OCR Text |
Show Lewis und Clarl..:e•s E;xpetlitiun 'rhut·sday, 18. 'Ve par·tt>tl with eaptain J\I•Clellau a d wJ·L I 11·1 1 a J'e w ma'1 cs passc..·d fl•e Or·and r·ivt>r·. lwlow whid' t wno ovca·took the huntct·s, who had hm·u ~cnt fonvard yrstenlay a~tcr·noon. They hac.l nof IH·en at•lc to kill auy thing, nor tlrd Wl' see any ~~ame e~rept one bear- and fht'I'C tUJ·kics. so that OUL' whole sfol'k or JH'ovi sious i., oue ()iscuit l'ot• each person~ but as thct'C is an ahull(lanct' ol' pappaw • the men are pcr-fedly contented. The l'lll't'l'llt of tlte r·in-r· is mol'C g('nll · fhan it was when we a ceudt'd, t hl' wah'J' lH:i1w lowet• thou~h still l'apid in Jllatws whea·c it is eonliuc<l. '~0 C'Oll· tinu('() to pass t.h1·ou~h a. V('ry line couutr·y, for· fifty -two milc..~s, "'hen we encamped ncaa·Jy 01lposite to 1\'line river. The next mo1·ning, F1·iday. 19, we WOJ'I\ed oru· o;u·s all clay, wiUwnt ~akiuM' t.ime to hunt, Ot' evl'n landiug, except ~mcc to gather IHLP1>aws; and at eight o'clock l'cachcd the entrance of the Osage riv 'I', a di stance of' seventy-two miles. Several of' the p:ll'ty have been fo1· a day Ol' two attacked with a sor·eness in the eyes; the c.·ye-IJall being ver·y mul'lt s\\clled and the lid a~>pcat·ing as it' bur·nt by the sun, and ext•·emt'ly painful, p:ntiCularly wlu.·n ('X posed to the liv:ht. 'l ' ht•t•c off he men arc so much atl'ccted hy it, as t.o he mu;hle to l'ow. \\'e tht·•·dot·c turned 011e of the boats ath·iff, antl distr·ibutl'd the meu amont; the othet• canoes, when we set out a little l>cl'orc dayha• t•ak, Satul'day. 20. The OsagP is at thi~ nu~e low, and dis, 1t:u ·~c s fJut a vcJ·y small •1uanti ty ol' "~ al•·t·. Neal' the mouth of Gasconadt·. \\la·r·c \vc iliTi\ed al noun, "e met live F't·c..·nchmcu on th('it· way to the U n·at O!:!agc , jila~;c. As we moved along ''"l'idly, we saw uu the uanJo; some cows feeclinf.;', <utc.Lt1hc "hole pat·ty almost juvoluntaJ'ily raised a hout ofjoy at !:!eein:; this image of civilization au<.l uomes( ic life. Soou afu·t· \\e n~a c lu.• d tlte little Ft·cnch village of Laehal'l.~ tte, which we saluted with a disehaq~t· of foul' guns, autl tht•ec heat·ty cheers. \Vc thea lautlcd, and wel'e rccei- Up the JJlissom·i. o\.3S yeti with hinllness by I he inhahitants, as Wt'll <ts some traders f1·om Can~u1a. vdto were boing to tndlic with lhe Osages ami Ottoc . Thf'y wc1·e all equally suqH·i rd and pleasell at out• al'l'i val, for· th~y had long sinee a.bantloncd all hOj)CS of' ever seeing us J'<'tut·n. These Camulians have boats prcpa.t·cd for the mnigation ol' the .M.issouri, which seem better· cal<·ulatctl for· the Jlllrpose than those in auy other rorm. 'l'l!cy arc in the ihape ol' hatteaux, about thia·ty l'eet long. and cir;ht wide; the IJow and stet·n pointrd, the bottom llat, and c.•arrying six oa.t·s only, and tlteit· chirf advanlag<' js their· witlth a.ml fla.tness, 'vhich saves them ft·om the dange1· of' t·ollin~ sand5. Having eomc sixty-eight mile!i, anti the wcatltet· tht'catening to be bad, we remained at La Chat·ette till the next lllOl'ntng, Sunday, 21. when we vroccctlcd, antl as several settle-ments ha.vc been ma.dc c..lur·inoo out· a.IJscncc, wct·e rcl'rcshe•l with the sight of men amic.·a.Ule along the hanks. 'Yc also passed twelve canoes or Kickapoo Jntlians, going on a bunting CXCUl'Sion. At length, an ~r coming foa·ty-eight miles, we saluted, with he:utfclt satisfaetion. fhe village or St. Charles, and on landing WCl'C t•·ca.tl'tl with the greatest hospitality and kindness by all the inhabitants or that place. 'rheil· civility dcttdned us till ten o'clock the next morning, Monday, 22, when the rain having ceased, we set. out for Coldwater creek, about tln·cc milc3 ft·om the mouth of the 1U.issom·i, whct·c we found a cautonnwnt of it'OO)lS of the Unitt.~c..l States, with whom we passed the tla.y, and then, Tuesttay, <23, descended to the ~li~sissippi, autl rouml to St. I~oui s, whet·e we ;wriYc<l at twelvt· o·eloek, antl having !ired a. salute W('llt on !,hot'(' and. received the uca.rUest and most hm;pif able welcome ft·om the whole Yillage. YOJ.. ((, 5 j( |