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Show Lewis and Clat•ke's ExpedtLion ract of twenty-six feet. The rivet• is here six hundred yard, wide, bnt the descent is not immediately perpendicular, though the river falls generally with a regular and smooth sheet; for about one third of the c.le!,Ccnt a rock protrudes to a small distance, receives the wate•· iu its 11assage aml gives it a curve. On the south side is a beautiful plain a few feet above the level of the falls; on the north the countt·y is mo1·c broken, and there is a hill not fat~ from the river. Just below the falls is a little island in the middle of the river well covered with timber. Here on a cottonwood tree an eagle had fixed its nest, ami seemed the undisputed mistress of a spot, to contest whose dominion neither man nol' beast would venture across the gulfs that surround it, and which is further secured by the mist rising from the falls. 'rhis solita1~y bit·d could not escape the oiJset·vation of the Indians who made the eagle's nest a 11art of their description of the fiLlls, which now pt·oves to be correct in almost every particular, except that they did not do justice to their height. Just above this is a cascade of about five feet, beyond which, as far as could be discerned, the Tclocity of the water seemed to abate. Captain Lewis now ascended the hill which was behind him, and saw from its top a delightful plain extending from the river to the base of the Snow mountains to the south and southwest. Along this wide level country the Missouri pursued its winding course, filled with water to its even and grassy banks, while aiJout four miles above it was joined by a la1·ge river flowing from the northwest tlu·ough a valley three miles in width, and distinguished by the timber which adorned its shores; the Missouri itself stretches to the south in one unruffled stream of water as if unconscious of the roughness it must soon en · counter, and bearing on its bosom vast flocks of geese. while numerous herds of buffaloc arc feeding on the plaini which surrouml it. Captain Lewis then descended the hill, and directed hi~ course towards the river falling in from the west. He soon %6i net a. herd of at least a thoasand bum1loe, and being desik'OUS of providing for suppl't' hot one of them; the animal immediately began to bleed, and captain Lewis who had forgotten to reload his rifle, wa.., intently wa• cl1ing to sec him fall, when he IJchcld a lat·gc brown bear who was stealing ou him unpercci ved, and was a.h·cady within twenty st<'ps. In the first moment of surpr·isc he lirted his rifle, but remembering instantly that it was not charged, and that he had not time to reload, he felt that there was no safety but in flight. It was in the O{l('ll levelt,lain, not a bush nor o. tree \\-'ithin Hu·ee hund1·ed yards, the bank of the river sloping and not more than tlt•·ec feet high, so that there was uo possible mode of cortccalmcnt; captain Lewis ther·eforc t hought of t•ctl·cating in a quick walk as fast as the bca1· advanced tow~u·ds the nearest ti·ec; but as soon as he ttu·netl the bear ran open mouth and at full speed upon hhn. Captain J.,cwis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the ani ~ mal gained on him fast., it flashed on his mind that by gett ing into the water to such a depth that the hear would be obliged to attack him swimmiug, there was still some chance of his life; he thet•cfore turucd short, plunged into the l'iYCl' auout waist deep, and facing about prcscntetl the point of his cspontoon. The bear arrived at the water's etlge within twenty feet ul' him, but as soon ns he put himself in this posture of defence, he seemed frightened, and wheeling about~ r etreated with as much preci}>itation as he had pursued. Very glad to be released from this danger, captain Lewis !'eturncd to the shore, and observt~d him run with gl'eat speed, sometimes looking back a., if be ex1)ected to Lie pursued, till he reached the woods. He could not conceive the rause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulated himself on his escape when he saw hi~ own track torn to pieces by the t'urious animal, and learnt from the whole ad, ·enturc never to suffe1· hi~ rifle to be a moment unloaded. He now resumed his progress in the direction which the beaJ' had taken tow~n·d" the western rin••·, and fouml it a hand-vor .• T. Mm |