first across the continent-第26节

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　some　tribe　from　whom　we　may　procure　horses。　Our　consolation　is　that　this　southwest　branch　can　scarcely　head　with　any　other　river　than　the　Columbia；　and　that　if　any　nation　of　Indians　can　live　in　the　mountains　we　are　able　to　endure　as　much　as　they　can；　and　have　even　better　means　of　procuring　subsistence。〃



Chapter　XII

At　the　Sources　of　the　Missouri

The　explorers　were　now　（in　the　last　days　of　July；　1805）　at　the　head　of　the　principal　sources　of　the　great　Missouri　River；　in　the　fastnesses　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　at　the　base　of　the　narrow　divide　that　separates　Idaho　from　Montana　in　its　southern　corner。　　Just　across　this　divide　are　the　springs　that　feed　streams　falling　into　the　majestic　Columbia　and　then　to　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　As　has　been　already　set　forth；　they　named　the　Three　Forks　for　President　Jefferson　and　members　of　his　cabinet。　These　names　still　survive；　although　Jefferson　River　is　the　true　Missouri　and　not　a　fork　of　that　stream。　　Upon　the　forks　of　the　Jefferson　Lewis　bestowed　the　titles　of　Philosophy；　Wisdom；　and　Philanthropy；　each　of　these　gifts　and　graces　being；　in　his　opinion；　〃an　attribute　of　that　illustrious　personage；　Thomas　Jefferson；〃　then　President　of　the　United　States。　　But　alas　for　the　fleeting　greatness　of　geographical　honor！　Philosophy　River　is　now　known　as　Willow　Creek；　and　at　its　mouth；　a　busy　little　railroad　town；　is　Willow　City。　　The　northwest　fork　is　no　longer　Wisdom；　but　Big　Hole　River；　deep　valleys　among　the　mountains　are　known　as　holes；　and　the　stream　called　by　that　name；　once　Wisdom；　is　followed　along　its　crooked　course　by　a　railroad　that　connects　Dillon；　Silver　Bow；　and　Butte　City；　Montana。　　Vulgarity　does　its　worst　for　Philanthropy；　its　modern　name　on　the　map　is　Stinking　Water。

On　the　thirtieth　of　July；　the　party；　having　camped　long　enough　to　unpack　and　dry　their　goods；　dress　their　deerskins　and　make　them　into　leggings　and　moccasins；　reloaded　their　canoes　and　began　the　toilsome　ascent　of　the　Jefferson。　　The　journal　makes　this　record：

〃Sacajawea；　our　Indian　woman；　informs　us　that　we　are　encamped　on　the　precise　spot　where　her　countrymen；　the　Snake　Indians；　had　their　huts　five　years　ago；　when　the　Minnetarees　of　Knife　River　first　came　in　sight　of　them；　and　from　whom　they　hastily　retreated　three　miles　up　the　Jefferson；　and　concealed　themselves　in　the　woods。　The　Minnetarees；　however；　pursued　and　attacked　them；　killed　four　men；　as　many　women；　and　a　number　of　boys；　and　made　prisoners　of　four　other　boys　and　all　the　females；　of　whom　Sacajawea　was　one。　She　does　not；　however；　show　any　distress　at　these　recollections；　nor　any　joy　at　the　prospect　of　being　restored　to　her　country；　for　she　seems　to　possess　the　folly；　or　the　philosophy；　of　not　suffering　her　feelings　to　extend　beyond　the　anxiety　of　having　plenty　to　eat　and　a　few　trinkets　to　wear。

〃This　morning　the　hunters　brought　in　some　fat　deer　of　the　long…tailed　red　kind；　which　are　quite　as　large　as　those　of　the　United　States；　and　are；　indeed；　the　only　kind　we　have　found　at　this　place。　There　are　numbers　of　the　sand…hill　cranes　feeding　in　the　meadows：　we　caught　a　young　one　of　the　same　color　as　the　red　deer；　which；　though　it　had　nearly　attained　its　full　growth；　could　not　fly；　it　is　very　fierce；　and　strikes　a　severe　blow　with　its　beak。　。　。　。

