EXPEDITION OF LEWIS AND CLARKE.
86
Organization of Exploring
Party-Departure-Osage Indians-Strange
Tradition of the Origin of the Osage
Nation-The Missouris-old _French Fort-Artificial
Mounds-The Ottoes and Pawnees-Indian
Graves-The Ayauway Indians-Council
with Indians at Council Bluffs-Little
Sioux River-Death of Sergeant Floyd-Great
Sioux River-Red Pilestone Quarries-Buffalo
and other Animals-Mountain of the
Little Spirits-Council with the Sioux-Indian
Idols-The Mandans-Winter Quarters-White
and Brown Bears-Antelopes-Black Hills-First
View of Rocky Mountains-Natural Scenery-The
Great Falls of the Missouri-Shoshones-Sources
of the Missouri-Columbia River-The
Tushepaws-Short of Provisions-Pierced-Nose
Indians-Down Lewis River-The Sokulks
Great Falls of the Columbia--The Echeloots-Wooden
Houses-Fingers as War Trophies-Sight
of the Pacific-Fort Clatsop-,Return-Arrival
at St. Louis.
IN January, 1803, President Jefferson,
in a confidential message to Congress
in regard to Indian affairs, took
occasion to recommend, among other
things, the organization of a party
to trace the Missouri river to its
source, and thence proceed to the
Pacific ocean. The recommendation
was favorably considered, and Capt.
Merriwether Lewis, was, on his own
application, appointed to take charge
of the expedition. Wm. Clarke was
subsequently associated with him,
so that this celebrated expedition
is known in our history as that of
Lewis and Clarke. The incidents of
this long, tedious, and romantic journey
are worthy to be related as among
the most interesting
87
in the annals of American
adventure. At that time all that vast
region bordering on the Upper Missouri
and its tributaries, as well as the
regions bordering on the Pacific,
were unknown and unexplored by white
men. By the latter part of the year
1803 the party comprising the expedition
was made up and ready to start. The
highest settlement of whites on the
Missouri river at that time was at
a place called La Charrette, sixty-eight
miles above the mouth. At this place
it had been the design of Capt. Lewis
to winter, but the Spanish authorities
of Louisiana had not yet received
official information of the transfer
of the country to the United States.
For this reason the party remained
in winter quarters at the mouth of
Wood river, on the east side of the
Mississippi.
Besides Captains Lewis and Clarke,
the party was made up nine young men
from Kentucky, twelve soldiers of
the regular army, two Frenchmen as
watermen and interpreters, and a colored
servant belonging to Captain Clarke—twenty-six
persons in all. A corporal, six soldiers
and nine watermen, in addition to
the above, were engaged to accompany
the expedition as far as the country
of the Mandans, as there was some
apprehension of attacks by the Indians
between Wood river and that tribe.
Three boats were
provided for the expedition. The largest
was a keelboat, fifty-five feet long,
drawing three feet of water, carrying
one large square sail, and twenty-two
oars. The other two were open boats,
one of six, and the other of seven
oars.
The expedition started from the encampment
at the mouth of Wood river on Monday,
May 14, 1804. Captain Lewis, who was
at that time in St. Louis, joined
the expedition at St. Charles, twenty-one
miles up the Missouri, which place
they reached on the 16th. Here they
remained until the 21st, when they
proceeded on their voyage, reaching
La Charrette, the last white settlement,
on the evening of the 25th. The village
consisted of but seven poor families.
On the 1st of June they arrived at
the mouth of the Osage, one hundred
and thirty-three miles on their journey.
The country bordering on this river
was inhabited by a tribe known as
the Osage Indians. There had a remarkable
tradition among them as to the origin
of their nation. They believed that
its founder was a snail passing a
quiet existence along the banks of
the Osage, till a flood swept him
down to the Missouri and there left
him exposed on the shore. By the heat
of the sun he was changed to a man.
The change, however, did not cause
him to forget his native place away
up on the banks of the Osage, and
he immediately sought his old home.
