first across the continent-第2章

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e　has　come　down　to　us　from　those　distant　days。


＇1＇　It　is　a　little　singular　that　Captain　Clark's　name　has　been　so　persistently　misspelled　by　historians　and　biographers。　Even　in　most　of　the　published　versions　of　the　story　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition；　the　name　of　one　of　the　captains　is　spelled　Clarke。　　Clark's　own　signature；　of　which　many　are　in　existence；　is　without　the　final　and　superfluous　vowel；　and　the　family　name；　for　generations　past；　does　not　show　it。


As　finally　organized；　the　expedition　was　made　up　of　the　two　captains　（Lewis　and　Clark）　and　twenty…six　men。　　These　were　nine　young　men　from　Kentucky；　who　were　used　to　life　on　the　frontier　among　Indians；　fourteen　soldiers　of　the　United　States　Army；　selected　from　many　who　eagerly　volunteered　their　services；　two　French　voyageurs；　or　watermen；　one　of　whom　was　an　interpreter　of　Indian　language；　and　the　other　a　hunter；　and　one　black　man；　a　servant　of　Captain　Clark。　　All　these；　except　the　negro　servant；　were　regularly　enlisted　as　privates　in　the　military　service　of　the　United　States　during　the　expedition；　and　three　of　them　were　by　the　captains　appointed　sergeants。　In　addition　to　this　force；　nine　voyageurs　and　a　corporal　and　six　private　soldiers　were　detailed　to　act　as　guides　and　assistants　until　the　explorers　should　reach　the　country　of　the　Mandan　Indians；　a　region　lying　around　the　spot　where　is　now　situated　the　flourishing　city　of　Bismarck；　the　capital　of　North　Dakota。　　It　was　expected　that　if　hostile　Indians　should　attack　the　explorers　anywhere　within　the　limits　of　the　little…known　parts　through　which　they　were　to　make　their　way；　such　attacks　were　more　likely　to　be　made　below　the　Mandan　country　than　elsewhere。

The　duties　of　the　explorers　were　numerous　and　important。　　They　were　to　explore　as　thoroughly　as　possible　the　country　through　which　they　were　to　pass；　making　such　observations　of　latitude　and　longitude　as　would　be　needed　when　maps　of　the　region　should　be　prepared　by　the　War　Department；　observing　the　trade；　commerce；　tribal　relations；　manners　and　customs；　language；　traditions；　and　monuments；　habits　and　industrial　pursuits；　diseases　and　laws　of　the　Indian　nations　with　whom　they　might　come　in　contact；　note　the　floral；　mineral；　and　animal　characteristics　of　the　country；　and；　above　all；　to　report　whatever　might　be　of　interest　to　citizens　who　might　thereafter　be　desirous　of　opening　trade　relations　with　those　wild　tribes　of　which　almost　nothing　was　then　distinctly　known。

The　list　of　articles　with　which　the　explorers　were　provided；　to　aid　them　in　establishing　peaceful　relations　with　the　Indians；　might　amuse　traders　of　the　present　day。　　But　in　those　primitive　times；　and　among　peoples　entirely　ignorant　of　the　white　man's　riches　and　resources；　coats　richly　laced　with　gilt　braid；　red　trousers；　medals；　flags；　knives；　colored　handkerchiefs；　paints；　small　looking…glasses；　beads　and　tomahawks　were　believed　to　be　so　attractive　to　the　simple…minded　red　man　that　he　would　gladly　do　much　and　give　much　of　his　own　to　win　such　prizes。　Of　these　fine　things　there　were　fourteen　large　bales　and　one　box。　The　stores　of　the　expedition　were　clothing；　working　tools；　fire…arms；　food　supplies；　powder；　ball；　lead　for　bullets；　and　flints　for　the　guns　then　in　use；　the　old…fashioned　flint…lock　rifle　and　musket　being　still　in　vogue　in　our　country；　for　all　of　this　was　at　the　beginning　of　the　present　century。

As　the　party　was　to　begin　their　long　journey　by　ascending　the　Missouri　River；　their　means　of　travel　were　provided　in　three　boats。　The　largest；　a　keel…boat；　fifty…five　feet　long　and　drawing　three　feet　of　water；　carried　a　big　square　sail　and　twenty…two　seats　for　oarsmen。　　On　board　this　craft　was　a　small　swivel　gun。　The　other　two　boats　were　of　that　variety　of　open　craft　known　as　pirogue；　a　craft　shaped　like　a　flat…iron；　square…sterned；　flat…bottomed；　roomy；　of　light　draft；　and　usually　provided　with　four　oars　and　a　square　sail　which　could　be　used　when　the　wind　was　aft；　and　which　also　served　as　a　tent；　or　night　shelter；　on　shore。　Two　horses；　for　hunting　or　other　occasional　service；　were　led　along　the　banks　of　the　river。