〃Captain　Lewis　proceeded　after　dinner　through　an　extensive　low　ground　of　timber　and　meadow…land　intermixed；　but　the　bayous　were　so　obstructed　by　beaver…dams　that；　in　order　to　avoid　them；　he　directed　his　course　toward　the　high　plain　on　the　right。　This　he　gained　with　some　difficulty；　after　wading　up　to　his　waist　through　the　mud　and　water　of　a　number　of　beaver…dams。　When　he　desired　to　rejoin　the　canoes　he　found　the　underbrush　so　thick；　and　the　river　so　crooked；　that　this；　joined　to　the　difficulty　of　passing　the　beaver…dams；　induced　him　to　go　on　and　endeavor　to　intercept　the　river　at　some　point　where　it　might　be　more　collected　into　one　channel；　and　approach　nearer　the　high　plain。　He　arrived　at　the　bank　about　sunset；　having　gone　only　six　miles　in　a　direct　course　from　the　canoes；　but　he　saw　no　traces　of　the　men；　nor　did　he　receive　any　answer　to　his　shouts　and　the　firing　of　his　gun。　It　was　now　nearly　dark；　a　duck　lighted　near　him；　and　he　shot　it。　He　then　went　on　the　head　of　a　small　island；　where　he　found　some　driftwood；　which　enabled　him　to　cook　his　duck　for　supper；　and　laid　down　to　sleep　on　some　willow…brush。　The　night　was　cool；　but　the　driftwood　gave　him　a　good　fire；　and　he　suffered　no　inconvenience；　except　from　the　mosquitoes。〃

The　easy　indifference　to　discomfort　with　which　these　well…seasoned　pioneers　took　their　hardships　must　needs　impress　the　reader。　It　was　a　common　thing　for　men；　or　for　a　solitary　man；　to　be　caught　out　of　camp　by　nightfall　and　compelled　to　bivouac；　like　Captain　Lewis；　in　the　underbrush；　or　the　prairie…grass。　As　they　pressed　on；　game　began　to　fail　them。　　Under　date　of　July　31；　they　remark　that　the　only　game　seen　that　day　was　one　bighorn；　a　few　antelopes；　deer；　and　a　brown　bear；　all　of　which　escaped　them。　〃Nothing　was　killed　to…day；〃　it　is　recorded；　〃nor　have　we　had　any　fresh　meat　except　one　beaver　for　the　last　two　days；　so　that　we　are　now　reduced　to　an　unusual　situation；　for　we　have　hitherto　always　had　a　great　abundance　of　flesh。〃　Indeed；　one　reason　for　this　is　found　in　Captain　Lewis's　remark：　〃When　we　have　plenty　of　fresh　meat；　I　find　it　impossible　to　make　the　men　take　any　care　of　it；　or　use　it　with　the　least　frugality；　though　I　expect　that　necessity　will　shortly　teach　them　this　art。〃　We　shall　see；　later　on；　that　the　men；　who　were　really　as　improvident　of　food　as　the　Indians；　had　hard　lessons　from　necessity。

Anxious　to　reach　the　Indians；　who　were　believed　to　be　somewhere　ahead　of　them；　Captain　Lewis　and　three　men　went　on　up　the　Jefferson；　Captain　Clark　and　his　party　following　with　the　canoes　and　luggage　in　a　more　leisurely　manner。　The　advance　party　were　so　fortunate　as　to　overtake　a　herd　of　elk；　two　of　which　they　killed；　what　they　did　not　eat　they　left　secured　for　the　other　party　with　the　canoes。　　Clark's　men　also　had　good　luck　in　hunting；　for　they　killed　five　deer　and　one　bighorn。　　Neither　party　found　fresh　tracks　of　Indians；　and　they　were　greatly　discouraged　thereat。　The　journal　speaks　of　a　beautiful　valley；　from　six　to　eight　miles　wide；　where　they　saw　ancient　traces　of　buffalo　occupation；　but　no　buffalo。　These　animals　had　now　completely　disappeared；　they　were　seldom　seen　in　those　mountains。　　The　journal　says　of　Lewis：

