first across the continent-第17章

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〃We　found　great　difficulty　and　some　danger　in　even　ascending　the　creek　thus　far；　in　consequence　of　the　rapids　and　rocks　of　the　channel　of　the　creek；　which　just　above　where　we　brought　the　canoes　has　a　fall　of　five　feet；　with　high　steep　bluffs　beyond　it。　We　were　very　fortunate　in　finding；　just　below　Portage　Creek；　a　cottonwood　tree　about　twenty…two　inches　in　diameter；　large　enough　to　make　the　carriage…wheels。　It　was；　perhaps；　the　only　one　of　the　same　size　within　twenty　miles；　and　the　cottonwood　which　we　are　obliged　to　employ　in　the　other　parts　of　the　work　is　extremely　soft　and　brittle。　The　mast　of　the　white　pirogue；　which　we　mean　to　leave　behind；　supplied　us　with　two　axle…trees。

〃There　are　vast　quantities　of　buffalo　feeding　on　the　plains　or　watering　in　the　river；　which　is　also　strewed　with　the　floating　carcasses　and　limbs　of　these　animals。　　They　go　in　large　herds　to　water　about　the　falls；　and　as　all　the　passages　to　the　river　near　that　place　are　narrow　and　steep；　the　foremost　are　pressed　into　the　river　by　the　impatience　of　those　behind。　In　this　way　we　have　seen　ten　or　a　dozen　disappear　over　the　falls　in　a　few　minutes。　　They　afford　excellent　food　for　the　wolves；　bears；　and　birds　of　prey；　which　circumstance　may　account　for　the　reluctance　of　the　bears　to　yield　their　dominion　over　the　neighborhood。

〃The　pirogue　was　drawn　up　a　little　below　our　camp；　and　secured　in　a　thick　copse　of　willow…bushes。　We　now　began　to　form　a　cache　or　place　of　deposit；　and　to　dry　our　goods　and　other　articles　which　required　inspection。　　The　wagons　are　completed。　　Our　hunters　brought　us　ten　deer；　and　we　shot　two　out　of　a　herd　of　buffalo　that　came　to　water　at　Sulphur　Spring。　　There　is　a　species　of　gooseberry；　growing　abundantly　among　the　rocks　on　the　sides　of　the　cliffs。　It　is　now　ripe；　of　a　pale　red　color；　about　the　size　of　the　common　gooseberry；　and　like　it　is　an　ovate　pericarp　of　soft　pulp　enveloping　a　number　of　small　whitish　seeds；　and　consisting　of　a　yellowish；　slimy；　mucilaginous　substance；　with　a　sweet　taste；　the　surface　of　the　berry　is　covered　glutinous；　adhesive　matter；　and　its　fruit；　though　ripe；　retains　its　withered　corolla。　The　shrub　itself　seldom　rises　more　than　two　feet　high；　is　much　branched；　and　has　no　thorns。　　The　leaves　resemble　those　of　the　common　gooseberry；　except　in　being　smaller；　and　the　berry　is　supported　by　separate　peduncles　or　foot…stalks　half　an　inch　long。　　There　are　also　immense　quantities　of　grasshoppers；　of　a　brown　color；　on　the　plains；　they；　no　doubt；　contribute　to　the　lowness　of　the　grass；　which　is　not　generally　more　than　three　inches　high；　though　it　is　soft；　narrow…leaved；　and　affords　a　fine　pasture　for　the　buffalo。〃



Chapter　XI

A　the　Heart　of　the　Continent

Captain　Clark　continued　his　observations　up　the　long　series　of　rapids　and　falls　until　he　came　to　a　group　of　three　small　islands　to　which　he　gave　the　name　of　White　Bear　Islands；　from　his　having　seen　numerous　white；　or　grizzly；　bears　on　them。　On　the　nineteenth　of　June；　Captain　Clark；　after　a　careful　survey　of　the　country　on　both　sides　of　the　stream；　decided　that　the　best　place　for　a　portage　was　on　the　south；　or　lower；　side　of　the　river；　the　length　of　the　portage　being　estimated　to　be　about　eighteen　miles；　over　which　the　canoes　and　supplies　must　be　carried。　Next　day　he　proceeded　to　mark　out　the　exact　route　of　the　portage；　or　carry；　by　driving　stakes　along　its　lines　and　angles。　From　the　survey　and　drawing　which　he　made；　the　party　now　had　a　clear　and　accurate　view　of　the　falls；　cascades；　and　rapids　of　the　Missouri；　and；　it　may　be　added；　this　draught；　which　is　reproduced　on　another　page　of　this　book；　is　still　so　correct　in　all　its　measurements　that　when　a　Montana　manufacturing　company　undertook　to　build　a　dam　at　Black　Eagle　Falls；　nearly　one　hundred　years　afterwards；　they　discovered　that　their　surveys　and　those　of　Captain　Clark　were　precisely　alike。　The　total　fall　of　the　river；　from　the　White　Bear　Islands；　as　Lewis　and　Clark　called　them；　to　the　foot　of　the　Great　Falls；　is　four　hundred　twelve　and　five…tenths　feet；　the　sheer　drop　of　the　Great　Fall　is　seventy…five　and　five…tenths　feet。　The　wild；　trackless　prairie　of　Lewis　and　Clark's　time　is　now　the　site　of　the　thriving　town　of　Great　Falls；　which　has　a　population　of　ten　thousand。

