first across the continent-第43节

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s　of　escape　from　this　place；　at　the　mercy　of　the　waves。　Still；　we　continued　to　enjoy　good　health；　and　even　had　the　luxury　of　feasting　on　some　salmon　and　three　salmon　trout　which　we　caught　in　the　brook。　Three　of　the　men　attempted　to　go　round　a　point　in　our　small　Indian　canoe；　but　the　high　waves　rendered　her　quite　unmanageable；　these　boats　requiring　the　seamanship　of　the　natives　to　make　them　live　in　so　rough　a　sea。〃

It　should　be　borne　in　mind　that　the　canoes　of　the　explorers　were　poor　dug…outs；　unfit　to　navigate　the　turbulent　waters　of　the　bay；　and　the　men　were　not　so　expert　in　that　sort　of　seamanship　as　were　the　Indians　whom　they；　with　envy；　saw　breasting　the　waves　and　making　short　voyages　in　the　midst　of　the　storms。　　It　continued　to　rain　without　any　intermission；　and　the　waves　dashed　up　among　the　floating　logs　of　the　camp　in　a　very　distracting　manner。　The　party　now　had　nothing　but　dried　fish　to　eat；　and　it　was　with　great　difficulty　that　a　fire　could　be　built。　　On　the　fifteenth　of　the　month；　Captain　Lewis　having　found　a　better　camping…place　near　a　sandy　beach；　they　started　to　move　their　luggage　thither；　but　before　they　could　get　under　way；　a　high　wind　from　the　southwest　sprung　up　and　they　were　forced　to　remain。　But　the　sun　came　out　and　they　were　enabled　to　dry　their　stuff；　much　of　which　had　been　spoiled　by　the　rain　which　had　prevailed　for　the　past　ten　days。　Their　fish　also　was　no　longer　fit　to　eat；　and　they　were　indeed　in　poor　case。　Captain　Lewis　was　out　on　a　prospecting　trip；　and　the　party　set　out　and　found　a　beach　through　which　a　pleasant　brook　flowed　to　the　river；　making　a　very　good　camping…place。　At　the　mouth　of　this　stream　was　an　ancient　Chinook　village；　which；　says　the　journal；　〃has　at　present　no　inhabitants　but　fleas。〃　The　adventurers　were　compelled　to　steer　wide　of　all　old　Indian　villages；　they　were　so　infested　with　fleas。　　At　times；　so　great　was　the　pest；　the　men　were　forced　to　take　off　all　their　clothing　and　soak　themselves　and　their　garments　in　the　river　before　they　could　be　rid　of　the　insects。　The　site　of　their　new　camp　was　at　the　southeast　end　of　Baker's　Bay；　sometimes　called　Haley's　Bay；　a　mile　above　a　very　high　point　of　rocks。　On　arriving　at　this　place；　the　voyagers　met　with　an　unpleasant　experience　of　which　the　journal　gives　this　account：

〃Here　we　met　Shannon；　who　had　been　sent　back　to　meet　us　by　Captain　Lewis。　　The　day　Shannon　left　us　in　the　canoe；　he　and　Willard　proceeded　till　they　met　a　party　of　twenty　Indians；　who；　having　never　heard　of　us；　did　not　know　where　they　＇our　men＇　came　from；　they；　however；　behaved　with　so　much　civility；　and　seemed　so　anxious　that　the　men　should　go　with　them　toward　the　sea；　that　their　suspicions　were　excited；　and　they　declined　going　on。　The　Indians；　however；　would　not　leave　them；　the　men　being　confirmed　in　their　suspicions；　and　fearful　that　if　they　went　into　the　woods　to　sleep　they　would　be　cut　to　pieces　in　the　night；　thought　it　best　to　pass　the　night　in　the　midst　of　the　Indians。　　They　therefore　made　a　fire；　and　after　talking　with　them　to　a　late　hour；　laid　down　with　their　rifles　under　their　heads。　　As　they　awoke　that　morning　they　found　that　the　Indians　had　stolen　and　concealed　their　guns。　Having　demanded　them　in　vain；　Shannon　seized　a　club；　and　was　about　assaulting　one　of　the　Indians；　whom　he　suspected　as　a　thief；　when　another　Indian　began　to　load　a　fowling…piece　with　the　intention　of　shooting　him。　He　therefore　stopped；　and　explained　by　signs　that　if　they　did　not　give　up　the　guns　a　large　party　would　come　down　the　river　before　the　sun　rose　to　such　a　height；　and　put　every　one　of　them　to　death。　Fortunately；　Captain　Lewis　and　his　party　appeared　at　this　time。　The　terrified　Indians　immediately　brought　the　guns；　and　five　of　them　came　on　with　Shannon。　　To　these　men　we　declared　that　if　ever　any　one　of　their　nation　stole　anything　from　us；　he　should　be　instantly　shot。　They　reside　to　the　north　of　this　place；　and　speak　a　language　different　from　that　of　the　people　higher　up　the　river。

〃It　was　now　apparent　that　the　sea　was　at　all　times　too　rough　for　us　to　proceed　further　down　the　bay　by　water。　We　therefore　landed；　and　having　chosen　the　best　spot　we　could　select；　made　our　camp　of　boards　from　the　old　＇Chinook＇　village。　We　were　now　situated　comfortably；　and　being　visited　by　four　Wahkiacums　with　wappatoo…roots；　were　enabled　to　make　an　agreeable　addition　to　our　food。〃

On　the　seventeenth　Captain　Lewis　with　a　small　party　of　his　men　coasted　the　bay　as　far　out　as　Cape　Disappointment　and　some　distance　to　the　north　along　the　seacoast。　　Game　was　now　plenty；　and　the　camp　was　supplied　with　ducks；　geese；　and　venison。　　Bad　weather　again　set　in。　The　journal　under　date　of　November　22　says：

