first across the continent-第25节

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　unable　to　procure　enough　to　make　a　fire；　and　was　therefore　obliged　to　substitute　the　dung　of　the　buffalo；　with　which　he　cooked　his　breakfast。　They　then　resumed　their　course　along　an　old　Indian　road。　In　the　afternoon　they　reached　a　handsome　valley；　watered　by　a　large　creek；　both　of　which　extended　a　considerable　distance　into　the　mountain。　This　they　crossed；　and　during　the　evening　travelled　over　a　mountainous　country　covered　with　sharp　fragments　of　flint　rock；　these　bruised　and　cut　their　feet　very　much；　but　were　scarcely　less　troublesome　than　the　prickly…pear　of　the　open　plains；　which　have　now　become　so　abundant　that　it　is　impossible　to　avoid　them；　and　the　thorns　are　so　strong　that　they　pierce　a　double　sole　of　dressed　deer…skin；　the　best　resource　against　them　is　a　sole　of　buffalo…hide　in　parchment　＇that　is；　hard　dried＇。　At　night　they　reached　the　river　much　fatigued；　having　passed　two　mountains　in　the　course　of　the　day；　and　travelled　thirty　miles。　　Captain　Clark's　first　employment；　on　lighting　a　fire；　was　to　extract　from　his　feet　the　thorns；　which　he　found　seventeen　in　number。〃

The　dung　of　the　buffalo；　exposed　for　many　years　to　the　action　of　sun；　wind；　and　rain；　became　as　dry　and　firm　as　the　finest　compressed　hay。　As　〃buffalo　chips；〃　in　these　treeless　regions；　it　was　the　overland　emigrants'　sole　dependence　for　fuel。

The　explorers　now　approached　a　wonderful　pass　in　the　Rocky　Mountains　which　their　journal　thus　describes：

〃A　mile　and　a　half　beyond　this　creek　＇Cottonwood　Creek＇　the　rocks　approach　the　river　on　both　sides；　forming　a　most　sublime　and　extraordinary　spectacle。　For　five　and　three　quarter　miles　these　rocks　rise　perpendicularly　from　the　water's　edge　to　the　height　of　nearly　twelve　hundred　feet。　They　are　composed　of　a　black　granite　near　their　base；　but　from　the　lighter　color　above；　and　from　the　fragments；　we　suppose　the　upper　part　to　be　flint　of　a　yellowish　brown　and　cream　color。

〃Nothing　can　be　imagined　more　tremendous　than　the　frowning　darkness　of　these　rocks；　which　project　over　the　river　and　menace　us　with　destruction。　The　river；　one　hundred　and　fifty　yards　in　width；　seems　to　have　forced　its　channel　down　this　solid　mass；　but　so　reluctantly　has　it　given　way；　that　during　the　whole　distance　the　water　is　very　deep　even　at　the　edges；　and　for　the　first　three　miles　there　is　not　a　spot；　except　one　of　a　few　yards；　in　which　a　man　could　stand　between　the　water　and　the　towering　perpendicular　of　the　mountain。　　The　convulsion　of　the　passage　must　have　been　terrible；　since　at　its　outlet　there　are　vast　columns　of　rock　torn　from　the　mountain；　which　are　strewed　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　the　trophies；　as　it　were；　of　its　victory。　　Several　fine　springs　burst　out　from　the　chasms　of　the　rock；　and　contribute　to　increase　the　river；　which　has　a　strong　current；　but；　very　fortunately；　we　were　able　to　overcome　it　with　our　oars；　since　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　use　either　the　cord　or　the　pole。　We　were　obliged　to　go　on　some　time　after　dark；　not　being　able　to　find　a　spot　large　enough　to　encamp　on；　but　at　length；　about　two　miles　above　a　small　island　in　the　middle　of　the　river；　we　met　with　a　place　on　the　left　side；　where　we　procured　plenty　of　light　wood　and　pitch　pine。　This　extraordinary　range　of　rocks　we　called　the　Gates　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。〃

Some　of　Captain　Clark's　men；　engaged　in　hunting；　gave　the　alarm　to　roving　bands　of　Shoshonee　Indians；　hunting　in　that　vicinity。　The　noise　of　their　guns　attracted　the　attention　of　the　Indians；　who；　having　set　fire　to　the　grass　as　a　warning　to　their　comrades；　fled　to　the　mountains。　　The　whole　country　soon　appeared　to　have　taken　fright；　and　great　clouds　of　smoke　were　observed　in　all　directions。　Falling　into　an　old　Indian　trail；　Captain　Clark　waited；　with　his　weary　and　footsore　men；　for　the　rest　of　the　party　to　come　up　with　them。

The　explorers　had　now　passed　south；　between　the　Big　Belt　range　of　mountains　on　the　cast　and　the　main　chain　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　on　the　west。　Meagher　County；　Montana；　now　lies　on　the　cast　of　their　trail；　and　on　the　west　side　of　that　route　is　the　county　of　Lewis　and　Clark。　　They　were　now　still　travelling　southwardapproaching　the　ultimate　sources　of　the　great　Missouri。　　The　journal　says：

〃We　are　delighted　to　find　that　the　Indian　woman　recognizes　the　country；　she　tells　us　that　to　this　creek　her　countrymen　make　excursions　to　procure　white　paint　on　its　banks；　and　we　therefore　call　it　Whiteearth　Creek。　　She　says　also　that　the　Three　Forks　of　the　Missouri　are　at　no　great　distancea　piece　of　intelligence　which　has　cheered　the　spirits　of　us　all；　as　we　hope　soon　to　reach　the　head　of　that　river。　This　is　the　warmest　day；　except　one；　we　have　experienced　this　summer。　In　the　shade　the　mercury　stood　at　eighty　degrees；　which　is　the　second　time　it　has　reached　that　height　during　this　season。　We　camped　on　an　island；　after　making　nineteen　and　three　quarters　miles。