Being overtaken with hunger and fatigue,
the Great Spirit appeared, gave him
a bow and arrow, and taught him to
kill deer and prepare its flesh for
food and its skin for clothing. When
he arrived at his original place of
residence he was met by a beaver,
who inquired who he was, and by what
authority he came to disturb his possession.
The Osage replied that he had once
lived on the borders of that river
and that it was his own home. While
they were disputing the daughter of
the beaver appeared, and entreated
her father to be reconciled to the
young stranger. The father yielded
to her entreaties, and the Osage soon
married the beaver's daughter. They
lived happily on the banks of the
Osage, and from them soon came the
villages and nation of the Osages.
Ever since they entertained a pious
reverence for their ancestors, never
killing a beaver, for by so doing
they would slay a brother. It has
been observed, however, that after
the opening of the fur trade with
the whites, the sanctity of their,
maternal relations was very much reduced.
88
The next tribe mentioned
by the explorers was that of the Missouris,
once a powerful nation, but then reduced
to about thirty families. They finally
united with the Osages and the Ottoes,
and as a separate nation became extinct.
The Sauks, Ayauways (Iowas), and the
Sioux are mentioned as being the enemies
of the Osages, and as making frequent
excursions against them: On the 26th
of June they arrived at the mouth
of the Kansas, 340 miles from the
Mississippi, where they remained two
days for rest and repairs. Here resided
the tribe of Indians of the same name,
and had two villages not far from
the mouth of the river. This tribe
at that time had been reduced by the
Sauks and Ayauways to only about three
hundred men. The party at this stage
of their journey, saw numerous buffalo
on the prairies. On the 2d of July
the party passed Bear Medicine Island,
near which were the remains of an
old fort, built by the French, the
ruins of the chimneys and the general
outline of the fortification being-
visible. On the 8th of July they reached
the mouth of the Nodawa. The river
is mentioned as navigable for boats
some distance. On the 11th they landed
at the mouth of the Nemahaw. Mention
is made of several artificial mounds
on the Nemahaw, about two miles up
the stream at the month of a small
creek. From the top of the highest
mound there was a fine view of the
country. On the 14th they passed the
Nishnahbatona river, finding it to
be only three hundred yards from the
Missouri at a distance of twelve miles
from its mouth. Platte river and other
streams, both in Iowa and Nebraska,
are mentioned and the country described
with great accuracy. Along in this
part of the country were the first
elk they had seen.
On the 22d of
July the explorers encamped on the
north (Iowa) side of the river, ten
miles above the mouth of the Platte
river, to ,make observations and to
hold an interview with the neighboring
tribes. They remained here in camp
until the 27th. Among the streams
mentioned in this vicinity are the
Papillon, Butterfly Creek and Moscheto
Creek, the- last named being a small
stream near Council Bluffs. In mentioning
them we use the orthography of the
explorers, which in some instances
differs from that now in use. The
Indians who occupied the country about
the mouth of Platte river at this
time were the Ottoes and Pawnees.
The Ottoes were much reduced, and
formerly lived about twenty miles
above the Platte on the Nebraska side
of the river. They lived at this.
time under the protection of the Pawnees.
The latter were also much dispersed
and broken. One band of the nation
formerly lived on the Republican branch
of the Kanzas River. Another band
were the Pawnee Loups, or Wolf Pawnees,
who resided on the Wolf fork of the
Platte. Another band originally resided
on the Kanzas and Arkansaw, but in
their wars with the Osages they were
often defeated and retired to the
Red river. Various other tribes living
further west, are mentioned. On the
27th they continued their journey,
and about ten leagues from their encampment,
on the south (Nebraska) side of the
river, they saw and examined a curious
collection of graves, or mounds. They
were of different heights, shapes
and sizes. Some were of sand, and
others of both earth and sand. They
were supposed to indicate the position
of the ancient village of the Ottoes
before they retired to the protection
of the Pawnees. On the 29th they passed
the spot where the Ayauway Indians,
a branch of the Ottoes, once lived,
and who had emigrated from that place
to the Des Moines. Mention is here
made of an interview with one of the
Missouri Indians who lived with the
Ottoes, and the resemblance of his
language to that of the Osages, particularly
in calling a chief inca.
