first across the continent-第11章

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〃These　fleet　and　quick…sighted　animals　are　generally　the　victims　of　their　curiosity。　　When　they　first　see　the　hunters；　they　run　with　great　velocity；　if　he　lies　down　on　the　ground；　and　lifts　up　his　arm；　his　hat；　or　his　foot；　they　return　with　a　light　trot　to　look　at　the　object；　and　sometimes　go　and　return　two　or　three　times；　till　they　approach　within　reach　of　the　rifle。　　So；　too；　they　sometimes　leave　their　flock　to　go　and　look　at　the　wolves；　which　crouch　down；　and；　if　the　antelope　is　frightened　at　first；　repeat　the　same　manoevre；　and　sometimes　relieve　each　other；　till　they　decoy　it　from　the　party；　when　they　seize　it。　But；　generally；　the　wolves　take　them　as　they　are　crossing　the　rivers；　for；　although　swift　on　foot；　they　are　not　good　swimmers。〃

Later　wayfarers　across　the　plains　were　wont　to　beguile　the　antelope　by　fastening　a　bright…colored　handkerchief　to　a　ramrod　stuck　in　the　ground。　The　patient　hunter　was　certain　to　be　rewarded　by　the　antelope　coming　within　range　of　his　rifle；　for；　unless　scared　off　by　some　interference；　the　herd；　after　galloping　around　and　around　and　much　zigzagging；　would　certainly　seek　to　gratify　their　curiosity　by　gradually　circling　nearer　and　nearer　the　strange　object　until　a　deadly　shot　or　two　sent　havoc　into　their　ranks。

May　came　on　cold　and　windy；　and　on　the　second　of　the　month；　the　journal　records　that　snow　fell　to　the　depth　of　an　inch；　contrasting　strangely　with　the　advanced　vegetation。

〃Our　game　to…day；〃　proceeds　the　journal；　〃were　deer；　elk；　and　buffalo：　we　also　procured　three　beaver。　　They　were　here　quite　gentle；　as　they　have　not　been　hunted；　but　when　the　hunters　are　in　pursuit；　they　never　leave　their　huts　during　the　day。　　This　animal　we　esteem　a　great　delicacy；　particularly　the　tail；　which；　when　boiled；　resembles　in　flavor　the　fresh　tongues　and　sounds　of　the　codfish；　and　is　generally　so　large　as　to　afford　a　plentiful　meal　for　two　men。　One　of　the　hunters；　in　passing　near　an　old　Indian　camp；　found　several　yards　of　scarlet　cloth　suspended　on　the　bough　of　a　tree；　as　a　sacrifice　to　the　deity；　by　the　Assiniboins；　the　custom　of　making　these　offerings　being　common　among　that　people；　as；　indeed；　among　all　the　Indians　on　the　Missouri。　　The　air　was　sharp　this　evening；　the　water　froze　on　the　oars　as　we　rowed。〃

The　Assiniboin　custom　of　sacrificing　to　their　deity；　or　〃great　medicine；〃　the　article　which　they　most　value　themselves；　is　not　by　any　means　peculiar　to　that　tribe；　nor　to　the　Indian　race。

An　unusual　number　of　porcupines　were　seen　along　here；　and　these　creatures　were　so　free　from　wildness　that　they　fed　on；　undisturbed；　while　the　explorers　walked　around　and　among　them。　　The　captains　named　a　bold　and　beautiful　stream；　which　here　entered　the　Missouri　from　the　north；Porcupine　River；　but　modern　geography　calls　the　water…course　Poplar　River；　at　the　mouth　of　the　river；　in　Montana；　is　now　the　Poplar　River　Indian　Agency　and　military　post。　The　waters　of　this　stream；　the　explorers　found；　were　clear　and　transparent；　an　exception　to　all　the　streams；　which；　discharging　into　the　Missouri；　give　it　its　name　of　the　Big　Muddy。　　The　journal　adds：

〃A　quarter　of　a　mile　beyond　this　river　a　creek　falls　in　on　the　south；　to　which；　on　account　of　its　distance　from　the　mouth　of　the　Missouri；　we　gave　the　name　of　Two…thousand…mile　creek。　It　is　a　bold　stream　with　a　bed　thirty　yards　wide。　At　three　and　one…half　miles　above　Porcupine　River；　we　reached　some　high　timber　on　the　north；　and　camped　just　above　an　old　channel　of　the　river；　which　is　now　dry。　　We　saw　vast　quantities　of　buffalo；　elk；　deer；principally　of　the　long…tailed　kind；　antelope；　beaver；　geese；　ducks；　brant；　and　some　swan。　The　porcupines　too　are　numerous；　and　so　careless　and　clumsy　that　we　can　approach　very　near　without　disturbing　them；　as　they　are　feeding　on　the　young　willows。　　Toward　evening　we　also　found　for　the　first　time　the　nest　of　a　goose　among　some　driftwood；　all　that　we　had　hitherto　seen　being　on　the　top　of　a　broken　tree　on　the　forks；　invariably　from　fifteen　to　twenty　or　more　feet　in　height。〃

