OCR Text |
Show , 398 Lcwv; und Vla1'1t:c's Ex1Jcdition ward of the nocl~y mountains, would willingly resort, as tuey would be fat·ther fa·om the reach of the Blackfoot Indians, and the l\linnetart>cs of l•~ort de Prairie, than they could be in trading with any factories on the .M.issomi. The same motive of pet•sotml safety, would most 1n·obably inclucc many of the t.t·ihcs on th(' Columbia and Lewis's t•ivcr to prefer this Jllace to the t•ntt·ancc of l\htPia.'s river, at least for some yrm·s· and as the Ct·ow and J>anneh Indians, the Castahanahs, and the Indians a·t•siding south of Clarke's f<JJ'k. would al 0 be induced 1.0 Yisit it, the mouth of that l'iVCl' might be considered as one ol' the most im}lOI'tant establishments for the wcstet·n fur t1·ade. 'rltis too may be the more ca ·ily effected, as the adjacent country possesses a sulliciency or timber fot· the purpose, an advanl age which is uot found ou any spot bet ween Clal'l\.e 's l'ork nml the Rocky mountains. 'Vedncsday, 4. The cam1, became ab. olutely unitthabit able, in consequence of the multitude of musquctoc ·;the men could not work in prepat·ing skins fot· clothing, no1· hunt in the timbered low gr·ounds; iu short, tnc•·e was no mode of escape, except by going on the sandbars in the rivet·; whcl'c, if the wind should blow, the insects do uot ventun·; hut "hen there is no wind, and p~u·tieulady at uight, "heu the men Lave no covering except tht.~ u· "ot·n-out blanl\.ds, the llaiu they bulfel' is scal'(;ely to be en<ltu·ed. 'l'Jtct.c was also a want of meat, for the bumlloe wcl'c not to be found; antl though the elk at·e vct·y a.[).umlant, ) ct thcit· fat and Jle~h is more difficult to dl'y in the sun, and is abo 111uch mol'c ea~ ily &IWilcd tlaan tl.te meat or fa.t or either deet· or buHaloc. Captain Clal'ke tlwrel(wc detet·mined to go un to some spot 'Which should be f't·ee f•·om mus41Uctocs, and furnish utOl'C game. After having wt·ittt·n a twh· to caplain Lewis, to inform him or his intention, and stuck it on a pole. at the confluence of the two 1·iver , he loaded the c:..noes at Jive jn the afternoon, and 1n·oct·ctled down the l'h er to the second point and t!Deam1,ed on a sandhar·. but Ju~re the musquetoes !!ecmed to be even more numerous than above. 'fhe face ot' \be Up the JJ-Iissouri. S99 Indian clai1d is considerably puffetl up and swollen with the bites of these animals, nor could the men procure scarcely any sleep during the night, and tltey eontiuue(l to harrass them the next morning, Thursday 5, as they IJrocee(lcd. On one occasion captain Clarke went on shore and ascended a hill al'tcr one of the bighorns; but tl1e musquctocs were in such multitudes that be coultl not l<.eep them ft·om the barrel of his rifle long enough to take aim. About ten o•clock, howm•cr, a light breeze sprung up fr·om the uorthwest, and di per cd them in some degree. Captain Clat·ke then lamlcd on a samlbar, intending to wait for eavt.ain Lewis, antl Wtmt out to hunt But not finding any buff aloe, he again proceedt'd in the afternoon, and having killed a large white hear, encamped un<le1.· a high bluff exposed to a 1igbt brce7.e l'rom the southwest, which blew away the musquctoes. About eleven o"clock, howevcl', the wjnd bccamr, vet·y hi•"h and a stonn of rain came on, which lasted for two houl's, accompanied with ~harp lightning and loud peals of thunder. 'rhe party therf'· fot·e rose, Friday. G, very wet, amlru·occcdcd to a. sautlhar below the entrance of,Vhi~ecal'th river. Just above this place, the Indians had, appart~ntly within seven ot• eight days past~ been digging a root which they rmploy in rnakiug a kind ot' soup. Having fixed tlat·ir tents, the men were em{lloyed in dressing skins and hunting. 'l'hcy shot a llUlllbel' o£' d<'Cr' but only two of them were fat, owing prouably to the ~t·eat quantities of mu quetoes who anuoy them whilst feedin~. The nextday, Saturday, ':", after some scve1·e rain, they proceeded at cleven o'clock, thr·ough intrrvals of rain and high wjud till six in the evcninc-b,. . when the.y. encam.nt• ed on a sandbar. l[el't~ they had a vc1·y violPnt wind. fm· two hotll·s, which left the ah· clear and C(•ld, so that the mus(jUetoes completely disap~ peared. On the following morning, |