first across the continent-第58节

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n　irregular　masses　round　their　lower　side。　The　principal　spring；　which　the　Indians　have　formed　into　a　bath　by　stopping　the　run　with　stone　and　pebbles；　is　about　the　same　temperature　as　the　warmest　bath　used　at　the　hot　springs　in　Virginia。　　On　trying；　Captain　Lewis　could　with　difficulty　remain　in　it　nineteen　minutes；　and　then　was　affected　with　a　profuse　perspiration。　The　two　other　springs　are　much　hotter；　the　temperature　being　equal　to　that　of　the　warmest　of　the　hot　springs　in　Virginia。　　Our　men；　as　well　as　the　Indians；　amused　themselves　with　going　into　the　bath；　the　latter；　according　to　their　universal　custom；　going　first　into　the　hot　bath；　where　they　remain　as　long　as　they　can　bear　the　heat；　then　plunging　into　the　creek；　which　is　now　of　an　icy　coldness；　and　repeating　this　operation　several　times；　but　always　ending　with　the　warm　bath。〃

Traveller's…rest　Creek；　it　will　be　recollected；　is　on　the　summit　of　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains；　and　the　expedition　had　consequently　passed　from　Idaho　into　Montana；　as　these　States　now　exist　on　the　map；　but　they　were　still　on　the　Pacific　side　of　the　Great　Divide；　or　the　backbone　of　the　continent。　　Much　game　was　seen　in　this　region；　and　after　reaching　Traveller's…rest　Creek；　the　hunters　killed　six　deer；　great　numbers　of　elk　and　bighorn　were　also　seen　in　this　vicinity。　On　the　thirtieth　of　July　the　party　were　at　their　old　camp　of　September　9　and　10；　1805；　having　made　one　hundred　and　fifty…six　miles　from　Quamash　flats　to　the　mouth　of　the　creek　where　they　now　camped。　Here　a　plan　to　divide　and　subdivide　the　party　was　made　out　as　follows：

〃Captain　Lewis；　with　nine　men；　is　to　pursue　the　most　direct　route　to　the　falls　of　the　Missouri；　where　three　of　his　party　＇Thompson；　Goodrich；　and　McNeal＇　are　to　be　left　to　prepare　carriages　for　transporting　the　baggage　and　canoes　across　the　portage。　With　the　remaining　six；　he　will　ascend　Maria's　River　to　explore　the　country　and　ascertain　whether　any　branch　of　it　reaches　as　far　north　as　latitude　50'0；　after　which　he　will　descend　that　river　to　its　mouth。　The　rest　of　the　men　will　accompany　Captain　Clark　to　the　head　of　Jefferson　River；　which　Sergeant　Ordway　and　a　party　of　nine　men　will　descend；　with　the　canoes　and　other　articles　deposited　there。　Captain　Clark's　party；　which　will　then　be　reduced　to　ten　men　and　Sacajawea；　will　proceed　to　the　Yellowstone；　at　its　nearest　approach　to　the　Three　Forks　of　the　Missouri。　　There　he　will　build　canoes；　go　down　that　river　with　seven　of　his　party；　and　wait　at　its　mouth　till　the　rest　of　the　party　join　him。　　Sergeant　Pryor；　with　two　others；　will　then　take　the　horses　by　land　to　the　Mandans。　　From　that　nation　he　will　go　to　the　British　posts　on　the　Assiniboin　with　a　letter　to　Mr。　Alexander　Henry；　to　procure　his　endeavors　to　prevail　on　some　of　the　Sioux　chiefs　to　accompany　him　to　the　city　of　Washington。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

The　Indians　who　had　accompanied　us　intended　leaving　us　in　order　to　seek　their　friends；　the　Ootlashoots；　but　we　prevailed　on　them　to　accompany　Captain　Lewis　a　part　of　his　route；　so　as　to　show　him　the　shortest　road　to　the　Missouri；　and　in　the　mean　time　amused　them　with　conversation　and　running　races；　on　foot　and　with　horses；　in　both　of　which　they　proved　themselves　hardy；　athletic；　and　active。　To　the　chief　Captain　Lewis　gave　a　small　medal　and　a　gun；　as　a　reward　for　having　guided　us　across　the　mountains；　in　return　the　customary　civility　of　exchanging　names　passed　between　them；　by　which　the　former　acquired　the　title　of　Yomekollick；　of　White　Bearskin　Unfolded。〃



Chapter　XXIV

The　Expedition　Subdivided

On　the　third　of　July；　accordingly；　Captain　Lewis；　with　nine　of　his　men　and　five　Indians；　proceeded　down　the　valley　lying　between　the　Rocky　and　the　Bitter　Root　ranges　of　mountains；　his　general　course　being　due　northwest　of　Clark's　fork　of　the　Columbia　River。　　Crossing　several　small　streams　that　make　into　this　river；　they　finally　reached　and　crossed　the　Missoula　River　from　west　to　east；　below　the　confluence　of　the　St。　Mary's　and　Hell…gate　rivers；　or　creeks；　for　these　streams　hardly　deserve　the　name　of　rivers。　The　party　camped　for　the　night　within　a　few　miles　of　the　site　of　the　present　city　of　Missoula；　Montana。　　Here　they　were　forced　to　part　from　their　good　friends　and　allies；　the　Indians；　who　had　crossed　the　range　with　them。　These　men　were　afraid　that　they　would　be　cut　off　by　their　foes；　the　Pahkees；　and　they　wanted　to　find　and　join　some　band　of　the　Indian　nation　with　whom　they　were　on　terms　of　friendship。　　The　journal　gives　this　account　of　the　parting：