Here　is　a　lucid　and　connected　account　of　the　falls　and　rapids；　discovered　and　described　by　Lewis　and　Clark：

〃This　river　is　three　hundred　yards　wide　at　the　point　where　it　receives　the　waters　of　Medicine　＇Sun＇　River；　which　is　one　hundred　and　thirty…seven　yards　in　width。　　The　united　current　continues　three　hundred　and　twenty…eight　poles　to　a　small　rapid　on　the　north　side；　from　which　it　gradually　widens　to　fourteen　hundred　yards；　and　at　the　distance　of　five　hundred　and　forty…eight　poles　reaches　the　head　of　the　rapids；　narrowing　as　it　approaches　them。　　Here　the　hills　on　the　north；　which　had　withdrawn　from　the　bank；　closely　border　the　river；　which；　for　the　space　of　three　hundred　and　twenty　poles；　makes　its　way　over　the　rocks；　with　a　descent　of　thirty　feet。　In　this　course　the　current　is　contracted　to　five　hundred　and　eighty　yards；　and　after　throwing　itself　over　a　small　pitch　of　five　feet；　forms　a　beautiful　cascade　of　twenty…six　feet　five　inches；　this　does　not；　however；　fall　immediately　or　perpendicularly；　being　stopped　by　a　part　of　the　rock；　which　projects　at　about　one…third　of　the　distance。　After　descending　this　fall；　and　passing　the　cottonwood　island　on　which　the　eagle　has　fixed　her　nest；　the　river　goes　on　for　five　hundred　and　thirty…two　poles　over　rapids　and　little　falls；　the　estimated　descent　of　which　is　thirteen　and　one…half　feet；　till　it　is　joined　by　a　large　fountain　boiling　up　underneath　the　rocks　near　the　edge　of　the　river；　into　which　it　falls　with　a　cascade　of　eight　feet。　The　water　of　this　fountain　is　of　the　most　perfect　clearness；　and　of　rather　a　bluish　cast；　and；　even　after　falling　into　the　Missouri；　it　preserves　its　color　for　half　a　mile。　　From　the　fountain　the　river　descends　with　increased　rapidity　for　the　distance　of　two　hundred　and　fourteen　poles；　during　which　the　estimated　descent　is　five　feet；　and　from　this；　for　a　distance　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　poles；　it　descends　fourteen　feet　seven　inches；　including　a　perpendicular　fall　of　six　feet　seven　inches。　　The　Missouri　has　now　become　pressed　into　a　space　of　four　hundred　and　seventy…three　yards；　and　here　forms　a　grand　cataract；　by　falling　over　a　plain　rock　the　whole　distance　across　the　river；　to　the　depth　of　forty…seven　feet　eight　inches。　After　recovering　itself；　it　then　proceeds　with　an　estimated　descent　of　three　feet；　till；　at　the　distance　of　one　hundred　and　two　poles；　it　is　precipitated　down　the　Crooked　Falls　nineteen　feet　perpendicular。　Below　this；　at　the　mouth　of　a　deep　ravine；　is　a　fall　of　five　feet；　after　which；　for　the　distance　of　nine　hundred　and　seventy　poles；　the　descent　is　much　more　gradual；　not　being　more　than　ten　feet；　and　then　succeeds　a　handsome　level　plain　for　the　space　of　one　hundred　and　seventy…eight　poles；　with　a　computed　descent　of　three　feet；　the　river　making　a　bend　towards　the　north。　　Thence　it　descends；　for　four　hundred　and　eighty　poles；　about　eighteen　and　one…half　feet；　when　it　makes　a　perpendicular　fall　of　two　feet；　which　is　ninety　poles　beyond　the　great　cataract；　in　approaching　which；　it　descends　thirteen　feet　within　two　hundred　yards；　and；　gathering　strength　from　its　confined　channel；　which　is　only　two　hundred　and　eighty　yards　wide；　rushes　over　the　fall　to　the　depth　of　eighty…seven　feet。