〃In　the　course　of　the　day　we　saw　many　geese；　cranes；　small　birds　common　to　the　plains；　and　a　few　pheasants。　　We　also　observed　a　small　plover　or　curlew　of　a　brown　color；　about　the　size　of　a　yellow…legged　plover　or　jack…curlew；　but　of　a　different　species。　It　first　appeared　near　the　mouth　of　Smith's　River；　but　is　so　shy　and　vigilant　that　we　were　unable　to　shoot　it。　Both　the　broad　and　narrow…leaved　willow　continue；　though　the　sweet　willow　has　become　very　scarce。　　The　rosebush；　small　honeysuckle；　pulpy…leaved　thorn；　southernwood；　sage；　box…elder；　narrow…leaved　cottonwood；　redwood；　and　a　species　of　sumach；　are　all　abundant。　So；　too；　are　the　red　and　black　gooseberries；　service…berry；　choke…cherry；　and　the　black；　yellow；　red；　and　purple　currants；　which　last　seems　to　be　a　favorite　food　of　the　bear。　Before　camping　we　landed　and　took　on　board　Captain　Clark；　with　the　meat　he　had　collected　during　this　day's　hunt；　which　consisted　of　one　deer　and　an　elk；　we　had；　ourselves；　shot　a　deer　and　an　antelope。〃

The　party　found　quantities　of　wild　onions　of　good　flavor　and　size。　They　also　observed　wild　flax；　garlic；　and　other　vegetable　products　of　value。　The　journal　adds：

〃We　saw　many　otter　and　beaver　to…day　＇July　24th＇。　The　latter　seem　to　contribute　very　much　to　the　number　of　islands；　and　the　widening　of　the　river。　　They　begin　by　damming　up　the　small　channels　of　about　twenty　yards　between　the　islands：　　this　obliges　the　river　to　seek　another　outlet；　and；　as　soon　as　this　is　effected；　the　channel　stopped　by　the　beaver　becomes　filled　with　mud　and　sand。　　The　industrious　animal　is　then　driven　to　another　channel；　which　soon　shares　the　same　fate；　till　the　river　spreads　on　all　sides；　and　cuts　the　projecting　points　of　the　land　into　islands。　　We　killed　a　deer；　and　saw　great　numbers　of　antelopes；　cranes；　some　geese；　and　a　few　red…headed　ducks。　The　small　birds　of　the　plains　and　the　curlew　are　still　abundant：　we　saw　a　large　bear；　but　could　not　come　within　gunshot　of　him。　There　are　numerous　tracks　of　the　elk；　but　none　of　the　animals　themselves；　and；　from　the　appearance　of　bones　and　old　excrement；　we　suppose　that　buffalo　sometimes　stray　into　the　valley；　though　we　have　as　yet　seen　no　recent　sign　of　them。　　Along　the　water　are　a　number　of　snakes；　some　of　a　uniform　brown　color；　others　black；　and　a　third　speckled　on　the　abdomen；　and　striped　with　black　and　a　brownish　yellow　on　the　back　and　sides。　The　first；　which　is　the　largest；　is　about　four　feet　long；　the　second　is　of　the　kind　mentioned　yesterday；　and　the　third　resembles　in　size　and　appearance　the　garter…snake　of　the　United　States。　　On　examining　the　teeth　of　all　these　several　kinds；　we　found　them　free　from　poison：　they　are　fond　of　the　water；　in　which　they　take　shelter　on　being　pursued。　The　mosquitoes；　gnats；　and　prickly　pear；　our　three　persecutors；　still　continue　with　us；　and；　joined　with　the　labor　of　working　the　canoes；　have　fatigued　us　all　excessively。〃

On　Thursday；　July　25；　Captain　Clark；　who　was　in　the　lead；　as　usual；　arrived　at　the　famous　Three　Forks　of　the　Missouri。　　The　stream　flowing　in　a　generally　northeastern　direction　was　the　true；　or　principal　Missouri；　and　was　named　the　Jefferson。　　The　middle　branch　was　named　the　Madison；　in　honor　of　James　Madison；　then　Secretary　of　State；　and　the　fork　next　to　the　eastward　received　the　name　of　Albert　Gallatin；　then　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　and　by　these　titles　the　streams　are　known　to　this　day。　The　explorers　had　now　passed　down　to　their　furthest　southern　limit；　their　trail　being　to　the　eastward　of　the　modern　cities　of　Helena　and　Butte；　and　separated　only　by　a　narrow　divide　（then　unknown　to　them）　from　the　sources　of　some　of　the　streams　that　fall　into　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　Under　the　date　of　July　27；　the　journal　says：

〃We　are　now　very　anxious　to　see　the　Snake　Indians。　　After　advancing　for　several　hundred　miles　into　this　wild　and　mountainous　country；　we　may　soon　expect　that　the　game　will　abandon　us。　　With　no　information　of　the　route；　we　may　be　unable　to　find　a　passage　across　the　mountains　when　we　reach　the　head　of　the　riverat　least；　such　a　pass　as　will　lead　us　to　the　Columbia。　　Even　are　we　so　fortunate　as　to　find　a　branch　of　that　river；　the　timber　which　we　have　hitherto　seen　in　these　mountains　does　not　promise　us　any　fit　to　make　canoes；　so　that　our　chief　dependence　is　on　meeting　some　tribe　from　whom　we　may　procure　horses。　Our　consolation　is　that　this　southwest　branch　can　scarc