〃We　now　smoked　a　farewell　pipe　with　our　estimable　companions；　who　expressed　every　emotion　of　regret　at　parting　with　us；　which　they　felt　the　more；　because　they　did　not　conceal　their　fears　of　our　being　cut　off　by　the　Pahkees。　　We　also　gave　them　a　shirt；　a　handkerchief；　and　a　small　quantity　of　ammunition。　The　meat　which　they　received　from　us　was　dried　and　left　at　this　place；　as　a　store　during　the　homeward　journey。　This　circumstance　confirms　our　belief　that　there　is　no　route　along　Clark's　River　to　the　Columbian　plains　so　near　or　so　good　as　that　by　which　we　came；　for；　though　these　people　mean　to　go　for　several　days'　journey　down　that　river；　to　look　for　the　Shalees　＇Ootlashoots＇；　yet　they　intend　returning　home　by　the　same　pass　of　the　mountains　through　which　they　have　conducted　us。　This　route　is　also　used　by　all　the　nations　whom　we　know　west　of　the　mountains　who　are　in　the　habit　of　visiting　the　plains　of　the　Missouri；　while　on　the　other　side；　all　the　war…paths　of　the　Pahkees　which　fall　into　this　valley　of　Clark's　River　concentre　at　Traveller's…rest；　beyond　which　these　people　have　never　ventured　to　the　west。〃

During　the　next　day　or　two；　Captain　Lewis　kept　on　the　same　general　course　through　a　well…watered　country；　the　ground　gradually　rising　as　be　approached　the　base　of　the　mountains。　Tracks　of　Indians；　supposed　to　be　Pahkees；　became　more　numerous　and　fresh。　　On　the　seventh　of　July；　the　little　company　went　through　the　famous　pass　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　now　properly　named　for　the　leaders　of　the　expedition。　Here　is　the　journal's　account　of　their　finding　the　Lewis　and　Clark　Pass：

〃At　the　distance　of　twelve　miles　we　left　the　river；　or　rather　the　creek；　and　having　for　four　miles　crossed　two　ridges　in　a　direction　north　fifteen　degrees　east；　again　struck　to　the　right；　proceeding　through　a　narrow　bottom　covered　with　low　willows　and　grass；　and　abundantly　supplied　with　both　deer　and　beaver。　After　travelling　seven　miles　we　reached　the　foot　of　a　ridge；　which　we　ascended　in　a　direction　north　forty…five　degrees　east；　through　a　low　gap　of　easy　ascent　from　the　westward；　and；　on　descending　it；　were　delighted　at　discovering　that　this　was　the　dividing　ridge　between　the　waters　of　the　Columbia　and　those　of　the　Missouri。　　From　this　gap　Fort　Mountain　is　about　twenty　miles　in　a　northeastern　direction。　We　now　wound　through　the　hills　and　mountains；　passing　several　rivulets　which　ran　to　the　right；　and　at　the　distance　of　nine　miles　from　the　gap　encamped；　having　made　thirty…two　miles。　We　procured　some　beaver；　and　this　morning　saw　tracks　of　buffalo；　from　which　it　appears　that　those　animals　do　sometimes　penetrate　a　short　distance　among　the　mountains。〃

Next　day　the　party　found　themselves　in　clover；　so　to　speak。　Game　was　plenty；　and；　as　their　object　now　was　to　accumulate　meat　for　the　three　men　who　were　to　be　left　at　the　falls　（and　who　were　not　hunters）；　they　resolved　to　strike　the　Medicine；　or　Sun；　River　and　hunt　down　its　banks。　　On　that　river　the　journal；　July　10；　has　this　to　say：

〃In　the　plains　are　great　quantities　of　two　species　of　prickly…pear　now　in　bloom。　　Gooseberries　of　the　common　red　kind　are　in　abundance　and　just　beginning　to　ripen；　but　there　are　no　currants。　　The　river　has　now　widened　to　one　hundred　yards；　it　is　deep；　crowded　with　islands；　and　in　many　parts　rapid。　At　the　distance　of　seventeen　miles；　the　timber　disappears　totally　from　the　river…bottoms。　About　this　part　of　the　river；　the　wind；　which　had　blown　on　our　backs；　and　constantly　put　the　elk　on　their　guard；　shifted　round；　we　then　shot　three　of　them　and　a　brown　bear。　　Captain　Lewis　halted　to　skin　them；　while　two　of　the　men　took　the　pack…horses　forward　to　seek　for　a　camp。　　It　was　nine　o'clock　before　he　overtook　them；　at　the　distance　of　seven　miles；　in　the　first　grove　of　cottonwood。　They　had　been　pursued　as　they　came　along　by　a　very　large　bear；　on　which　they　were　afraid　to　fire；　lest　their　horses；　being　unaccustomed　to　the　gun；　might　take　fright　and　throw　them。　This　circumstance　reminds　us　of　the　ferocity　of　these　animals；　when　we　were　last　near　this　place；　and　admonishes　us　to　be　very　cautious。　　We　saw　vast　numbers　of　buffalo　below　us；　which　kept　up　a　dreadful　bellowing　during　the　night。　With　all　our　exertions　we　were　unable　to　advance　more　than　twenty…four　miles；　owing　to　the　mire　through　which　we　are　obliged　to　travel；　in　consequence　of　the　rain。〃

The　Sun；　or　Medicine；　River　empties　into　the　Missouri　just　above　the　great　falls　of　that　stream；　and　near　here；　opposite　White　Bear　Islands；　the　expedition　had　deposited　some　of　their　property　in　a　cache　dug　near　the　river　bank；　when　they　passed　that　way；　a　year　before。　On　the　thirteenth　of　the　month；　having　reached　their　old　camping…ground　here；　the　party　set　to　work　making　boat…gear　and　prepa