89
On
the 30th of July the party encamped
on the south (Nebraska) side of the
river. At that place next to, the
river was a plain, and back of it
a wooded ridge, rising about seventy
feet, above the plain. At the edge
of this ridge they formed their camp,
and sent an invitation to the. Indians
to meet them. From the bluffs at this
point they mention a most, beautiful
view of the river and adjoining country.
The latitude of the camp was determined
by observation to be 41, degrees 18
minutes and 14 seconds. The messenger
sent to invite the Ottoes returned
on the evening of the 2d of August,
with fourteen Ottoe and Missouri Indians,
accompanied by a Frenchman who resided
among them, and who acted as interpreter.
Lewis and Clarke made them presents
of pork, flour and meal, and the Indians
returned presents of watermelons.
The next morning (Aug. 3d) a council
was held with the six chiefs who were
of' the party of' Indians; they were
told of the change in the government,
and promised protection and advised
as to their future conduct. All the
chiefs expressed their joy at the
change in the government, and wished
to be recommended to the Great Father
(the President) that they might obtain
trade and necessaries. They asked
the mediation of the Great Father
between them and the Mahas (Omahas),
with whom they were then at war. At
the conclusion of the council medals
and other presents were given to the
chiefs, and also some presents to
the other Indians who were with them.
The grand chief of the Ottoes was
not present, but to him was sent a
flag, a medal, and some ornaments
for clothing. The explorers gave to
the place where this council was held
the name of Council Bluffs. The reader
will remember, however, that it was
above the present city of Council
Bluffs, Iowa, and was on the Nebraska
side of the river.
On the afternoon
of the 3d of August they resumed their
journey, and on the 7th arrived at
the mouth of a river on the north
side, called by the Sioux Indians,
Eaneahwadepon (Stone river), and by
the French, Petite Riviere des
Sioux, or in English, Little Sioux
river. The explorers were informed
by their interpreter (M. Durion) that
this river rises within about nine
miles of the Des Moines; that within
fifteen leagues of that river it passes
through a large lake, nearly sixty
miles in circumference, and divided
into two parts by rocks, which approach
each other very closely. Its width
is various; it contains many islands,
and is known by the name of Lac
d' Esprit—Spirit Lake. The
country watered by it is open and
undulating, and may be visited in
boats up the river for some distance.
The interpreter further added that
the Des Moines was about eighty yards
wide where the Little Sioux approaches
it; that it was shoally, and that
one of' its principal branches was
called Cat river. The interpreter
claimed to have been to the sources
of the Little Sioux, and those who
are familiar with the country about
Spirit Lake, will concede that he
described it quite accurately. The
explorers speak of a long island two
miles above the mouth of the Little
Sioux, which they named Pelican island,
from the large number of pelicans
which were feeding on it, one of which
they killed. They also killed an elk.
On the 10th they passed the first
highland near the river, after leaving
their encampment at Council Bluffs.
Not far from this, on a high bluff,
was the grave of Blackbird, one of
the great chiefs of' the Mahas, who
had died of small-pox four years before.
The grave was marked by a mound twelve
feet in diameter at the base, and
six feet high, and was on an elevation
about 300 feet above the water. In
the center of the grave was a pole
eight feet high. Near this the Mahas
had a village, and lost four hundred
men of their nation, and a like proportion
of women and children by the small-pox
at the time that Blackbird died.
90
After this dreadful
scourge they burned their village,
which had consisted of three hundred
cabins. On a hill at the rear of the
place where the village stood were
the graves of the nation. On the evening
of' the 18th the explorers were again
visited at their camp by a party of
Ottoes and Missouris, who entertained
them with a dance. The professed object
of their visit was to ask intercession
for promoting peace between them and
the Mahas, but probably the real object
was to share a portion of the strangers'
provisions and liquors.
The next day,
Angust 20th, after passing a couple
of islands, they landed on the north
side of the river, under some bluffs-the
first near the river on that side
after leaving the Ayauway village.
It was here that the party had the
mi8f'ortune to lose one of their men--Sergeant
Charles Floyd. He had the day before
been siezed with a billious colic.
