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Show Lewis and Clm·ke's Expedition together unshod, travelled across them as fast as the men, and without detaining them a moment. 1,hcy passed two bold-running streams. and reached the <'ntrance of a small river, where a few Indian families •·esided. They had not been previously acquainted with the a•·•·ival of the whites, tile guide was behind, and the wood so thick that we came upon them unobserved, till at a vet·y short distance. As soon as they saw us, the women and children flee) in great consternation; the men offered us cve•·y thing th<'y had, the fish on the scaffolds, the dried berries and the collars of t'lk's tushes worn by the children. '\Ve took only a small quantity of the food, and gave them in return some small a•·ticles which conduced very much to pacify them. '.rhe guide now eoming np, explained to them who we were, and the o~j ect of our visit, '~hich seemed to r·elieve the fears, but still a number of the women and children did not recover from their fright, but cryed during our scay, which lasted about an hour. The. guide, whom we found a ,·ery intelligent friendly eld man, mformed us that up this l'ivel' there was a road which led over the mountains to the Missoliri. On resuming his route, he went along the ste<'p side of a mountain about three miles, and then reached the river nrar a small island at the lower part of whiclJ he encamped; he here attempted' to gig some fish, but could only obtain one smaiJ salmon. The river is het·e shoal and rapid, with many rocks scattered in various directions 1hrough Hs bed. On the sides of the mountains ar·e some scattered pines, and of those on the left the tops are covered witb them; there are however but few in the low grounds through which they passed, inderd they have seen only a single tree fit to make a canoe, and even ~at was small. The country has an abundant growth of berries, and we met several women and cbildt·en gathering th<·rn who bestowed them upon us with gr·eat liberality. Among the woods captain Clarke observed a s1>ecies of woodpecker·, the beak and tail of which were white, the wings black, and Up the jllissouri. 899 every other part of the body of a dark brown; its size was that of the robin, and it fed on tl1e seeds of the pine. Friday .23. Cai>tain Clarke set off very early. but as his route lay along the steep side of a mountain. over irregular and broken mas~es of rocks, which wounded the horses' feet, he was obliged to proceed slowly. At the distance of four miles he reached the river, but the rocks here became so steep, and projected so far into the I'ivcr, that there was no mode of passing, except through the water. This be did for some distance, though t]Je river was vet•y rapid, and so deep that they were forced to swim their horses. After following the edge of the watet• for about a mile under this steep cliff, he reached a small meadow, below which the whole cur·rent of the river beat against the right shore on which he was, and which was formed of a solid rock perfectly inaccessible to horses_. Iler·e too, the little ta·ack which he had been pursuing tet•minated. lie therefore resolved to leave the horses and the gt·eate•· part of the men at this place, and examine the river still t'ut·ther, in oa·der to determine if there Wet•e any JlOSSibiJity Of' dt>scending it in canoes. Haviug killed notlliug exeept a single goose today, and the whole of out• provision being consumed last eveuing, it wa!) by no means advisable to remain any length of time whet·e they were. Ht~ now dh·ected tho men to fish and hunt at this place till his t·etut·n, and then with his guide and three men he proceeded, clambering over· immense rocks, and along the sides of lot'ly p•·ccipices which bol'de 1·cd the t·iver, when :,a.t about twelve miles distance he reached a small meadow, 1hf" fil'st he had seen on rhe river· since he left his pa1·ty. A little l.H'low thi& mradow, a lar·ge creek twelve ya.r·ds wide. allll or somr depth, dischar·ges itsdffrom the north. Ilet•e weJ•e some •·ecen t signs of an Indian encampment. allll the tt·acks of a numocr of horses, who must have come along a plain Indian path, which lte now saw following the cour·se of the creek. This stream his guide said led towards a large river running to the north, and was |