〃Next　day；〃　May　4；　says　the　journal；　〃we　passed　some　old　Indian　hunting…camps；　one　of　which　consisted　of　two　large　lodges；　fortified　with　a　circular　fence　twenty　or　thirty　feet　in　diameter；　made　of　timber　laid　horizontally；　the　beams　overlying　each　other　to　the　height　of　five　feet；　and　covered　with　the　trunks　and　limbs　of　trees　that　have　drifted　down　the　river。　The　lodges　themselves　are　formed　by　three　or　more　strong　sticks　about　the　size　of　a　man's　leg　or　arm　and　twelve　feet　long；　which　are　attached　at　the　top　by　a　withe　of　small　willows；　and　spread　out　so　as　to　form　at　the　base　a　circle　of　ten　to　fourteen　feet　in　diameter。　Against　these　are　placed　pieces　of　driftwood　and　fallen　timber；　usually　in　three　ranges；　one　on　the　other；　the　interstices　are　covered　with　leaves；　bark；　and　straw；　so　as　to　form　a　conical　figure　about　ten　feet　high；　with　a　small　aperture　in　one　side　for　the　door。　It　is；　however；　at　best　a　very　imperfect　shelter　against　the　inclemencies　of　the　seasons。〃

Wolves　were　very　abundant　along　the　route　of　the　explorers；　the　most　numerous　species　being　the　common　kind；　now　known　as　the　coyote　（pronounced　kyote）；　and　named　by　science　the　canis　latrans。　These　animals　are　cowardly　and　sly　creatures；　of　an　intermediate　size　between　the　fox　and　dog；　very　delicately　formed；　fleet　and　active。

〃The　ears　are　large；　erect；　and　pointed；　the　head　is　long　and　pointed；　like　that　of　the　fox；　the　tail　long　and　bushy；　the　hair　and　fur　are　of　a　pale　reddish…brown　color；　though　much　coarser　than　that　of　the　fox；　the　eye　is　of　a　deep　sea…green　color；　small　and　piercing；　the　talons　are　rather　longer　than　those　of　the　wolf　of　the　Atlantic　States；　which　animal；　as　far　as　we　can　perceive；　is　not　to　be　found　on　this　side　of　the　Platte。　　These　wolves　usually　associate　in　bands　of　ten　or　twelve；　and　are　rarely；　if　ever；　seen　alone；　not　being　able；　singly；　to　attack　a　deer　or　antelope。　They　live　and　rear　their　young　in　burrows；　which　they　fix　near　some　pass　or　spot　much　frequented　by　game；　and　sally　out　in　a　body　against　any　animal　which　they　think　they　can　overpower；　but　on　the　slightest　alarm　retreat　to　their　burrows；　making　a　noise　exactly　like　that　of　a　small　dog。

〃A　second　species　is　lower；　shorter　in　the　legs；　and　thicker　than　the　Atlantic　wolf；　the　color；　which　is　not　affected　by　the　seasons；　is　of　every　variety　of　shade；　from　a　gray　or　blackish…brown　to　a　cream…colored　white。　They　do　not　burrow；　nor　do　they　bark；　but　howl；　they　frequent　the　woods　and　plains；　and　skulk　along　the　skirts　of　the　buffalo　herds；　in　order　to　attack　the　weary　or　wounded。〃

Under　date　of　May　5；　the　journal　has　an　interesting　story　of　an　encounter　with　a　grizzly　bear；　which；　by　way　of　variety；　is　here　called　〃brown；〃　instead　of　〃white。〃　　It　is　noticeable　that　the　explorers　dwelt　with　much　minuteness　upon　the　peculiar　characteristics　of　the　grizzly；　this　is　natural　enough　when　we　consider　that　they　were　the　first　white　men　to　form　an　intimate　acquaintance　with　〃Ursus　horribilis。〃　The　account　says：

