first across the continent-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


en　go　on　without　further　trouble。〃　This　appeal　to　the　chieftain's　pride　had　the　desired　effect。　The　warriors　were　compelled　to　give　up　the　rope；　which　was　delivered　on　board；　and　the　party　set　sail　with　a　fresh　breeze　from　the　southeast。

The　explorers　were　soon　out　of　the　country　of　the　Teton　Sioux　and　into　that　of　the　Ricaras；　or；　as　these　Indians　are　more　commonly　called；　the　Rickarees。

On　the　first　day　of　October　they　passed　the　mouth　of　a　river　incorrectly　known　as　Dog　River；　as　if　corrupted　from　the　French　word　chien。　But　the　true　name　is　Cheyenne；　from　the　Indians　who　bear　that　title。　The　stream　rises　in　the　region　called　the　Black　Mountains　by　Lewis　and　Clark；　on　account　of　the　great　quantity　of　dark　cedar　and　pine　trees　that　covered　the　hills。　　This　locality　is　now　known　as　the　Black　Hills；　in　the　midst　of　which　is　the　famous　mining　district　of　Deadwood。　　In　these　mountains；　according　to　Lewis　and　Clark；　were　to　be　found　〃great　quantities　of　goats；　white　bear；　prairie　cocks；　and　a　species　of　animal　which　resembled　a　small　elk；　with　large　circular　horns。〃　　By　the　〃white　bear〃　the　reader　must　understand　that　the　grizzly　bear　is　meant。　Although　this　animal；　which　was　first　discovered　and　described　by　Lewis　and　Clark；　is　commonly　referred　to　in　the　earlier　pages　of　the　journal　as　〃white；〃　the　error　naturally　came　from　a　desire　to　distinguish　it　from　the　black　and　the　cinnamon…colored　bears。　Afterwards；　the　journal　refers　to　this　formidable　creature　as　the　grizzly；　and　again　as　the　grisly。　　Certainly；　the　bear　was　a　grizzled　gray；　but　the　name　〃grisly；〃　that　is　to　say；　horrible；　or　frightful；　fitted　him　very　well。　　The　Latin　name；　ursus　horribilis　is　not　unlike　one　of　those　of　Lewis　and　Clark's　selection。　The　animals　with　circular　curled　horns；　which　the　explorers　thought　resembled　a　small　elk；　are　now　known　as　the　Rocky　Mountain　sheep；　or　bighorn。　　They　very　little　resemble　sheep；　however；　except　in　color；　head；　horns；　and　feet。　　They　are　now　so　scarce　as　to　be　almost　extinct。　They　were　among　the　discoveries　of　Lewis　and　Clark。　　The　prairie　cock　is　known　to　western　sportsmen　as　〃prairie　chicken；〃　it　is　a　species　of　grouse。

It　was　now　early　in　October；　and　the　weather　became　very　cool。　So　great　is　the　elevation　of　those　regions　that；　although　the　days　might　be　oppressively　warm；　the　nights　were　cold　and　white　frosts　were　frequent。　　Crossing　the　Rocky　Mountains　at　the　South　Pass；　far　south　of　Lewis　and　Clark's　route；　emigrants　who　suffered　from　intense　heat　during　the　middle　of　day　found　water　in　their　pails　frozen　solid　in　the　morning。

The　Rickarees　were　very　curious　and　inquisitive　regarding　the　white　men。　But　the　journal　adds：　　〃The　object　which　appeared　to　astonish　the　Indians　most　was　Captain　Clark's　servant　York；　a　remarkably　stout；　strong　negro。　They　had　never　seen　a　being　of　that　color；　and　therefore　flocked　round　him　to　examine　the　extraordinary　monster。　　By　way　of　amusement；　he　told　them　that　he　had　once　been　a　wild　animal；　and　been　caught　and　tamed　by　his　master；　and　to　convince　them；　showed　them　feats　of　strength　which；　added　to　his　looks；　made　him　more　terrible　than　we　wished　him　to　be。〃

〃On　October　10th；〃　says　the　journal；　〃the　weather　was　fine；　and　as　we　were　desirous　of　assembling　the　whole　nation　at　once；　we　despatched　Mr。　Gravelines　（a　trader）who；　with　Mr。　Tabeau；　another　French　trader；　had　breakfasted　with　usto　invite　the　chiefs　of　the　two　upper　villages　to　a　conference。　They　all　assembled　at　one　o'clock；　and　after　the　usual　ceremonies　we　addressed　them　in　the　same　way　in　which　we　had　already　spoken　to　the　Ottoes　and　Sioux。　　We　then　made　or　acknowledged　three　chiefs；　one　for　each　of　the　three　villages；　giving　to　each　a　flag；　a　medal；　a　red　coat；　a　cocked　hat　and　feather；　also　some　goods；　paint　and　tobacco；　which　they　divided　among　themselves。　After　this　the　air…gun　was　exhibited；　very　much　to　their　astonishment；　nor　were　they　less　surprised　at　the　color　and　manner　of　York。　　On　our　side　we　were　equally　gratified　at　discovering　that　these　Ricaras　made　use　of　no　spirituous　liquors　of　any　kind；　the　example　of　the　traders　who　bring　it　to　them；　so　far　from　tempting；　having　in　fact　disgusted　them。　Supposing　that　it　was　as　agreeable　to　them　as　to　the　other　Indians；　we　had　at　first　offered　them　whiskey；　but　they　refused　it　with　this　sensible　remark；　that　they　were　surprised　that　their　father　should　present　to　them　a　liquor　which　would　make　them　fools。　On　another　occasion　they　observed　to　Mr。　Tabeau　that　no　man　could　be　their　friend　who　tried　to　lead　them　into　such　follies。〃