〃After　raging　among　the　rocks；　and　losing　itself　in　foam；　it　is　compressed　immediately　into　a　bed　of　ninety…three　yards　in　width：　it　continues　for　three　hundred　and　forty　poles　to　the　entrance　of　a　run　or　deep　ravine；　where　there　is　a　fall　of　three　feet；　which；　added　to　the　decline　during　that　distance；　makes　the　descent　six　feet。　As　it　goes　on；　the　descent　within　the　next　two　hundred　and　forty　poles　is　only　four　feet；　from　this；　passing　a　run　or　deep　ravine；　the　descent　in　four　hundred　poles　is　thirteen　feet；　within　two　hundred　and　forty　poles；　another　descent　of　eighteen　feet；　thence；　in　one　hundred　and　sixty　poles；　a　descent　of　six　feet；　after　which；　to　the　mouth　of　Portage　Creek；　a　distance　of　two　hundred　and　eighty　poles；　the　descent　is　ten　feet。　From　this　survey　and　estimate；　it　results　that　the　river　experiences　a　descent　of　three　hundred　and　fifty…two　feet　in　the　distance　of　two　and　three　quarter　miles；　from　the　commencement　of　the　rapids　to　the　mouth　of　Portage　Creek；　exclusive　of　the　almost　impassable　rapids　which　extend　for　a　mile　below　its　entrance。〃

On　the　twenty…first　of　the　month；　all　the　needed　preparations　having　been　finished；　the　arduous　work　of　making　the　portage；　or　carry；　was　begun。　　All　the　members　of　the　expedition　were　now　together；　and　the　two　captains　divided　with　their　men　the　labor　of　hunting；　carrying　luggage；　boat…building；　exploring；　and　so　on。　They　made　three　camps；　the　lower　one　on　Portage　Creek；　the　next　at　Willow　Run　＇see　map＇；　and　a　third　at　a　point　opposite　White　Bear　Islands。　　The　portage　was　not　completed　until　July　second。　They　were　often　delayed　by　the　breaking　down　of　their　rude　carriages；　and　during　the　last　stage　of　their　journey　much　of　their　luggage　was　carried　on　the　backs　of　the　men。　They　were　also　very　much　annoyed　with　the　spines　of　the　prickly　pear；　a　species　of　cactus；　which；　growing　low　on　the　ground；　is　certain　to　be　trampled　upon　by　the　wayfarer。　　The　spines　ran　through　the　moccasins　of　the　men　and　sorely　wounded　their　feet。　Thus；　under　date　of　June　twenty…fourth；　the　journal　says　（It　should　be　understood　that　the　portage　was　worked　from　above　and　below　the　rapids）：

〃On　going　down　yesterday　Captain　Clark　cut　off　several　angles　of　the　former　route；　so　as　to　shorten　the　portage　considerably；　and　marked　it　with　stakes。　　He　arrived　there　in　time　to　have　two　of　the　canoes　carried　up　in　the　high　plain；　about　a　mile　in　advance。　Here　they　all　repaired　their　moccasins；　and　put　on　double　soles　to　protect　them　from　the　prickly　pear；　and　from　the　sharp　points　of　earth　which　have　been　formed　by　the　trampling　of　the　buffalo　during　the　late　rains。　This　of　itself　is　sufficient　to　render　the　portage　disagreeable　to　one　who　has　no　burden；　but　as　the　men　are　loaded　as　heavily　as　their　strength　will　permit；　the　crossing　is　really　painful。　Some　are　limping　with　the　soreness　of　their　feet；　others　are　scarcely　able　to　stand　for　more　than　a　few　minutes；　from　the　heat　and　fatigue。　They　are　all　obliged　to　halt　and　rest　frequently；　at　almost　every　stopping…place　they　fall；　and　many　of　them　are　asleep　in　an　instant；　yet　no　one　complains；　and　they　go　on　with　great　cheerfulness。　At　the　camp；　midway　in　the　portage；　Drewyer　and　Fields　joined　them；　for；　while　Captain　Lewis　was　looking　for　them　at　Medicine　River；　they　returned　to　report　the　absence　of　Shannon；　about　whom　they　had　been　very　uneasy。　　They　had　killed　several　buffalo　at　the　bend　of　the　Missouri　above　the　falls；　dried　about　eight　hundred　pounds　of　meat；　and　got　one　hundred　pounds　of　tallow；　they　had　also　killed　some　deer；　but　had　seen　no　elk。〃

Under　this　date；　too；　Captain　Lewis；　who　was　with　another　branch　of　the　expedition；　makes　this　note：　　〃Such　as　were　able　to　shake　a　foot　amused　themselves　in　dancing　on　the　green　to　the　music　of　the　violin　which　Cruzatte　plays　extremely　well。〃

Th