OCR Text |
Show t )- • ...,/"1.1 Lewis aud Clm·J..:e•s .Exp~rlition, &c. tcr he ascended, and passed at the distance of a. mile an island and a little timber in an eastwat·dly bend of the river. One mile beyond this he came to the lower point of a la1·ge island; another small island in the middle of the river, and one near the left shore at the distance of three miles, oppo· site to the head of 'vhich he encamt>ed near the mouth of a creek which at>vearcd to rise in the South mountain. 'rhesc three islands are opposite to each other, and we gave them the name of the \Vhitebear islanlls from observing some of those animah Qn them. He killed a beaver, an elk a.ud eight buffaloe. One of the men who was sent a short distance from the camp to bring home some meat, was attacked by a white hear, and closely pursued within forty paces of the camp, and narrowly escaped being caught. Captain Clarko immediately went with three men in quest of the bear, which be was af1·aid might sur·prise another of the hunters who was out collecting the game. 'rhe bear was however toG quick, for· before captain Clarke could reach the man, the bear had attacked him and compelled him to take t•efuge iu the water. He . now ran off as they apJ>roached, and it being late they deferred pursuing him till the next morning. • CHAPTEU XI. Description nnd romnntic appearance of the Missouri at the junction of thf' MecJ;cine 1 ive1·-thc difilculty of transporting the hn~gagc at the fall---the party employed in tht- construction o f a bont of skina- the embarrasament.9 they luui to encounter fot· wnnt of pt·oper materials--during the work the rarty much tt·oublell hy )\ hitc benrs-violcut hnil-storm, and pro•identia\ e3cape of captnin Clarke nnd his party-description of n remarkable foun= 1:\in--..ingular cxplo!!ion hc:u·<l from the Black mountains-the boat fouml to be in&ufficient, nnd the eerious <lis:tppointmcnt of the party- cnJltain Clarke tmdertak.es to t·epair the dnrn:J.ge by Luilding fl.anoes, and accomplishes the t:J.sk. ON the 19th, captain Cla1'kc not Leing able to find the brar mentioned in the last chapter, spent the day in examining the counta·y both above and below t.hc 'Vhitebcar islands, and concluded that the place or his encampment would be the best point for the extremity of the portage. The men were therefore occupied in drying the meat to be left here. Immense numbct•s of buffaloc are every whe1·e r ound, and they saw a summer duck which is now sitting. The next morning, .20th, he crossed the level plain, fixed stakes to mark the route of the portage, till he passed a large ravine which would oblige us to make the portage farther ft·om the river: after this there being no other obstacle he went to the river where he had first struek it, and took its courses and distances down to the camp. From the thaught and sut·,·cy of captain Clat·ke, we l1ad now a dca.t· and connected view of the falls, cascades, and ra}Jidi of the Missouri. 'l'his rive.r is tlu·cc hundred yal'(ls wide at the }lOint w]lCrc it rcccivt-s the wacet·s of l\1l'diciuc riYcr. \\hich is one hundl'l'd and thirty-seven yards in width. 'l'he unitt'd <>nrl'('nt eentinues three lmndt·cd and tw,·nty-t·ight Jlo1es to a |