first across the continent-第62节

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　leaving　Sergeant　Pryor　with　six　men　to　bring　on　the　horses。　　In　this　way　they　resumed　their　journey　after　dinner；　and　camped　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　river；　opposite　the　head　of　Three…thousand…mile　Island。　　The　beaver　were　basking　in　great　numbers　along　the　shore；　there　were　also　some　young　wild　geese　and　ducks。　The　mosquitoes　were　very　troublesome　during　the　day；　but　after　sunset　the　weather　became　cool　and　they　disappeared。〃

Three…thousand…mile　Island　was　so　named　by　the　explorers；　when　they　ascended　these　streams；　because　it　was　at　a　point　exactly　three　thousand　miles　from　the　mouth　of　the　Missouri。　　But　no　such　island　exists　now；　it　has　probably　been　worn　away　by　the　swift…rushing　current　of　the　river。　The　route　of　Captain　Clark　and　his　party；　up　to　this　time　had　been　a　few　miles　west　of　Bannock　City；　Montana。　　As　the　captain　was　now　to　proceed　by　land　to　the　Yellowstone；　again　leaving　the　canoe　party；　it　is　well　to　recall　the　fact　that　his　route　from　the　Three　Forks　of　the　Missouri　to　the　Yellowstone　follows　pretty　nearly　the　present　line　of　the　railroad　from　Gallatin　City　to　Livingston；　by　the　way　of　Bozeman　Pass。　　Of　this　route　the　journal　says：

〃Throughout　the　whole；　game　was　very　abundant。　　They　procured　deer　in　the　low　grounds；　beaver　and　otter　were　seen　in　Gallatin　River；　and　elk；　wolves；　eagles；　hawks；　crows；　and　geese　at　different　parts　of　the　route。　　The　plain　was　intersected　by　several　great　roads　leading　to　a　gap　in　the　mountains；　about　twenty　miles　distant；　in　a　direction　E。N。E。；　but　the　Indian　woman；　who　was　acquainted　with　the　country；　recommended　a　gap　more　to　the　southward。　This　course　Captain　Clark　determined　to　pursue。〃

Let　us　pause　here　to　pay　a　little　tribute　to　the　memory　of　〃the　Indian　woman；〃　Sacajawea。　　She　showed　that　she　was　very　observant；　had　a　good　memory；　and　was　plucky　and　determined　when　in　trouble。　She　was　the　guide　of　the　exploring　party　when　she　was　in　a　region　of　country；　as　here；　with　which　she　was　familiar。　She　remembered　localities　which　she　had　not　seen　since　her　childhood。　When　their　pirogue　was　upset　by　the　carelessness　of　her　husband；　it　was　she　who　saved　the　goods　and　helped　to　right　the　boat。　And；　with　her　helpless　infant　clinging　to　her；　she　rode　with　the　men；　guiding　them　with　unerring　skill　through　the　mountain　fastnesses　and　lonely　passes　which　the　white　men　saw　for　the　first　time　when　their　salient　features　were　pointed　out　to　them　by　the　intelligent　and　faithful　Sacajawea。　　The　Indian　woman　has　long　since　departed　to　the　Happy　Hunting…Grounds　of　her　fathers；　only　her　name　and　story　remain　to　us　who　follow　the　footsteps　of　the　brave　pioneers　of　the　western　continent。　But　posterity　should　not　forget　the　services　which　were　rendered　to　the　white　race　by　Sacajawea。

On　the　fifteenth　of　July　the　party　arrived　at　the　ridge　that　divides　the　Missouri　and　the　Yellowstone；　nine　miles　from　which　they　reached　the　river　itself；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　point　where　it　issues　from　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　Their　journey　down　the　valley　of　the　Yellowstone　was　devoid　of　special　interest；　but　was　accompanied　with　some　hardships。　For　example；　the　feet　of　the　horses　had　become　so　sore　with　long　travel　over　a　stony　trail　that　it　was　necessary　to　shoe　them　with　raw　buffalo　hide。　Rain　fell　frequently　and　copiously；　and　often；　sheltered　at　night　only　by　buffalo　hides；　they　rose　in　the　morning　drenched　to　the　skin。　The　party　could　not　follow　the　course　of　the　river　very　closely；　but　were　compelled　often　to　cross　hills　that　came　down　to　the　bank；　making　the　trail　impassable　for　horses。　　Here　is　the　story　of　July　18　and　19：

〃Gibson；　one　of　the　party；　was　so　badly　hurt　by　falling　on　a　sharp　point　of　wood　that　he　was　unable　to　sit　on　his　horse；　and　they　were　obliged　to　form　a　sort　of　litter　for　him；　so　that　he　could　lie　nearly　at　full　length。　The　wound　became　so　painful；　however；　after　proceeding　a　short　distance；　that　he　could　not　bear　the　motion；　and　they　left　him　with　two　men；　while　Captain　Clark　went　to　search　for　timber　large　enough　to　form　canoes。　He　succeeded　in　finding　some　trees　of　sufficient　size　for　small　canoes；　two　of　which　he　determined　to　construct；　and　by　lashing　them　together　hoped　to　make　them　answer　the　purpose　of　conveying　the　party　down　the　river；　while　a　few　of　his　men　should　conduct　the　horses　to　the　Mandans。　　All　hands；　therefore；　were　set　busily　to　work；　and　they　were　employed　in　this　labor　for　several　days。　　In　the　mean　time　no　less　than　twenty…four　of　their　horses　were　missing；　and　they　strongly　suspected　had　been　stolen　by　the　Indians；　for　they　were　unable　to　find　them；　notwithstanding　they　made　the　most　diligent　search。〃

