first across the continent-第56节

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s；　and　covered　with　several　blankets　so　as　to　make　a　perfect　awning。　　The　patient　being　stripped　naked；　was　seated　under　this　on　a　beach；　with　a　piece　of　board　for　his　feet；　and　with　a　jug　of　water　sprinkled　the　bottom　and　sides　of　the　hole；　so　as　to　keep　up　as　hot　a　steam　as　he　could　bear。　After　remaining　twenty　minutes　in　this　situation；　he　was　taken　out；　immediately　plunged　twice　in　cold　water；　and　brought　back　to　the　hole；　where　he　resumed　the　vapor　bath。　　During　all　this　time　he　drank　copiously　a　strong　infusion　of　horse…mint；　which　was　used　as　a　substitute　for　seneca…root；　which　our　informant　said　he　had　seen　employed　on　these　occasions；　but　of　which　there　is　none　in　this　country。　At　the　end　of　three…quarters　of　an　hour　he　was　again　withdrawn　from　the　hole；　carefully　wrapped；　and　suffered　to　cool　gradually。　This　operation　was　performed　yesterday；　this　morning　he　walked　about　and　is　nearly　free　from　pain。　　About　eleven　o'clock　a　canoe　arrived　with　three　Indians；　one　of　whom　was　the　poor　creature　who　had　lost　the　use　of　his　limbs；　and　for　whose　recovery　the　natives　seem　very　anxious；　as　he　is　a　chief　of　considerable　rank　among　them。　　His　situation　is　beyond　the　reach　of　our　skill。　He　complains　of　no　pain　in　any　peculiar　limb；　and　we　therefore　think　his　disorder　cannot　be　rheumatic；　and　his　limbs　would　have　been　more　diminished　if　his　disease　had　been　a　paralytic　affection。　We　had　already　ascribed　it　to　his　diet　of　roots；　and　had　recommended　his　living　on　fish　and　flesh；　and　using　the　cold　bath　every　morning；　with　a　dose　of　cream　of　tartar　or　flowers　of　sulphur　every　third　day。〃

It　is　gratifying　to　be　able　to　record　the　fact　that　Bratton　and　the　Indian　（who　was　treated　in　the　same　manner）　actually　recovered　from　their　malady。　The　journal　says　of　the　Indian　that　his　restoration　was　〃wonderful。〃　This　is　not　too　strong　a　word　to　use　under　the　circumstances；　for　the　chief　had　been　helpless　for　nearly　three　years；　and　yet　he　was　able　to　get　about　and　take　care　of　himself　after　he　had　been　treated　by　Captain　（otherwise　Doctor）　Clark。　　Two　of　his　men　met　with　a　serious　disaster　about　this　time；　going　across　the　river　to　trade　with　some　Indians；　their　boat　was　stove　and　went　to　the　bottom；　carrying　with　it　three　blankets；　a　blanket…coat；　and　their　scanty　stock　of　merchandise；　all　of　which　was　utterly　lost。　Another　disaster；　which　happened　next　day；　is　thus　recorded：

〃Two　of　our　men；　who　had　been　up　the　river　to　trade　with　the　Indians；　returned　quite　unsuccessful。　　Nearly　opposite　the　village；　their　horse　fell　with　his　load　down　a　steep　cliff　into　the　river；　across　which　he　swam。　　An　Indian　on　the　opposite　side　drove　him　back　to　them；　but　in　crossing　most　of　the　articles　were　lost　and　the　paint　melted。　Understanding　their　intentions；　the　Indians　attempted　to　come　over　to　them；　but　having　no　canoe；　were　obliged　to　use　a　raft；　which　struck　on　a　rock；　upset；　and　the　whole　store　of　roots　and　bread　were　destroyed。　This　failure　completely　exhausted　our　stock　of　merchandise；　but　the　remembrance　of　what　we　suffered　from　cold　and　hunger　during　the　passage　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　makes　us　anxious　to　increase　our　means　of　subsistence　and　comfort；　since　we　have　again　to　encounter　the　same　inconvenience。〃

But　the　ingenuity　of　the　explorers　was　equal　to　this　emergency。　Having　observed　that　the　Indians　were　very　fond　of　brass　buttons；　which　they　fastened　to　their　garments　as　ornaments；　and　not　for　the　useful　purpose　for　which　buttons　are　made；　the　men　now　proceeded　to　cut　from　their　shabby　United　States　uniforms　those　desired　articles；　and　thus　formed　a　new　fund　for　trading　purposes。　To　these　they　added　some　eye…water；　some　basilicon；　and　a　few　small　tin　boxes　in　which　phosphorus　had　been　kept。　　Basilicon；　of　which　mention　is　frequently　made　in　the　journal；　was　an　ointment　composed　of　black　pitch；　white　wax；　resin；　and　olive　oil；　it　was　esteemed　as　a　sovereign　remedy　for　all　diseases　requiring　an　outward　application。　With　these　valuables　two　men　were　sent　out　to　trade　with　the　Indians；　on　the　second　day　of　June；　and　they　returned　with　three　bushels　of　eatable　roots　and　some　cowas　bread。　　Later　in　that　day；　a　party　that　had　been　sent　down　the　river　（Lewis'）　in　quest　of　food；　returned　with　a　goodly　supply　of　roots　and　seventeen　salmon。　These　fish；　although　partly　spoiled　by　the　long　journey　home；　gave　great　satisfaction　to　the　hungry　adventurers；　for　they　were　the　promise　of　a　plenty　to　come　when　the　salmon　should　ascend　the　rivers　that　make　into　the　Columbia。　　At　this　time　we　find　the　following　interesting　story　in　the　journal　of　the　expedition：