Before his death he said to Captain
Clarke, "I am going to leave
you; I want you to write me a letter."
Soon after making this request the
brave soldier passed away. He was
buried on the top of the bluff, with
honors due to a soldier. The place
of his interment was marked by a cedar
post, on which his name and the day
of his death were inscribed. About
a mile further up on the same side
of the Missouri, they came to a small
river, to which they gave the name
of Floyd river, in honor of their
deceased companion. The place of the
burial of Sergeant Floyd was but a
short distance below where Sioux City
now stands. During a great freshet
in the spring of 1857 the Missouri
river washed away a portion of the
bluff, exposing the remains of the
soldier; The citizens of Sioux City
and vicinity repaired to the place;
and with appropriate ceremonies, reinterred
them some distance back from the river
on the same bluff. The same cedar
post planted by his companions over
his grave on that summer day more
than half a century before, remained
to mark the place of interment up
to 1857, although during nearly all
this time the country had been inhabited
only by savages.
On the 21st of
August the expedition passed the site
where Sioux City now stands, and noted
in their Journal the confluence of
the Great Sioux river with the Missouri.
From their interpreter, M. Durion,
they received an account of the Great
Sioux river. He stated that it was
navigable for more than two hundred
miles, to the great falls, and even
beyond them. The reader will remember
that this was before the time of steamboats
on western waters. He mentioned a
creek that emptied into the Great
Sioux below the falls, which passed
through cliffs of red rock, out of
which the Indians made their pipes;
that the necessity for procuring that
article had caused the introduction
of' a law among the nations, by which
the banks of that creek were held
to be sacred, and even tribes at war
met at the quarries without hostility.
These were what are now known as the
"Red Pipestone Quarries,"
in southwestern Minnesota.
A few miles above
the mouth of the Great Sioux, on the
north, or Dakota side of the river,
they killed a buffalo, a deer and
a beaver. They also saw some elk.
The place where the buffalo was killed
they described as a beautiful prairie,
and gave it the name of' Buffalo Prairie.
They mention on the south side of
the river, a bluff of blue clay, rising
to the height of 180 or 190 feet.
Several miles from this, on the south
side of the river, Captains Lewis
and Clarke, with ten of their men,
went to see a mound regarded with
great terror by the Indians, and called
by them the Mountain of the Little
Spirits. They believed it was the
abode of little devils in human form,
eighteen inches high, and having large
heads; that they had sharp arrows,
91
and were always on the
watch to kill those who might approach
their place of residence. The Sioux,
Mahas and Ottoes never would visit
the hill or mound for fear of the
vengeance of the Little Spirits. The
mound, though extraordinary in its
formation, they did not regard as
artificial. From its top they could
see large herds of buffalo feeding
at a distance.
On the 26th they
passed the month of Yankton river,
and, on landing, were met by several
Indians, who informed them that a
large body of Sioux were encamped
near. On the 30th and 31st they held
a council with the Sioux, and smoked
with them the pipe of peace. The Indians
exhibited their skill in dancing and
various other amusements to entertain
their visitors. These Indians were
the Yankton tribe of the Sioux nation.
Their grand chief was "'We-u-cha,
or in English, Shake Hand. Speeches
were made and presents exchanged.
On the 1st of
September, the explorers passed Calumet
Bluffs; and the next day Bonhomme
Islands near which they visited some
ancient earthworks, or fortifications,
on the south, or Nebraska, side of
the Missouri. They made a minute and
careful examination of these works.
They embraced nearly five hundred
acres. A day or two after, on a hill
to the south, near Cedar Island, they
discovered the backbone of a fish,
45 feet long, in a perfect state of
petrifaction.
