first across the continent-第66节

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y　Black　Buffaloe；　Tahtackasabah。　　This　was　the　same　who　had　attempted　to　stop　us　in　1804；　and　being　now　less　anxious　about　offending　so　mischievous　a　tribe；　Captain　Clark　told　them　that　they　had　been　deaf　to　our　councils；　had　ill…treated　us　two　years　ago；　and　had　abused　all　the　whites　who　had　since　visited　them。　　He　believed　them；　he　added；　to　be　bad　people；　and　they　must　therefore　return　to　their　companions；　for　if　they　crossed　over　to　our　camp　we　would　put　them　to　death。　They　asked　for　some　corn；　which　Captain　Clark　refused；　they　then　requested　permission　to　come　and　visit　our　camp；　but　he　ordered　them　back　to　their　own　people。　　He　then　returned；　and　all　our　arms　were　prepared；　in　case　of　an　attack；　but　when　the　Indians　reached　their　comrades；　and　informed　their　chiefs　of　our　intention；　they　all　set　out　on　their　way　to　their　own　camp；　though　some　of　them　halted　on　a　rising　ground　and　abused　us　very　copiously；　threatening　to　kill　us　if　we　came　across。　We　took　no　notice　of　this　for　some　time；　till　the　return　of　three　of　our　hunters；　whom　we　were　afraid　the　Indians　might　have　met。　But　as　soon　as　they　joined　us　we　embarked；　and　to　see　what　the　Indians　would　attempt；　steered　near　their　side　of　the　river。　At　this　the　party　on　the　hill　seemed　agitated；　some　set　out　for　their　camp；　others　walked　about；　and　one　man　walked　toward　the　boats　and　invited　us　to　land。　　As　he　came　near；　we　recognized　him　to　be　the　same　who　had　accompanied　us　for　two　days　in　1804；　and　was　considered　a　friend　of　the　whites。

〃Unwilling；　however；　to　have　any　intercourse　with　these　people；　we　declined　his　invitation；　upon　which　he　returned　to　the　hill；　and　struck　the　earth　three　times　with　his　gun；　a　great　oath　among　the　Indians；　who　consider　swearing　by　the　earth　as　one　of　the　most　solemn　forms　of　imprecation。　　At　the　distance　of　six　miles　we　stopped　on　a　bleak　sand…bar；　where　we　thought　ourselves　secure　from　any　attack　during　the　night；　and　also　safe　from　the　mosquitoes。　We　had　made　but　twenty…two　miles；　but　in　the　course　of　the　day　had　killed　a　mule…deer；　an　animal　we　were　very　anxious　to　obtain。　About　eleven　in　the　evening　the　wind　shifted　to　the　northwest；　and　it　began　to　rain；　accompanied　by　thunder　and　lightning；　after　which　the　wind　changed　to　the　southwest；　and　blew　with　such　violence　that　we　were　obliged　to　hold　fast　the　canoes；　for　fear　of　their　being　driven　from　the　sand…bar：　still；　the　cables　of　two　of　them　broke；　and　two　others　were　blown　quite　across　the　river；　nor　was　it　till　two　o'clock　that　the　whole　party　were　reassembled；　waiting　in　the　rain　for　daylight。〃

The　party　now　began　to　meet　white　men　in　small　detachments　coming　up　the　river。　　On　the　third　of　September；　for　example；　they　met　the　first　men　who　were　able　to　give　them　news　of　home。　This　party　was　commanded　by　a　Mr。　James　Airs　（or　Ayres）；　from　Mackinaw；　by　the　way　of　Prairie　du　Chien　and　St。　Louis。　　He　had　two　canoes　loaded　with　merchandise　which　he　was　taking　up　the　river　to　trade　with　the　Indians。　　Among　the　items　of　news　gathered　from　him；　according　to　the　private　journal　of　one　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　party；　was　that　General　James　Wilkinson　was　now　Governor　of　Louisiana　Territory；　and　was　stationed　at　St。　Louis。　　This　is　the　Wilkinson　who　fought　in　the　American　Revolution；　and　was　subsequently　to　this　time　accused　of　accepting　bribes　from　Spain　and　of　complicity　with　Aaron　Burr　in　his　treasonable　schemes。　　Another　item　was　to　this　effect：　〃Mr。　Burr　&　Genl。　　Hambleton　fought　a　Duel；　the　latter　was　killed。〃　This　brief　statement　refers　to　the　unhappy　duel　between　Aaron　Burr　and　Alexander　Hamilton；　at　Weehawken；　New　Jersey；　July　11；　1804。　This　interesting　entry　shows　with　what　feelings　the　long…absent　explorers　met　Mr。　Airs：

〃After　so　long　an　interval；　the　sight　of　anyone　who　could　give　us　information　of　our　country　was　peculiarly　delightful；　and　much　of　the　night　was　spent　in　making　inquiries　into　what　had　occurred　during　our　absence。　　We　found　Mr。　Airs　a　very　friendly　and　liberal　gentleman；　when　we　proposed　to　him　to　purchase　a　small　quantity　of　tobacco；　to　be　paid　for　in　St。　Louis；　he　very　readily　furnished　every　man　of　the　party　with　as　much　as　he　could　use　during　the　rest　of　the　voyage；　and　insisted　on　our　accepting　a　barrel　of　flour。　This　last　we　found　very　agreeable；　although　we　have　still　a　little　flour　which　we　had　deposited　at　the　mouth　of　Maria's　River。　　We　could　give　in　return　only　about　six　bushels　of　corn；　which　was　all　that　we　could　spare。〃