〃He　saw　an　abundance　of　deer　and　antelope；　and　many　tracks　of　elk　and　bear。　Having　killed　two　deer；　they　feasted　sumptuously；　with　a　dessert　of　currants　of　different　colorstwo　species　red；　others　yellow；　deep　purple；　and　black；　to　these　were　added　black　gooseberries　and　deep　purple　service…berries；　somewhat　larger　than　ours；　from　which　they　differ　also　in　color；　size；　and　the　superior　excellence　of　their　flavor。　　In　the　low　grounds　of　the　river　were　many　beaver…dams　formed　of　willow…brush；　mud；　and　gravel；　so　closely　interwoven　that　they　resist　the　water　perfectly；　some　of　them　were　five　feet　high；　and　caused　the　river　to　overflow　several　acres　of　land。〃

Meanwhile；　the　party　with　the　canoes　were　having　a　fatiguing　time　as　they　toiled　up　the　river。　　On　the　fourth　of　August；　after　they　had　made　only　fifteen　miles；　the　journal　has　this　entry：

〃The　river　is　still　rapid；　and　the　water；　though　clear；　is　very　much　obstructed　by　shoals　or　ripples　at　every　two　hundred　or　three　hundred　yards。　At　all　these　places　we　are　obliged　to　drag　the　canoes　over　the　stones；　as　there　is　not　a　sufficient　depth　of　water　to　float　them；　and　in　the　other　parts　the　current　obliges　us　to　have　recourse　to　the　cord。　But　as　the　brushwood　on　the　banks　will　not　permit　us　to　walk　on　shore；　we　are　under　the　necessity　of　wading　through　the　river　as　we　drag　the　boats。　This　soon　makes　our　feet　tender；　and　sometimes　occasions　severe　falls　over　the　slippery　stones；　and　the　men；　by　being　constantly　wet；　are　becoming　more　feeble。　　In　the　course　of　the　day　the　hunters　killed　two　deer；　some　geese　and　ducks；　and　the　party　saw　some　antelopes；　cranes；　beaver；　and　otter。〃

Captain　Lewis　had　left　a　note　for　Captain　Clark　at　the　forks　of　the　Jefferson　and　Wisdom　rivers。　　Clark's　journal　says：

〃We　arrived　at　the　forks　about　four　o'clock；　but；　unluckily；　Captain　Lewis's　note　had　been　attached　to　a　green　pole；　which　the　beaver　had　cut　down；　and　carried　off　with　the　note　on　it：　　an　accident　which　deprived　us　of　all　information　as　to　the　character　of　the　two　branches　of　the　river。　Observing；　therefore；　that　the　northwest　fork　was　most　in　our　direction；　we　ascended　it。　　We　found　it　extremely　rapid；　and　its　waters　were　scattered　in　such　a　manner　that　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile　we　were　forced　to　cut　a　passage　through　the　willow…brush　that　leaned　over　the　little　channels　and　united　at　the　top。　　After　going　up　it　for　a　mile；　we　encamped　on　an　island　which　had　been　overflowed；　and　was　still　so　wet　that　we　were　compelled　to　make　beds　of　brush　to　keep　ourselves　out　of　the　mud。　Our　provision　consisted　of　two　deer　which　had　been　killed　in　the　morning。〃

It　should　be　borne　in　mind　that　this　river；　up　which　the　party　were　making　their　way；　was　the　Wisdom　（now　Big　Hole）；　and　was　the　northwest　fork　of　the　Jefferson；　flowing　from　southeas