After several
conferences with different tribes,
and observations in regard to the
country, its formation, and the different
animals seen, on the 13th of October
they reached a small stream on the
north side, to which they gave the
name of Idol Creek. Near its mouth
were two stones resembling human figures,
and a third like a dog. These were
objects of great veneration among
the Ricaras (Ricarees), who occupied
the country in that vicinity. They
had a legend that a young brave was
deeply enamored with a girl whose
parents refused their consent to the
marriage. The young brave went out
into the fields to mourn his misfortunes,
arid a sympathy of feeling led the
lady to the same spot. The faithful
dog would not cease to follow his
master. The lovers wandered away together
with nothing to subsist on but grapes,
and they were at last changed into
stone, with the lady holding in her
hands a bunch of grapes. When the
Ricaras pass these sacred stones,
they stop to make offerings of dress
to propitiate the deities, as they
regard them. Such was the account
given to Lewis and Clarke, by the
Ricara chief. As they found here a
great abundance of fine grapes, they
regarded one part of the story as
very agreeably confirmed.
On the 19th they
reached the ruins of one of the Mandan
villages. It had been fortified. This,
they were informed by the Ricara chiefs
was one of several villages once occupied
by the Mandans until the Sioux forced
them forty miles higher up the river,
In this vicinity they counted no less
than herds of buffalo, and 3 herds
of elk at a single view. About the
1st of November, 1804, the expedition
reached the country of the Mandans,
where they went into winter quarters.
These Indians had raised considerable
corn, some of which they presented
to the party. During the winter they
obtained a great deal of information
in regard to the history, traditions,
and manners and customs, not only
of this peculiar and remarkable nation,
but of other tribes. Their huts, or
cabins, were all completed by the
20th of the month, and the place was
named Fort Mandan. It was on the north
side of the Missouri, in a grove of
cottonwood. The place, as ascertained
by observation, was in latitude 47
deg., 21 min. and 47 sec., and the
computed distance from the mouth of
the Missouri was 1600 miles.
92
During the winter they
were Visited by a great many Indians
of the Mandan and other, tribes. A
few French and traders of the Northwest
Fur Company also visited them.
The party remained
at Fort Mangan until April 7, 1805,
when they resumed their journey. There
were then -thirty-two persons in the
expedition, same Of the party having
returned to St. Louis. In this portion
of the country they began to see numbers
of white bear, antelope, and other
animals, which they had not seen lower
down an the river. On the 12th they
arrived at the mouth of the Little
Missouri, hear which they found large
quantities of small onions, about
the size of a bullet, of an oval form
and white. The next day they passed
a small stream to which they gave
the name of Onion Creek, from the,
great abundance of that vegetable
growing near it. Along this part of
the Missouri were large numbers of
bald eagles, and also many geese and
brant. Numerous deserted Indian lodges
were noticed, which they supposed
to have belonged to the Assiniboins,
as there were the remains of small
kegs. That tribe was the only one
in this region that then used spirituous
liquors. They obtained it from the
traders of the Hudson Bay Company,
bartering their furs for it. Here
many plants and aromatic herbs are
mentioned, and same resembling in
taste and smell sage, hyssop, wormwood
and juniper. On the 26th they camped
at the mouth of the Yellowstone, where
game of various kinds was very abundant.
Frequent mention is made of the burned
hills along that part of the Missouri
far some distance above and below
the Yellowstone. Among the animals
killed by the hunters of the expedition
in this part of the voyage were several
brown bears. On the evening of the
14th of May the men in one of the
canoes discovered a large brawn bear
lying in the open grounds about three
hundred yards from the river. Six
of them, all good hunters, went to
attack him, and, concealing themselves
by a small eminence, four of them
fired at a distance of about forty
paces. Each of them lodged a ball
in the bear's body, two of them directly
through the lungs. The animal sprang
up and ran open-mouthed toward them.
As he came near, the-two hunters who
had reserved their fire, gave him
two more wounds, one of which, breaking
his shoulder, retarded his motion
for a moment. Before they could reload
he was so near upon them that they
were obliged to run to the river,
the bear almost overtaking them. Two
of the men sprang into the canoe,
and the others concealed themselves
in same willows and fired as, fast
as they could reload, striking him
several times. The shots seemed only
to direct him toward the hunters,
till at last he pursued two of them
so closely that they threw aside their
guns and pouches, and jumped twenty
feet dawn a perpendicular bank into
the river. The bear sprang after them,
and was within a few feet of the hindmost
when one of the hunters an shore shot
him in the head, and finally killed
him. They dragged the bear to shore
and found that eight balls had passed
through his body in different directions.