Three　days　later；　the　voyagers　met　a　trading…boat　belonging　to　Mr。　Augustus　Chouteau；　the　founder　of　a　famous　trading…house　in　St。　Louis。　　From　this　party　the　captains　procured　a　gallon　of　whiskey；　and　with　this　they　served　out　a　dram　to　each　of　their　men。　〃This；〃　says　the　journal；　〃is　the　first　spirituous　liquor　any　of　them　have　tasted　since　the　Fourth　of　July；　1805。〃　　From　this　time　forward；　the　returning　explorers　met　trading　parties　nearly　every　day；　and　this　showed　that　trade　was　following　the　flag　far　up　into　the　hitherto　unexplored　regions　of　the　American　continent。

The　explorers；　hungry　for　news　from　home；　would　have　tarried　and　talked　longer　with　their　new…found　friends；　but　they　were　anxious　to　get　down　to　civilization　once　more。　　Their　journal　also　says：　〃The　Indians；　particularly　the　squaws　and　children；　are　weary　of　the　long　journey；　and　we　are　desirous　of　seeing　our　country　and　friends。〃　This　quotation　from　the　journal　gives　us　our　first　intimation　that　any　Indians　accompanied　Big　White　to　the　United　States。　　He　appears　to　have　had　a　small　retinue　of　followers　men；　women；　and　childrenwith　him。

Below　the　mouth　of　the　Platte；　September　12；　Lewis　and　Clark　met　Gravelines；　the　interpreter　who　was　sent　to　Washington　from　Fort　Mandan；　in　1805；　with　despatches；　natural　history　specimens；　and　a　Ricara　chief。　　The　chief　had　unfortunately　died　in　Washington；　and　Gravelines　was　now　on　his　way　to　the　Ricaras　with　a　speech　from　President　Jefferson　and　the　presents　that　had　been　given　to　the　chief。　He　also　had　instructions　to　teach　the　Ricaras　in　agriculture。

It　is　interesting　to　note　how　that　the　explorers；　now　tolerably　well　acquainted　with　the　Indian　character　since　their　long　experience　with　the　red　men；　had　adopted　a　very　different　bearing　from　that　which　they　had　when　coming　up　the　river；　in　1805。　Here　is　an　extract　from　their　journal；　September　14：

〃We　resumed　our　journey。　　This　being　a　part　of　the　river　to　which　the　Kansas　resort；　in　order　to　rob　the　boats　of　traders；　we　held　ourselves　in　readiness　to　fire　upon　any　Indians　who　should　offer　us　the　slightest　indignity；　as　we　no　longer　needed　their　friendship；　and　found　that　a　tone　of　firmness　and　decision　is　the　best　possible　method　of　making　proper　impressions　on　these　freebooters。　　However；　we　did　not　encounter　any　of　them；　but　just　below　the　old　Kansas　village　met　three　trading…boats　from　St。　Louis；　on　their　way　to　the　Yanktons　and　Mahas。〃

Thirty　miles　below　the　island　of　Little　Osage　village；　the　party　met　Captain　McClellan；　formerly　of　the　United　States　army。　He　informed　Captain　Lewis　that　the　party　had　been　given　up　for　lost；　people　generally　believing　that　they　would　never　again　be　heard　from；　but；　according　to　the　journal　of　one　of　the　party；　〃The　President　of　the　U。　States　yet　had　hopes　of　us。〃　The　last　news　received　in　〃the　U。　States〃　from　the　explorers　was　that　sent　from　Fort　Mandan；　by　Gravelines；　in　1805。

Scarcity　of　provisions　once　more　disturbed　the　party；　so　that；　on　the　eighteenth　of　September；　the　journal　sets　forth　the　fact　that　game　was　very　scarce　and　nothing　was　seen　by　the　hunters　but　a　bear　and　three　turkeys；　which　they　were　unable　to　reach。　The　men；　however；　were　perfectly　satisfied；　although　they　were　allowed　only　one　biscuit　per　day。　　An　abundance　of　pawpaws　growing　along　the　banks　sufficed　as　nutritious　food。　The　pawpaw　is　native　to　many　of　the　Western　States　of　the　Republic。　　It　is　a　fruit　three　or　four　inches　long；　growing　on　a　small　tree；　or　bush。　　The　fruit　is　sweet　and　juicy　and　has　several　bean…shaped　seeds　embedded　in　the　pulp。　The　voyagers　now　began　to　see　signs　of　civilization　on　the　banks　of　the　river。　　Near　the　mouth　of　the　Gasconade；　above　St。　Louis；　they　beheld　cows　grazing　in　the　meadows。　　The　journal　says：　〃The　whole　party　almost　involuntarily　raised　a　shout　of　joy　at　seeing　this　image　of　civilization　and　domestic　life。〃　Men　who　have　been　wandering　in　pathless　wildernesses；　remote　from　man；　for　more　than　two　years；　might　well　be　moved　by　the　sights　of　a　homelike　farm　and　a　settled　life。　Soon　after　this　the　party　reached　the　little　French　village　of　La　Charette　which　they　saluted　with　four　guns　and　three　hearty　cheers。　　Then；　according　to　the　journal；　they　landed　and　were　warmly　received　by　the　people；　who　had　long　since　abandoned　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　these　far…voyaging　adventurers　return。　Here　are　the　last　entries　in　the　journal　that　has　been　our　guide　so　long　across　the　continent　and　back　again　to　the　haunts　of　men：

〃Sunday；　September　21st；　we　proceeded；　and　as　several　settlements　have　been　made　during　our　absence；　we　were　refreshed　with　the　sight　of　men　and　cattle　along　the　banks。　We　also　passed　twelve　canoes　of　Kickapoo　Indians；　going　on　a　hunting…excursion。　At　length；　after　coming　forty…eight　miles；　we　saluted；