〃It　rained　during　the　whole　night；　and　about　daylight　a　tremendous　gale　of　wind　rose　from　the　S。S。E。；　and　continued　through　the　day　with　great　violence。　The　sea　ran　so　high　that　the　water　came　into　our　camp；　which　the　rain　prevents　us　from　leaving。　　We　purchased　from　the　old　squaw；　for　armbands　and　rings；　a　few　wappatoo…roots；　on　which　we　subsisted。　　They　are　nearly　equal　in　flavor　to　the　Irish　potato；　and　afford　a　very　good　substitute　for　bread。　The　bad　weather　drove　several　Indians　to　our　camp；　but　they　were　still　under　the　terrors　of　the　threat　which　we　made　on　first　seeing　them；　and　behaved　with　the　greatest　decency。

〃The　rain　continued　through　the　night；　November　23；　and　the　morning　was　calm　and　cloudy。　　The　hunters　were　sent　out；　and　killed　three　deer；　four　brant；　and　three　ducks。　　Towards　evening　seven　Clatsops　came　over　in　a　canoe；　with　two　skins　of　the　sea…otter。　To　this　article　they　attached　an　extravagant　value；　and　their　demands　for　it　were　so　high；　that　we　were　fearful　it　would　too　much　reduce　our　small　stock　of　merchandise；　on　which　we　had　to　depend　for　subsistence　on　our　return；　to　venture　on　purchasing　it。　To　ascertain；　however；　their　ideas　as　to　the　value　of　different　objects；　we　offered　for　one　of　these　skins　a　watch；　a　handkerchief；　an　American　dollar；　and　a　bunch　of　red　beads；　but　neither　the　curious　mechanism　of　the　watch；　nor　even　the　red　beads；　could　tempt　the　owner：　　he　refused　the　offer；　but　asked　for　tiacomoshack；　or　chief　beads；　the　most　common　sort　of　coarse　blue…colored　beads；　the　article　beyond　all　price　in　their　estimation。　Of　these　blue　beads　we　had　but　few；　and　therefore　reserved　them　for　more　necessitous　circumstances。〃

The　officers　of　the　expedition　had　hoped　and　expected　to　find　here　some　of　the　trading　ships　that　were　occasionally　sent　along　the　coast　to　barter　with　the　natives；　but　none　were　to　be　found。　They　were　soon　to　prepare　for　winter…quarters；　and　they　still　hoped　that　a　trader　might　appear　in　the　spring　before　they　set　out　on　their　homeward　journey　across　the　continent。　Very　much　they　needed　trinkets　to　deal　with　the　natives　in　exchange　for；　the　needful　articles　of　food　on　the　route。　But　（we　may　as　well　say　here）　no　such　relief　ever　appeared。　It　is　strange　that　President　Jefferson；　in　the　midst　of　his　very　minute　orders　and　preparations　for　the　benefit　of　the　explorers；　did　not　think　of　sending　a　relief　ship　to　meet　the　party　at　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia。　　They　would　have　been　saved　a　world　of　care；　worry；　and　discomfort。　But　at　that　time　the　European　nations　who　held　possessions　on　the　Pacific　coast　were　very　suspicious　of　the　Americans；　and　possibly　President　Jefferson　did　not　like　to　risk　rousing　their　animosity。

The　rain　that　now　deluged　the　unhappy　campers　was　so　incessant　that　they　might　well　have　thought　that　people　should　be　web…footed　to　live　in　such　a　watery　region。　　In　these　later　days；　Oregon　is　sometimes　known　as　〃The　Web…foot　State。〃　　Captain　Clark；　in　his　diary；　November　28；　makes　this　entry：　　〃O！　how　disagreeable　is　our　situation　dureing　this　dreadfull　weather！〃　　The　gallant　captain's　spelling　was　sometimes　queer。　Under　that　date　he　adds：

〃We　remained　during　the　day　in　a　situation　the　most　cheerless　and　uncomfortable。　　On　this　little　neck　of　land　we　are　exposed；　with　a　miserable　covering　which　does　not　deserve　the　name　of　a　shelter；　to　the　violence　of　the　winds；　all　our　bedding　and　stores；　as　well　as　our　bodies；　are　completely　wet；　our　clothes　are　rotting　with　constant　exposure；　and　we　have　no　food　except　the　dried　fish　brought　from　the　falls；　to　which　we　are　again　reduced。　　The　hunters　all　returned　hungry　and　drenched　with　rain；　having　seen　neither　deer　nor　elk；　and　the　swan　and　brant　were　too　shy　to　be　approached。　At　noon　the　wind　shifted　to　the　northwest；　and　blew　with　such　tremendous　fury　that　many　trees　were　blown　down　near　us。　This　gale　lasted　with　short　intervals　during　the　whole　night。〃

Of　course；　in　the　midst　of　such　violent　storms；　it　was　impossible　to　get　game；　and　the　men　were　obliged　to　resort　once　more　to　a　diet　of　dried　fish；　This　food　caused　much　sickness　in　the　camp；　and　it　became　imperatively　necessary　that　efforts　should　again　be　made　to　find　game。　On　the　second　of　December；　to　their　great　joy　an　elk　was　killed；　and　next　day　they　had　a　feast。　　The　journal　says；

〃The　wind　was　from　the　east　and　the　morning　fair；　but；　as　if　one　whole　day　of　fine　weather　were　not　permitted；　toward　night　it　began　to　rain。　Even　this　transient　glimpse　of　sunshine　revived　the　spirits　of　the　party；　who　were　still　more　pleased　when　the　elk　killed　yesterday