On the 20th of
May the party reached the mouth of
the Muscleshell, a river of considerable
size from the south. They were then
2270 miles above the mouth of the
Mississippi, in latitude 47 deg.,
24 min. Mention is made of what the
French traders called Cote Noire,
or Black Hills. On the 26th of May
they had the first view of the Rocky
Mountains, "the object,"
as the journalist remarks, "of
all our hopes, and the reward of all
our ambition." The view was obtained
from what they called one of the last
ridges of the Black Mountains. On
the 30th they had reached that part
of the river which passes through
between walls of racks, presenting
every form of
93
sculptured ruins; and
having the appearance of being the
productions of art. Of these objects
of natural scenery they give a most
glowing description.
On the 3d of June
the expedition reached a junction
of two branches of the river, when
they were at a loss to determine which
was the true Missouri river. Parties,
one under Captain Lewis and the other
under Captain Clarke, proceeded to
explore 'both branches by land. The
party under Captain Lewis, on the
13th, reached the Great Falls of the
Missouri on the southern branch, which
determined the question. One of the
men was sent to inform Captain Clarke
of the discovery. The explorers give
a vivid description of the wonderful
and, beautiful scenery which is here
presented. In the vicinity of the
falls they saw a herd of at least
a thousand buffalo, one of which they
shot. Here Captain Lewis himself had
an encounter with a large brown bear,
from which he escaped by plunging
into the river. Mention is made of
grasshoppers at the mouth of Medicine
river, about twelve miles above the
Great Falls, in such multitudes that
the herbage on the plains was in part
destroyed by them. At that point the
Missouri is described as being three
hundred yards wide, and Medicine river
one hundred and thirty-seven yards
wide, The party remained here until
the 15th. of July, examining the surrounding
country, constructing canoes, and
making general preparations for continuing
the journey. On that day they again
embarked with eight heavily loaded
canoes, encountering many difficult
places for navigating, owing to the
rapids. Toward the latter part of
July they reached a point where the
Missouri is formed of three branches,
one of which they called Jefferson,
one Madison, and one Gallatin. Here
the party divide and explore the several
branches, partly for the purpose of
finding the Shoshones, the Indians
that were known to inhabit that region.
On the 11th of August they encountered
a single Indian on horseback, who
proved to be, one of that tribe or
nation. Captain Lewis, who had continued
his course up the Jefferson, or principal
branch forming the sources of the
Missouri, reached a point where it
had so diminished in width that one
of his men in a fit of enthusiasm,
with one foot on each side of the
rivulet, thanked God that he had lived
to bestride the Missouri. A few miles
further on they reached the point
where issues the remotest water-the
hitherto hidden sources of that river,
which had never before been seen by
civilized man. They sat down, by the
brink of the little rivulet, and quenched
their thrist [thirst] at the chaste
and icy fountain, which sends its
modest tribute down to the great ocean
thousands of miles away. Crossing
over the {the} dividing line between
the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, at a distance of three-quarters
of a mile, they stopped to taste for
the first time the waters of the Columbia,
here a stream of clear, cold water
flowing westward. On the same day
Captain Lewis succeeded in gaining
a friendly interview with the Shoshones.
Captain Clarke, with a part of the
expedition, was at this time at the
junction of the three branches of
the Missouri, and Captain Lewis engaged
a number of the Indians, with about
thirty of their horses, to transport
their merchandise and outfit to the
Shoshone camp.
The Shoshones
are described as being a small tribe
of the nation called the Snake Indians,
an appellation which embraces the
inhabitants of the southern parts
of the Rocky Mountains, and of the
plains on either side. During the
summer the Shoshones resided; about
the headwaters of the Columbia, where
they lived chiefly on salmon. In their
journal the explorers give a long
and interesting account of the habits,
traditions, and manner of
94
life of this people.
They found them honest, friendly,
and ready to render them all assistance
in their power.
After purchasing
twenty-nine horses from the Shoshones,
the party on the 30th of August resumed
their journey toward the Pacific.