〃Captain　Clark　and　one　of　the　hunters　met；　this　evening；　the　largest　brown　bear　we　have　seen。　　As　they　fired　he　did　not　attempt　to　attack；　but　fled　with　a　most　tremendous　roar；　and　such　was　his　extraordinary　tenacity　of　life；　that；　although　he　had　five　balls　passed　through　his　lungs；　and　five　other　wounds；　he　swam　more　than　half　across　the　river　to　a　sand…bar；　and　survived　twenty　minutes。　He　weighed　between　five　and　six　hundred　pounds　at　least；　and　measured　eight　feet　seven　inches　and　a　half　from　the　nose　to　the　extremity　of　the　hind　feet；　five　feet　ten　inches　and　a　half　round　the　breast；　three　feet　eleven　inches　round　the　neck；　one　foot　eleven　inches　round　the　middle　of　the　fore　leg；　and　his　claws　five　on　each　foot；　were　four　inches　and　three…eighths　in　length。　This　animal　differs　from　the　common　black　bear　in　having　his　claws　much　longer　and　more　blunt；　his　tail　shorter；　his　hair　of　a　reddish　or　bay　brown；　longer；　finer；　and　more　abundant；　his　liver；　lungs；　and　heart　much　larger　even　in　proportion　to　his　size；　the　heart；　particularly；　being　equal　to　that　of　a　large　ox；　and　his　maw　ten　times　larger。　　Besides　fish　and　flesh；　he　feeds　on　roots　and　every　kind　of　wild　fruit。〃

On　May　8　the　party　discovered　the　largest　and　most　important　of　the　northern　tributaries　of　the　Upper　Missouri。　　The　journal　thus　describes　the　stream：

〃Its　width　at　the　entrance　is　one　hundred　and　fifty　yards；　on　going　three　miles　up；　Captain　Lewis　found　it　to　be　of　the　same　breadth　and　sometimes　more；　it　is　deep；　gentle；　and　has　a　large　quantity　of　water；　its　bed　is　principally　of　mud；　the　banks　are　abrupt；　about　twelve　feet　in　height；　and　formed　of　a　dark；　rich　loam　and　blue　clay；　the　low　grounds　near　it　are　wide　and　fertile；　and　possess　a　considerable　proportion　of　cottonwood　and　willow。　It　seems　to　be　navigable　for　boats　and　canoes；　by　this　circumstance；　joined　to　its　course　and　quantity　of　water；　which　indicates　that　it　passes　through　a　large　extent　of　country；　we　are　led　to　presume　that　it　may　approach　the　Saskaskawan　＇Saskatchewan＇　and　afford　a　communication　with　that　river。　　The　water　has　a　peculiar　whiteness；　such　as　might　be　produced　by　a　tablespoonful　of　milk　in　a　dish　of　tea；　and　this　circumstance　induced　us　to　call　it　Milk　River。〃

Modern　geography　shows　that　the　surmise　of　Captain　Lewis　was　correct。　Some　of　the　tributaries　of　Milk　River　（the　Indian　name　of　which　signifies　〃The　River　that　Scolds　at　all　Others〃）　have　their　rise　near　St。　Mary's　River；　which　is　one　of　the　tributaries　of　the　Saskatchewan；　in　British　America。

The　explorers　were　surprised　to　find　the　bed　of　a　dry　river；　as　deep　and　as　wide　as　the　Missouri　itself；　about　fifteen　miles　above　Milk　River。　　Although　it　had　every　appearance　of　a　water…course；　it　did　not　discharge　a　drop　of　water。　Their　journal　says：

〃It　passes　through　a　wide　valley　without　timber；　the　surrounding　country　consists　of　waving　low　hills；　interspersed　with　some　handsome　level　plains；　the　banks　are　abrupt；　and　consist　of　a　black　or　yellow　clay；　or　of　a　rich　sandy　loam；　though　they　do　not　rise　more　than　six　or　eight　feet　above　the　bed；　they　exhibit　no　appearance　of　being　overflowed；　the　bed　is　entirely　composed　of　a　light　brown　sand；　the　particles　of　which；　like　those　of　the　Missouri；　are　extremely　fine。　　Like　the　dry　rivers　we　passed　before；　this　seemed　to　have　discharged　its　waters　recently；　but　the　watermark　indicated　that　its　greatest　depth　had　not　been　more　than　two　feet。　This　stream；　if　it　deserve　the　name；　we　called　Bigdry　＇Big　Dry＇　River。〃

And　Big　Dry　it　remains　on　the　maps　unto　this　day。　In　this　region　the　party　recorded　this　observation：

〃The　game　is　now　in　great　quantities；　particularly　the　elk　and　buffalo；　which　last　is　so　gentle　that　the　men　are　obliged　to　drive　them　out　of　the　way　with　sticks　and　stones。　　The　ravages　of　the　beaver　are　very　apparent；　in　one　place　the　timber　was　entirely　prostrated　for　a　space　of　three　acres　in　front　on　the　river　and　one　in　depth；　and　great　part　of　it　removed；　though　the　trees　were　in　large　quantities；　and　some　of　them　as　thick　as　the　body　of　a　man。

Yet　so　great　have　been　the　ravages　of　man　among　these　gentle　creatures；　that　elk　are　now　very　rarely　found　in　the　region；　and　the　buffalo　have　almost　utterly　disappeared　from　the