〃July　23。　　A　piece　of　a　robe　and　a　moccasin；〃　says　the　journal；　〃were　discovered　this　morning　not　far　from　the　camp。　The　moccasin　was　worn　out　in　the　sole；　and　yet　wet；　and　had　every　appearance　of　having　been　left　but　a　few　hours　before。　This　was　conclusive　that　the　Indians　had　taken　our　horses；　and　were　still　prowling　about　for　the　remainder；　which　fortunately　escaped　last　night　by　being　in　a　small　prairie　surrounded　by　thick　timber。　At　length　Labiche；　one　of　our　best　trackers；　returned　from　a　very　wide　circuit；　and　informed　Captain　Clark　that　he　had　traced　the　horses　bending　their　course　rather　down　the　river　towards　the　open　plains；　and　from　their　tracks；　must　have　been　going　very　rapidly。　　All　hopes　of　recovering　them　were　now　abandoned。　Nor　were　the　Indians　the　only　plunderers　around　our　camp；　for　in　the　night　the　wolves　or　dogs　stole　the　greater　part　of　the　dried　meat　from　the　scaffold。　　The　wolves；　which　constantly　attend　the　buffalo；　were　here　in　great　numbers；　as　this　seemed　to　be　the　commencement　of　the　buffalo　country。　。　。　。

〃At　noon　the　two　canoes　were　finished。　　They　were　twenty…eight　feet　long；　sixteen　or　eighteen　inches　deep；　and　from　sixteen　to　twenty…four　inches　wide；　and；　having　lashed　them　together；　everything　was　ready　for　setting　out　the　next　day；　Gibson　having　now　recovered。　　Sergeant　Pryor　was　directed；　with　Shannon　and　Windsor；　to　take　the　remaining　horses　to　the　Mandans；　and　if　he　should　find　that　Mr。　Henry　＇a　trading…post　agent＇　was　on　the　Assiniboin　River；　to　go　thither　and　deliver　him　a　letter；　the　object　of　which　was　to　prevail　on　the　most　distinguished　chiefs　of　the　Sioux　to　accompany　him　to　Washington。〃

On　a　large　island　near　the　mouth　of　a　creek　now　known　as　Canyon　Creek；　the　party　landed　to　explore　an　extensive　Indian　lodge　which　seems　to　have　been　built　for　councils；　rather　than　for　a　place　of　residence。　　The　lodge　was　shaped　like　a　cone；　sixty　feet　in　diameter　at　the　base　and　tapering　towards　the　top。　The　poles　of　which　it　was　constructed　were　forty…five　feet　long。　The　interior　was　strangely　decorated；　the　tops　of　the　poles　being　ornamented　with　eagles'　feathers；　and　from　the　centre　hung　a　stuffed　buffalo…hide。　A　buffalo's　head　and　other　trophies　of　the　chase　were　disposed　about　the　wigwam。　　The　valley；　as　the　explorers　descended　the　river；　was　very　picturesque　and　wonderful。　On　the　north　side　the　cliffs　were　wild　and　romantic；　and　these　were　soon　succeeded　by　rugged　hills；　and　these；　in　turn；　by　open　plains　on　which　were　descried　herds　of　buffalo；　elk；　and　wolves。　On　the　twenty…seventh　of　July；　having　reached　the　Bighorn；　one　of　the　largest　tributaries　of　the　Yellowstone；　the　party　have　this　entry　in　their　journal：

〃They　again　set　out　very　early；　and　on　leaving　the　Bighorn　took　a　last　look　at　the　Rocky　Mountains；　which　had　been　constantly　in　view　from　the　first　of　May。　　The　＇Yellowstone＇　river　now　widens　to　the　extent　of　from　four　hundred　to　six　hundred　yards；　it　is　much　divided　by　islands　and　sandbars；　its　banks　are　generally　low　and　falling　in；　it　thus　resembles　the　Missouri　in　many　particulars；　but　its　islands　are　more　numerous；　its　waters　less　muddy；　and　the　current　is　more　rapid。　The　water　is　of　a　yellowish…white；　and　the　round　stones；　which　form　the　bars　above　the　Bighorn；　have　given　place　to　gravel。　On　the　left　side　the　river　runs　under　cliffs　of　light；　soft；　gritty　stone；　varying　in　height　from　seventy　to　one　hundred　feet；　behind　which　are　level　and　extensive　plains。　On　the　right　side　of　the　river　are　low　extensive　bottoms；　bordered　with　cottonwood；　various　species　of　willow；　rose…bushes；　grapevines；　redberry　or　buffalo…grease　bushes；　and　a　species　of　sumach；　to　these　succeed　high　grounds　supplied　with　pine；　and　still　further　on　are　level　plains。　Throughout　the　country　are　vast　quantities　of　buffalo；　which；　as　this　is　the　running…season；　keep　up　a　continued　bellowing。　Large　herds　of　elk　also　are　lying　on　every　point；　so　gentle　that　they　may　be　approached　within　twenty　paces　without　being　alarmed。　Several　beaver　were　seen　in　the　course　of　the　day；　indeed；　there　is　a　greater　appearance　of　those　animals　than　there　was　above　the　Bighorn。　　Deer；　however；　are　by　no　means　abundant；　and　antelopes；　as　well　as　bighorns；　are　scarce。〃

It　is　noticeable　that　the　explorers；　all　along　their　route；　gave　to　streams；　rocks；　mountains；　and　other　natural　features　of　the　country　many　names　that　appear　to　us　meaningless　and　trifling。　It　would　appear　that　they　used　up　all　the　big　names；　such　as　Jefferson；　Gallatin；　Philosophy；　Philanthropy；　and　the　like；　and　were　compelled　to　use；　first；　the　names　of　their　own　p