On the 4th of September, after many
difficulties in finding a practicable
route, they came to a large encampment
of Indians who received them with
great cordiality. The pipe of peace
was introduced and a council held.
They represented themselves as a band
of a nation called Tushepaws, a numerous
people then residing on the headwaters
of the Missouri and Columbia rivers.
The Indians shared their berries and
roots with the strangers and received
some presents. Several horses were
purchased from them. On the 6th they
reached a stream to which they gave
the name of Clarke river, Captain
Clarke being the first white man who
ever visited its waters. The route
was a rugged one, and in many places
almost impracticable, and to add to
the difficulties of the situation,
snow had been falling, so that on
the 16th it was six or eight inches
deep. The difficulty of procuring
game or other subsistence made it
necessary for them to kill several
of their horses on this part of their
journey, for food. They had a little
of what was called portable soup which
they used by melting some snow. This,
and about twenty pounds of bear's
oil, was their only remaining subsistence.
They were now in a region where their
guns were of little service, for there
was scarcely a living creature to
be seen in those mountains. Captain
Clarke and six hunters searched the
mountains all day for game but found
none, and at night encamped on a small
stream to which they gave the name
of Hungry Creek. Their only refreshment
during the day was a little of the
portable soup. On the 26th, Captain
Clarke and his hunting party encountered
three Indian boys, and sent them forward
to the village with some presents;
An Indian came out to meet them, and
conducted them to a large tent in
the village, which was the residence
of the great chief: After some introductory
ceremonies by signs, the Indians set
before the strangers some buffalo
meat, dried salmon, berries and several
kinds of roots. This, after their
long abstinence, was a sumptuous treat.
One of the chiefs conducted them to
another village, two miles away, where
they were received with great kindness
and passed the night. These Indians
called themselves Chopunish, or Pierced-Nose
(Nez Perces). With a few articles
Captain Clarke chanced to have in
his pockets he purchased some dried
salmon, roots and berries and sent
them by one of his men and a hired
Indian back to Captain Lewis. The
main, body with Captain Lewis had
been so fortunate as to kill a few
pheasants and a prairie wolf. As soon
as it was known in the villages that
the wonderful strangers had arrived
the people crowded in to see them,
Twisted Hair, the chief, drew a chart
or map of the country and streams
on a white elk-skin, which was of
great service in guiding them on their
course. From these Indians as many
provisions were purchased as could
be carried on their horses. After
proceeding down the river some distance,
they determined to continue their
journey in canoes, which they set
about constructing. By the 7th of
October the canoes were launched and
loaded. The horses were branded and
left with the Indians to be kept until
their return. Accompanied by some
of the Indians down Lewis river, the
expedition finally reached the Columbia
on the 16th, having stopped at a number
of villages on the way. The Columbia
at the mouth of Lewis river they found
to be 960 yards wide, and Lewis river
575 yards wide. Here they found themselves
among a nation who called themselves
Sokulks, a
95
people of a mild and
peaceable disposition. Fish was their
principal article of food. On the
18th they resumed their journey down
the Columbia in the presence of many
of the Sokulks who came to witness
their departure. They passed many
different tribes who inhabited the
borders of the Columbia, all of whom
they visited in their villages and
encampments, learning their condition,
habits, history and mode of living.
Wherever they halted large numbers
of Indians gathered to see them, and
generally manifested the greatest
kindness and hospitality. All of them
had pierced noses.
On the 22d of
October the party reached the Great
Falls of the Columbia. Many Indians
inhabited this portion of the country,
and some of them assisted the party
in unloading the canoes, transporting
the goods around the falls, and in
bringing down the canoes. At one place
it was necessary to haul the canoes
over a point of land to avoid a perpendicular
fall of seventy feet. Some distance
below the falls they came to a village
of another tribe, or nation, called
the Echeloots. Here they found the
first wooden houses they had seen
after leaving the settlements near
the Mississippi. They were made of
logs and poles, with poles for rafters
and covered with white cedar, kept
on by strands of cedar fibres. The
inhabitants received the strangers
with great kindness, invited them
to their houses, and came in great
numbers to see them. They were surprised
to find that these Indians spoke a
language quite different from that
of the tribes above the Great Falls.