Presents　were　exchanged　by　the　Indians　and　the　white　men；　among　the　gifts　from　the　former　was　a　quantity　of　a　large；　rich　bean；　which　grows　wild　and　is　collected　by　mice。　The　Indians　hunt　for　the　mice's　deposits　and　cook　and　eat　them。　The　Rickarees　had　a　grand　powwow　with　the　white　chiefs　and；　after　accepting　presents；　agreed　to　preserve　peace　with　all　men；　red　or　white。　　On　the　thirteenth　of　the　month　the　explorers　discovered　a　stream　which　they　named　Stone…Idol　Creek；　on　account　of　two　stones；　resembling　human　figures；　which　adorn　its　banks。　　The　creek　is　now　known　as　Spring　River；　and　is　in　Campbell　County；　South　Dakota。　　Concerning　the　stone　images　the　Indians　gave　this　tradition：

〃A　young　man　was　deeply　enamoured　with　a　girl　whose　parents　refused　their　consent　to　the　marriage。　　The　youth　went　out　into　the　fields　to　mourn　his　misfortunes；　a　sympathy　of　feeling　led　the　lady　to　the　same　spot；　and　the　faithful　dog　would　not　cease　to　follow　his　master。　After　wandering　together　and　having　nothing　but　grapes　to　subsist　on；　they　were　at　last　converted　into　stone；　which；　beginning　at　the　feet；　gradually　invaded　the　nobler　parts；　leaving　nothing　unchanged　but　a　bunch　of　grapes　which　the　female　holds　in　her　hand　to　this　day。　Whenever　the　Ricaras　pass　these　sacred　stones；　they　stop　to　make　some　offering　of　dress　to　propitiate　these　deities。　　Such　is　the　account　given　by　the　Ricara　chief；　which　we　had　no　mode　of　examining；　except　that　we　found　one　part　of　the　story　very　agreeably　confirmed；　for　on　the　river　near　where　the　event　is　said　to　have　occurred　we　found　a　greater　abundance　of　fine　grapes　than　we　had　yet　seen。〃

While　at　their　last　camp　in　the　country　now　known　as　South　Dakota；　October　14；　1804；　one　of　the　soldiers；　tried　by　a　court…martial　for　mutinous　conduct；　was　sentenced　to　receive　seventy…five　lashes　on　the　bare　back。　The　sentence　was　carried　out　then　and　there。　　The　Rickaree　chief；　who　accompanied　the　party　for　a　time；　was　so　affected　by　the　sight　that　he　cried　aloud　during　the　whole　proceeding。　　When　the　reasons　for　the　punishment　were　explained　to　him；　he　acknowledged　the　justice　of　the　sentence；　but　said　he　would　have　punished　the　offender　with　death。　His　people；　he　added；　never　whip　even　their　children　at　any　age　whatever。

On　the　eighteenth　of　October；　the　party　reached　Cannonball　River；　which　rises　in　the　Black　Hills　and　empties　in　the　Missouri　in　Morton　County；　North　Dakota。　　Its　name　is　derived　from　the　perfectly　round；　smooth；　black　stones　that　line　its　bed　and　shores。　Here　they　saw　great　numbers　of　antelope　and　herds　of　buffalo；　and　of　elk。　　They　killed　six　fallow　deer；　and　next　day　they　counted　fifty…two　herds　of　buffalo　and　three　herds　of　elk　at　one　view；　they　also　observed　deer；　wolves；　and　pelicans　in　large　numbers。

The　ledges　in　the　bluffs　along　the　river　often　held　nests　of　the　calumet　bird；　or　golden　eagle。　　These　nests；　which　are　apparently　resorted　to；　year　after　year；　by　the　same　pair　of　birds；　are　usually　out　of　reach；　except　by　means　of　ropes　by　which　the　hunters　are　let　down　from　the　cliffs　overhead。　The　tail…feathers　of　the　bird　are　twelve　in　number；　about　a　foot　long；　and　are　pure　white　except　at　the　tip；　which　is　jet…black。　So　highly　prized　are　these　by　the　Indians　that　they　have　been　known　to　exchange　a　good　horse　for　two　feathers。

The　party　saw　here　a　great　many　elk；　deer；　antelope；　and　buffalo；　and　these　last　were　dogged　along　their　way　by　wolves　who　follow　them　to　feed　upon　those　that　die　by　accident；　or　are　too　weak　to　keep　up　with　the　herd。　Sometimes　the　wolves　would　pounce　upon　a　calf；　too　young　and　feeble　to　trot　with　the　other　buffalo；　and　although　the　mother　made　an　effort　to　save　her　calf；　the　creature　was　left　to　the　hungry　wolves；　the　herd　moving　along　without　delay。

On　the　twenty…first　of　October；　the　explorers　reached　a　creek　to　which　the　Indians　gave　the　name　of　Chisshetaw；　now　known　as　Heart　River；　which；　rising　in　Stark　County；　North　Dakota；　and　running　circuitously　through　Morton　County；　empties　into　the　Missouri　opposite　the　city　of　Bismarck。　　At　this　point　the　Northern　Pacific　Railway　now　crosses　the　Missouri；　and　here；　where　is　built　the　capital　of　North　Dakota；　began；　in　those　days；　a　series　of　Mandan　villages；　with　the　people　of　which　the　explorers　were　to　become　tolerably　well　acquainted；　for　it　had　been　decided　that　the　increasing　cold　of　the　weather　would　compel　them　to　winter　in　this　region。　But　they　were　as　yet　uncertain　as　to　the　exact　locality　at　which　they　would　build　their　camp　of　winter。　　Here　they　met　one　of　the　grand　chiefs　of　the　Mandans；　who　was　on　a　hunting　excursion　with　his　braves。　This　chief　greeted　with　much　ceremony　the　Rickaree　chief　who　accompanie