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Show S68 I-'ewis and Cla1·ke's Expeditwn and were now obliged to live in huts of a conical figure made with wiHow brush. 'rhe music and dancing, which was in no respect diffcl'ent from those of the Mjssoul'i In. dians, continued nearly all night; hut captain Lewis rctiJ•cd to rest about twelve o'clock, when the fatigues or the day enabled him to sleep though he was awaked scYcrallimes by the y~lls of the dancers. Whilst all these things were occurring to captain Lewis we were slowly and laboriously ascending the river. F'or the first two and a half miles we went along the island oppo· site to which we encamped last evening, and soon reached a second island behind which comes in a smaJl creek on the left side of the river. It rises in the mountains to the east and forms a handsome valley for some miles from its mouth, where it is a bold running stream about seven yards wide: we eallcd it M'Neal's creek, after Hugh M'Neal one of our party. Just above this stream and at the distance offour miles from our camp is a point of limestone rock on the right, about seventy f~et high, forming a cliff over the river. From the top of it the Beaver's-head bot•e north 24° east twelve miles distant, the course of Wisdom river, tbat is the direction of its valley through the mountains is not•tll 25° west, while the gap through which the Jefferson enters the mountains is ten miles above us on a course south 18° west. From this limestone rock we proceeded along several islands, on both sides, aud after making twelve miles arrived at a cliff of high rocks on the right, opposite to which we encamped in a smooth levcllwairie, nea1· a few cottonwood trees; but were obliged to use the dt·y wil· low brush for fuel. The river is still vc•·y crooked, the bends short and abrupt, and obstructed by so many shoals, over which the canoes were to be dragged, that the men were in the water tht•ee fourths of the day. rrhcy saw numbet·s o{' otter, some beave1·, antelopes, ducks, geese, and cranes, but they killed nothing except a single deer. They, however, cau;ht some very fine trout, as tbey have Up the Jf'Iissowi. 36.9 done fot' several days past. 'The weather had been cloudy and cool dut•ing the forepart of the day, ami at eight o'clock a shower of rain fell. 'Vedncsday 1-1. In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of Jeffct·son river, captain Lewis dctcrmin. cd to remain here and obtain all tbe information he coultl collect with regard to the country. Ifaving nothing to cat but a little flom~ and parchc(l meal, with the bct·ries of the Indians, he sent out Drcwycr and Shields, who borro" ed horses from the natives, to hunt for a few hours. About the same time the ~'otmg; wm·t·io1•:; set out for the s~me purpose. Thci'C at•e but few elk or· blacktailcd dt·~r in this neigltbour·hood, and a.s the common J'ed-dcm· sect·ctc them. selves in the bushes when alarmed, they at·c soon safe ft·om the arrows, which arc but feeble weapons against any animals which the huntsmen eannot 1n·rviously run down with their hol'ses. 'I'he chief game of the Shoshonccs, therefore, is tllC antclo}lC, which when pursued retl'eats to the OI>Cn plains, whct•e tht:· horses have full t·oom f'ol' the chase. But surh is its extraordiu~ry fleetness and wind that a single hoesc has no possible chance of outrunning it, Ol' til'ing it down; and the hunters nrc thct•efot·c obliged to resort to str·atagem. About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, and a1·med with bows and at•J•ows, left the cam1>; in a shot·t time tht·y dcsm·ied a. het·d of ten antelopes: they immediately separated into little squads or two 01' three, ami formed a scatteretl circle rouud the herd for five or six miles, keeping at a wary distancr, so as not to alat·m them till they wct·e pct·fectly inclosed, and usually selecting some commanding eminence as a ~taud. u~ Ying gained their I>osit.ions, a small party rode towm·ds the het·tl, and with wonderful dexterity the huntsman preserve(} his seat, and the horse his footing, as he ran at rull speed OVCl' the hills, and down the steep ravines, and along the borders of the precipices. They were soon out~ttippcd by the antelopes, which on gaining thc_othcr extremity .or thc_circle were <h·i~ VOL. I. 3D |