Some of their customs, however, were
the same. Like the tribes they had
recently visited, they flattened the
heads of their children, and in nearly
the same manner. Among the mountain
tribes, however, this custom was confined
to the females almost exclusively,
whereas the Echeloots subjected both
sexes to the operation. On the 18th
they came to another tribe where they
saw a British musket and several brass
tea kettles which, the Indians prized
very highly. In the interview with
the chief he directed his wife to
hand him his medicine-bag, from which
he drew out fourteen forefingers,
which he said had belonged to the
same number of his enemies whom he
had killed in battle. These fingers
were shown with great exultation,
after which they were carefully replaced
among the other valuable contents
of the medicine-bag. This was the
first instance in which the explorers
had observed that any other trophy
than the scalp was ever carried from
the field in Indian warfare.
On the 2d of November
the party passed the rapids which
form the last descent of the Columbia,
and tide-water commences. On this
part of the Columbia they began to
meet with tribes who had some knowledge
of the whites, and from articles in
their possession, it was observed
that they had maintained some sort
of trade or barter with the whites.
The Indians here also began to be
troublesome and were disposed to pilfer
whenever an opportunity offered, showing
that in their intercourse with the
whites they had contracted some vices
that they are free from in the absence
of such intercourse.
On the 16th of November, 1805, the
expedition encamped in full view of
the Pacific Ocean, at Haley's Bay,
as laid down by Vancouver. Their long,
tedious and eventful journey to the
Pacific having ended, they made preparations
for going into winter quarters. Some
distance below the mouth of the Columbia,
three miles above the mouth of a little
river that empties into the bay, in
a thick grove of lofty pines, they
formed their winter encampment. Game
was exceedingly plenty, and during
the winter they were visited by a
large number of the Indians inhabiting
the coast region. They called the
place Fort Clatsop, from the tribe
of Indians inhabiting the imme-
96
diate vicinity. Here
they remained until the23d of March,
1806, when they commenced their return,
by the same route.
Before leaving,
Captains Lewis and Clarke posted up
in the fort a note to the following
effect:
"The object
of this is, that through the medium
of some, civilized person, who may
see the same, it may be made known
to the world that the party consisting
of the persons whose names are hereto
annexed, and, who were sent out by
the government of the United States
to explore the interior of the continent
of North America, did cross the same
by the way of the Missouri and Columbia
rivers, to the discharge of the latter
into the Pacific ocean, where they
arrived on the 14th day of November,
1805, and departed the 23d day of
March, 1806, on their return to the
United States, by the same route by
which they came out."
It is somewhat
singular that this note a short time
after fell into the hands of a Captain
Hill, while on the coast near the
mouth of the Columbia river. It was
delivered to him by some Indians,
and taken to Canton, China, from whence
it was brought to the United States
in January, 1807. On the 23d of September,
1806, the party reached the mouth
of the Missouri, and decended [descended]
the Mississippi to St. Louis, arriving
at 12 o'clock. Having fired a salute,
they went on shore, where they received
most hearty and hospitable welcome
from the whole village."
This is but a
very partial and hasty review of that
romantic and extraordinary expedition-the
first exploration by authority of
the government of the United States,
of that wonderful region which of
late years has attracted so much attention.
It gave to the world the first authentic
account of the upper Missouri and
its tributaries, and of the rivers
that flow from the western slopes
of the Rocky Mountains and seek the
Pacific Ocean through the great Columbia.
It imparted to civilized man some
definite knowledge of the strange
tribes whose homes were on the borders
of those rivers; of their habits,
traditions and modes of life; of the
fauna and flora of a region hitherto
unknown, and of natural scenery not
surpassed in grandeur, and sublimity
by that of any other part of the world.
Other explorers have since revealed
a portion of the hidden treasures
of that part of our national domain,
but the pioneer expeditien [expedition]
of Lewis and Clarke, so successfully
accomplished, will always possess
a peculiar and thrilling interest.
.
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