OCR Text |
Show .298 Lewis and Clw·ke's Expedition ry lat•ge Indian lodge, which was probalJly designed as a great counciJ.JlOuse, but it differs in its construction from all that we have seen lower dowu the 1\'Iissouri or clsewh<'re. The form of it was a circle two hundr·cd and sixteen feet in cit·curnference at the base, and composed of sixteen la1·ge cottonwood poles about fifty feet long, and at their thicker ends, which touched the ground, about the size of a man's body: they were di!!tributed at equal distanees, except that one was omitted to the east, prolmbly for the entrance. ~.. . rom tbe circumference of this circle the lJOles converged towards the centre where they were united and secured by largD withes of willow brush. rrhcre was no covering over tbis fabric, in the centre of which were fhe remains of a large .fire, and round it the marks of about eighty leathern lodges. He also saw a number of turtledoves, and some pigeons, of which he shot one differing in no respect from the wil<t pigeon of the United States. Th~ country exhibits its usual appearances, the timber confined to the river, the countrJ on both side! as far as the eye can reach being entirely destitute of trees or brush. In the low gt·ound iu which we are building the canoes, the timber is larg·er and more abundant than we have seen it on the Missouri for several hu11~ dred miles. 1."'he soil too is good, fot• the grass and weeds reach about two feet high, being the tallest we have obser .. ,•ed this season, though on the high plains and prairies the grass is at no season above three inches in height. Among these weeds are the sandrush, and nettle in imall quantities; the plains are still infested by great numben of the small bit·ds ah·eady mentioned, among whom is the brown curlew. The curr·cnt of the I'iver is hcr·e extremely gentle; the buf£ aloc have not yet quite gone, for the hunters brought in three in Yery good order·. It requires some dmgenee to supply us plentifully, for as we reserve our }Jarched meal for the Rocky mountains, where we do not expect to find much game, ou1· principal at·ticle of food is meat, and the consumption of the whole thirty-two llersons belonging to the party, amount!! to four deer, au elk aml a deer, or one butr."lloe every twenty four hours. 'l'he muS()Uitoes aud gnail 11erseeute us as l'iolently as below, so that we can get no sleep unless defended by biers, with which we are all (H'ovided. We here found several plants hithca·to unknown to us, and of whieb we presf'rvrd specimens. Setjeant Ordway proceeded with the six canoes five miles up the rivet·. but the wind becoming so high as to wet the baggage he was obliged to unload and dt·y it. The wind abated at five o"clock in the evening, when he again proceeded eight miles aucl encamped. The next mor·ning, Sunday, July 14, he joined us about noon. On lca,·ing the Whitcbea•· camp liC passed at a shol't distance a Jittle creek or run coming in on the left. '!'his had IJecn ah·eady examined and raJicd ~'laUcry run; it contains back water only, with very cxtcn!:livc low g•·ounds, whi1·h •·ising into ]arge plains reach the mountains on the cast; then l>asscd a willow island on the h'ft within one mile and a. hall'. and J•cached two miles furthet• a cliff or rocks in a bend on th6 same side. In the COlll'iiC of another mile and a hall' he passed two islands covered with cottonwood, box-alder, sweetwillow, and the usual undel'gt·owth, like that of the 'Vhitebear islands. At thirteen and tlu·ee qua1·tcr miles he came to the mouth of a small et·eck on the left; within the following nine miles he passed thr·ee tirnber(•d islands, and after making twenty-three and a quarter miles ft·om the Jo\ler camp, arrived at the {JOint of woodland on the north where the canoes were constructed. 'I'he day was fair and warm; the meu WOt·ked very industriously, and were enalJleu by the cvrniug w Ja.nch the boats, which now want only seats and oars to uo complete. One of them is twenty-five, the other thil·ty-tht•ce Jcct in length and three ieet wide. Capta:in Lewis walked out between three and four miles over the rocky bluft·s to a high situation, two miles fl'om the river, a little below Fort Hountain creek. The countr·y whic1• he a.w was in most part'\ |