〃We　had　lately　heard；　also；　that　some　Indians；　residing　at　a　considerable　distance；　on　the　south　side　of　the　Kooskooskee；　were　in　possession　of　two　tomahawks；　one　of　which　had　been　left　at　our　camp　on　Moscheto　Creek；　and　the　other　had　been　stolen　while　we　were　with　the　Chopunnish　in　the　autumn。　　This　last　we　were　anxious　to　obtain；　in　order　to　give　it　to　the　relations　of　our　unfortunate　companion；　Sergeant　Floyd；＇1＇　to　whom　it　once　belonged。　We　therefore　sent　Drewyer；　with　the　two　chiefs　Neeshnepahkeeook　and　Hohastillpilp　（who　had　returned　to　us）　to　demand　it。　On　their　arrival；　they　found　that　the　present　possessor　of　it；　who　had　purchased　it　of　the　thief；　was　at　the　point　of　death；　and　his　relations　were　unwilling　to　give　it　up；　as　they　wished　to　bury　it　in　the　grave　with　the　deceased。　The　influence　of　Neeshnepahkeeook；　however；　at　length　prevailed；　and　they　consented　to　surrender　the　tomahawk　on　receiving　two　strands　of　beads　and　a　handkerchief　from　Drewyer；　and　from　each　of　the　chiefs　a　horse；　to　be　killed　at　the　funeral　of　their　kinsman；　according　to　the　custom　of　the　country。〃


＇1＇　See　page　23。


The　Chopunnish　chiefs　now　gave　their　final　answer　to　the　two　captains　who　had　requested　guides　from　them。　　The　chiefs　said　that　they　could　not　accompany　the　party；　but　later　in　the　summer　they　might　cross　the　great　divide　and　spend　the　next　winter　on　the　headwaters　of　the　Missouri。　　At　present；　they　could　only　promise　that　some　of　their　young　men　should　go　with　the　whites；　these　had　not　been　selected；　but　they　would　be　sent　on　after　the　party；　if　the　two　captains　insisted　on　starting　now。　This　was　not　very　encouraging；　for　they　had　depended　upon　the　Indians　for　guidance　over　the　exceedingly　difficult　and　even　dangerous　passages　of　the　mountains。　　Accordingly；　it　was　resolved　that；　while　waiting　on　the　motions　of　the　Indians；　the　party　might　as　well　make　a　visit　to　Quamash　flats；　where　they　could　lay　in　a　stock　of　provisions　for　their　arduous　journey。　It　is　not　certain　which　of　the　several　Quamash　flats　mentioned　in　the　history　of　the　expedition　is　here　referred　to；　but　it　is　likely　that　the　open　glade　in　which　Captain　Clark　first　struck　the　low　country　of　the　west　is　here　meant。　It　was　here　that　he　met　the　Indian　boys　hiding　in　the　grass；　and　from　here　he　led　the　expedition　out　of　the　wilderness。　For　〃quamash〃　read　〃camass；〃　an　edible　root　much　prized　by　the　Nez　Perces　then　and　now。

While　they　lingered　at　their　camp；　they　were　visited　by　several　bands　of　friendly　Indians。　　The　explorers　traded　horses　with　their　visitors；　and；　with　what　they　already　had；　they　now　found　their　band　to　number　sixty…five；　all　told。　Having　finished　their　trading；　they　invited　the　Indians　to　take　part　in　the　games　of　prisoners'　base　and　foot…racing；　in　the　latter　game　the　Indians　were　very　expert；　being　able　to　distance　the　fleetest　runner　of　the　white　men's　party。　At　night；　the　games　were　concluded　by　a　dance。　　The　account　of　the　expedition　says　that　the　captains　were　desirous　of　encouraging　these　exercises　before　they　should　begin　the　passage　over　the　mountains；　〃as　several　of　the　men　are　becoming　lazy　from　inaction。〃

On　the　tenth　of　June　the　party　set　out　for　Quamash　flats；　each　man　well　mounted　and　leading　a　spare　horse　which　carried　a　small　load。　To　their　dismay；　they　found　that　their　good　friends；　the　Chopunnish；　unwilling　to　part　with　them；　were　bound　to　accompany　them　to　the　hunting…grounds。　The　Indians　would　naturally　expect　to　share　in　the　hunt　and　to　be　provided　for　by　the　white　men。　The　party　halted　there　only　until　the　sixth　of　June；　and　then；　collecting　their　horses；　set　out　through　what　proved　to　be　a　very　difficult　trail　up　the　creek　on　which　they　were　camped；　in　a　northeasterly　direction。　　There　was　still　a　quantity　of　snow　on　the　ground；　although　this　was　in　shady　places　and　hollows。　Vegetation　was　rank；　and　the　dogtooth　violet；　honeysuckle；　blue…bell；　and　columbine　were　in　blossom。　　The　pale　blue　flowers　of　the　quamash　gave　to　the　level　country　the　appearance　of　a　blue　lake。　Striking　Hungry　Creek；　which　Captain　Clark　had　very　appropriately　named　when　he　passed　that　way；　the　previous　September；　they　followed　it　up　to　a　mountain　for　about　three　miles；　when　they　found　themselves　enveloped　in　snow；　their　limbs　were　benumbed；　and　the　snow；　from　twelve　to　fifteen　feet　deep；　so　paralyzed　their　feet　that　further　progress　was　impossible。　Here　the　journal　should　be　quoted：

〃We　halted　at　the　sight　of　this　new　difficulty。　　We　already　knew　that　to　wait　till　the　snows　of　the　mountains　had　dissolved；　so　as　to　enable　us　to　distinguish　the　road；　would　defeat　our　design　of　returning　to　the　United　States　this　season。　W