As　we　have　seen；　President　Jefferson；　whose　master　mind　organized　and　devised　this　expedition；　had　dwelt　longingly　on　the　prospect　of　crossing　the　continent　from　the　headwaters　of　the　Missouri　to　the　headwaters　of　the　then　newly…discovered　Columbia。　　The　route　thus　explored　was　more　difficult　than　that　which　was　later　travelled　by　the　first　emigrants　across　the　continent　to　California。　　That　route　lies　up　the　Platte　River；　through　what　is　known　as　the　South　Pass　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　by　Great　Salt　Lake　and　down　the　valley　of　the　Humboldt　into　California；　crossing　the　Sierra　Nevada　at　any　one　of　several　points　leading　into　the　valley　of　the　Sacramento。　　The　route；　which　was　opened　by　the　gold…seekers；　was　followed　by　the　first　railroads　built　across　the　continent。　　The　route　that　lay　so　firmly　in　Jefferson's　mind；　and　which　was　followed　up　with　incredible　hardships　by　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition；　has　since　been　traversed　by　two　railroads；　built　after　the　first　transcontinental　rails　were　laid。　If　Jefferson　had　desired　to　find　the　shortest　and　most　feasible　route　across　the　continent；　he　would　have　pointed　to　the　South　Pass　and　Utah　basin　trails。　　But　these　would　have　led　the　explorers　into　California；　then　and　long　afterwards　a　Spanish　possession。　The　entire　line　finally　traced　over　the　Great　Divide　lay　within　the　territory　of　the　United　States。

But　it　must　be　remembered　that　while　the　expedition　was　being　organized；　the　vast　Territory　of　Louisiana　was　as　yet　a　French　possession。　　Before　the　party　were　brought　together　and　their　supplies　collected；　the　territory　passed　under　the　jurisdiction　of　the　United　States。　　Nevertheless；　that　jurisdiction　was　not　immediately　acknowledged　by　the　officials　who；　up　to　that　time；　had　been　the　representatives　of　the　French　and　Spanish　governments。　Part　of　the　territory　was　transferred　from　Spain　to　France　and　then　from　France　to　the　United　States。　　It　was　intended　that　the　exploring　party　should　pass　the　winter　of　1803…4　in　St。　Louis；　then　a　mere　village　which　had　been　commonly　known　as　Pain　Court。　　But　the　Spanish　governor　of　the　province　had　not　been　officially　told　that　the　country　had　been　transferred　to　the　United　States；　and；　after　the　Spanish　manner；　he　forbade　the　passage　of　the　Americans　through　his　jurisdiction。　In　those　days　communication　between　frontier　posts　and　points　lying　far　to　the　eastward　of　the　Mississippi　was　very　difficult；　it　required　six　weeks　to　carry　the　mails　between　New　York；　Philadelphia；　and　Washington　to　St。　Louis；　and　this　was　the　reason　why　a　treaty；　ratified　in　July；　was　not　officially　heard　of　in　St。　Louis　as　late　as　December　of　that　year。　The　explorers；　shut　out　of　Spanish　territory；　recrossed　the　Mississippi　and　wintered　at　the　mouth　of　Wood　River；　just　above　St。　Louis；　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　great　river；　in　United　States　territory。　As　a　matter　of　record；　it　may　be　said　here　that　the　actual　transfer　of　the　lower　part　of　the　territorycommonly　known　as　Orleanstook　place　at　New　Orleans；　December　20；　1803；　and　the　transfer　of　the　upper　part　was　effected　at　St。　Louis；　March　10；　1804；　before　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition　had　started　on　its　long　journey　to　the　northwestward。

