　the　great　city　of　Chicago。　　Continuing；　the　journal　says：

〃Being　now　very　anxious　to　meet　with　the　Shoshonees　or　Snake　Indians；　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining　the　necessary　information　of　our　route；　as　well　as　to　procure　horses；　it　was　thought　best　for　one　of　us　to　go　forward　with　a　small　party　and　endeavor　to　discover　them；　before　the　daily　discharge　of　our　guns；　which　is　necessary　for　our　subsistence；　should　give　them　notice　of　our　approach。　If　by　an　accident　they　hear　us；　they　will　most　probably　retreat　to　the　mountains；　mistaking　us　for　their　enemies；　who　usually　attack　them　on　this　side。〃　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

Captain　Clark　was　now　in　the　lead　with　a　small　party；　and　he　came　upon　the　remains　of　several　Indian　camps　formed　of　willow…brush；　Traces　of　Indians　became　more　plentiful。　The　journal　adds：

〃At　the　same　time　Captain　Clark　observed　that　the　pine　trees　had　been　stripped　of　their　bark　about　the　same　season；　which　our　Indian　woman　says　her　countrymen　do　in　order　to　obtain　the　sap　and　the　soft　parts　of　the　wood　and　bark　for　food。　About　eleven　o'clock　he　met　a　herd　of　elk　and　killed　two　of　them；　but　such　was　the　want　of　wood　in　the　neighborhood　that　he　was　unable　to　procure　enough　to　make　a　fire；　and　was　therefore　obliged　to　substitute　the　dung　of　the　bu