All　over　the　small　area　of　the　United　States　then　existed　a　deep　interest　in　the　proposed　explorations　of　the　course　and　sources　of　the　Missouri　River。　　The　explorers　were　about　to　plunge　into　vast　solitudes　of　which　white　people　knew　less　than　we　know　now　about　the　North　Polar　country。　Wild　and　extravagant　stories　of　what　was　to　be　seen　in　those　trackless　regions　were　circulated　in　the　States。　　For　example；　it　was　said　that　Lewis　and　Clark　expected　to　find　the　mammoth　of　prehistoric　times　still　living　and　wandering　in　the　Upper　Missouri　region；　and　it　was　commonly　reported　that　somewhere；　a　thousand　miles　or　so　up　the　river；　was　a　solid　mountain　of　rock　salt；　eighty　miles　long　and　forty…five　miles　wide；　destitute　of　vegetation　and　glittering　in　the　sun！　　These；　and　other　tales　like　these；　were　said　to　be　believed　and　doted　upon　by　the　great　Jefferson　himself。　The　Federalists；　or　〃Feds；〃　as　they　were　called；　who　hated　Jefferson；　pretended　to　believe　that　he　had　invented　some　of　these　foolish　yarns；　hoping　thereby　to　make　his　Louisiana　purchase　more　popular　in　the　Republic。

In　his　last　letter　to　Captain　Lewis；　which　was　to　reach　the　explorers　before　they　started；　Jefferson　said：　　〃The　acquisition　of　the　country　through　which　you　are　to　pass　has　inspired　the　country　generally　with　a　great　deal　of　interest　in　your　enterprise。　The　inquiries　are　perpetual　as　to　your　progress。　　The　Feds　alone　still　treat　it　as　a　philosophism；　and　would　rejoice　at　its　failure。　Their　bitterness　increases　with　the　diminution　of　their　numbers　and　despair　of　a　resurrection。　　I　hope　you　will　take　care　of　yourself；　and　be　a　living　witness　of　their　malice　and　folly。〃　Indeed；　after　the　explorers　were　lost　sight　of　in　the　wilderness　which　they　were　to　traverse；　many　people　in　the　States　declaimed　bitterly　against　the　folly　that　had　sent　these　unfortunate　men　to　perish　miserably　in　the　fathomless　depths　of　the　continent。　They　no　longer　treated　it　〃as　a　philosophism；〃　or　wild　prank；　but　as　a　wicked　scheme　to　risk　life　and　property　in　a　search　for　the　mysteries　of　the　unknown　and　unknowable。

As　a　striking　illustration　of　this　uncertainty　of　the　outcome　of　the　expedition；　which　exercised　even　the　mind　of　Jefferson；　it　may　be　said　that　in　his　instructions　to　Captain　Lewis　he　said：　〃Our　Consuls；　Thomas　Hewes；　at　Batavia　in　Java；　William　Buchanan　in　the　isles　of　France　and　Bourbon；　and　John　Elmslie　at　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　will　be　able　to　supply　your　necessities　by　drafts　on　us。〃　All　this　seems　strange　enough　to　the　young　reader　of　the　present　day；　but　this　was　said　and　done　one　hundred　years　ago。



Chapter　III

From　the　Lower　to　the　Upper　River

The　party　finally　set　sail　up　the　Missouri　River　on　Monday；　May　21；　1804；　but　made　only　a　few　miles；　owing　to　head　winds。　Four　days　later　they　camped　near　the　last　white　settlement　on　the　Missouri；La　Charrette；　a　little　village　of　seven　poor　houses。　Here　lived　Daniel　Boone；　the　famous　Kentucky　backwoodsman；　then　nearly　seventy　years　old；　but　still　vigorous；　erect；　and　strong　of　limb。　　Here　and　above　this　place　the　explorers　began　to　meet　with　unfamiliar　Indian　tribes　and　names。　　For　example；　they　met　two　canoes　loaded　with　furs　〃from　the　Mahar　nation。〃　The　writer　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　journal；　upon　whose　notes　we　rely　for　our　story；　made　many　slips　of　this　sort。　By　〃Mahars〃　we　must　understand　that　the　Omahas　were　meant。　We　shall　come　across　other　such　instances　in　which　the　strangers　mistook　the　pronunciation　of　Indian　names。　　For　example；　Kansas　was　by　them　misspelled　as　〃Canseze〃　and　〃Canzan；〃　and　there　appear　some　thirteen　or　fourteen　different　spellings　of　Sioux；　of　which　one　of　the　most　far…fetched　is　〃Scouex。〃

The　explorers　were　now　in　a　country　unknown　to　them　and　almost　unknown　to　any　white　man。　　On　the　thirty…first　of　May；　a　messenger　came　down　the　Grand　Osage　River　bringing　a　letter　from　a　person　who　wrote　that　the　Indians；　having　been　notified　that　the　country　had　been　ceded　to　the　Americans；　burned　the　lette