|
The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates October 5, 1804 - October 10,
1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: October 5, 1804 - October 10, 1804
October 5, 1804
Friday, October 5. The weather was very cold: yesterday
evening and this morning there was a white frost. We sailed
along the highlands on the north side, passing a small creek
on the south, between three and four miles. At seven o'clock
we heard some yells and saw three Indians of the Teton band,
who asked us to come on shore and begged for some tobacco,
to all which we gave the same answer as hitherto. At eight
miles we reached a small creek on the north. At fourteen
we passed an island on the south, covered with wild rye,
and at the head a large creek comes in from the south, which
we named Whitebrant creek, from seeing several white brants
among flocks of dark-colored ones. At the distance of twenty
miles we came to on a sandbar towards the north side of
the river, with a willow island opposite; the hills or bluffs
come to the banks of the river on both sides, but are not
so high as they are below: the river itself however continues
of the same width, and the sandbars are quite as numerous.
The soil of the banks is dark colored, and many of the bluffs
have the appearance of being on fire. Our game this day
was a deer, a prairie wolf, and some goats out of a flock
that was swimming across the river.
October 6, 1804
Saturday, October 6. The morning was still cold,
the wind being from the north. At eight miles we came to
a willow island on the north, opposite a point of timber,
where there are many large stones near the middle of the
river, which seem to have been washed from the hills and
high plains on both sides, or driven from a distance down
the stream. At twelve miles we halted for dinner at a village
which we suppose to have belonged to the Ricaras; it is
situated in a low plain on the river, and consists of about
eighty lodges, of an octagon form, neatly covered with earth,
placed as close to each other as possible, and picketed
round. The skin canoes, mats, buckets, and articles of furniture
found in the lodges, induce us to suppose that it had been
left in the spring. We found three different sorts of squashes
growing in the village; we also killed an elk near it, and
saw two wolves. On leaving the village the river became
shallow, and after searching a long time for the main channel,
which was concealed among sandbars, we at last dragged the
boat over one of them rather than go back three miles for
the deepest channel. At fourteen and a half miles we stopped
for the night on a sandbar, opposite a creek on the north,
called Otter creek, twenty-two yards in width, and containing
more water than is common for creeks of that size. The sides
of the river during the day are variegated with high bluffs
and low timbered grounds on the banks: the river is very
much obstructed by sandbars. We saw geese, swan, brants
and ducks of different kinds on the sandbars, and on shore
numbers of the prairie hen; the magpie too is very common,
but the gulls and plover, which we saw in such numbers below,
are now quite rare.
October 7, 1804
Sunday, October 7. There was frost again last evening,
and this morning was cloudy and attended with rain. At two
miles we came to the mouth of a river; called by the Ricaras,
Sawawkawna, or Pork river; the party who examined it for
about three miles up, say that its current is gentle, and
that it does not seem to throw out much sand. Its sources
are in the first range of the Black mountains, and though
it has now only water of twenty yards width, yet when full
it occupies ninety. Just below the mouth is another village
or wintering camp of the Ricaras, composed of about sixty
lodges, built in the same form as those passed yesterday,
with willow and straw mats, baskets and buffalo-skin canoes
remaining entire in the camp. We proceeded under a gentle
breeze from the southwest: at ten o'clock we saw two Indians
on the north side, who told us they were a part of the lodge
of Tartongawaka, or buffalo Medicine, the Teton chief whom
we had seen on the twenty-fifth, that they were on the way
to the Ricaras, and begged us for something [100]to eat,
which we of course gave them. At seven and a half miles
is a willow island on the north, and another on the same
side five miles beyond it, in the middle of the river between
highlands on both sides. At eighteen and a half miles is
an island called Grouse island, on which are the walls of
an old village; the island has no timber, but is covered
with grass and wild rye, and owes its name to the number
of grouse that frequent it. We then went on till our journey
for the day was twenty-two miles: the country presented
the same appearance as usual. In the low timbered ground
near the mouth of the Sawawkawna, we saw the tracks of large
white bear, and on Grouse island killed a female blaireau,
and a deer of the black-tailed species, the largest we have
ever seen.
October 8, 1804
Monday, October 8. We proceeded early with a cool
northwest wind, and at two and a half miles above Grouse
island, reached the mouth of a creek on the south, then
a small willow island, which divides the current equally;
and at four and a half miles came to a river on the southern
side where we halted. This river, which our meridian altitude
fixes at 45° 39' 5" north latitude, is called by the Ricaras
Wetawhoo; it rises in the Black mountains, and its bed which
flows at the mouth over a low soft slate stone, is one hundred
and twenty yards wide, but the water is now confined within
twenty yards, and is not very rapid, discharging mud with
a small proportion of sand: here as in every bend of the
river, we again observe the red berries resembling currants,
which we mentioned before. Two miles above the Wetawhoo,
and on the same side, is a small river called Maropa by
the Indians; it is twenty yards in width, but so dammed
up by mud that the stream creeps through a channel of not
more than an inch in diameter, and discharges no sand. One
mile further we reached an island close to the southern
shore, from which it is separated by a deep channel of sixty
yards. About half way a number of Ricara Indians came out
to see us. We stopped and took a Frenchman on board, [101]who
accompanied us past the island to our camp on the north
side of the river, which is at the distance of twelve miles
from that of yesterday. Captain Lewis then returned with
four of the party to see the village; it is situated in
the centre of the island, near the southern shore, under
the foot of some high, bald, uneven hills, and contains
about sixty lodges. The island itself is three miles long,
and covered with fields in which the Indians raise corn,
beans, and potatoes. Several Frenchmen living among these
Indians as interpreters, or traders, came back with Captain
Lewis, and particularly a Mr. Gravelines, a man who has
acquired the language. On setting out we had a low prairie
covered with timber on the north, and on the south highlands,
but at the mouth of the Wetawhoo the southern country changes,
and a low timbered plain extends along the south, while
the north has a ridge of barren hills during the rest of
the day's course.
October 9, 1804
Tuesday, 9th. The wind was so cold and high last
night and during all the day, that we could not assemble
the Indians in council; but some of the party went to the
village. We received the visits of the three principal chiefs
with many others, to whom we gave some tobacco, and told
them that we would speak to them to-morrow. The names of
these chiefs were first, Kakawissassa or Lighting Crow;
second chief Pocasse or Hay; third chief Piaheto or Eagle's
Feather. Notwithstanding the high waves, two or three squaws
rowed to us in little canoes made of a single buffalo skin,
stretched over a frame of boughs interwoven like a basket,
and with the most perfect composure. The object which appeared
to astonish the Indians most, was captain Clark's servant
York, a remarkable stout strong negro. They had never seen
a being of that color, and therefore flocked round him to
examine the extraordinary monster. By way of amusement he
told them that he had once been a wild animal, and caught
and tamed by his master, and to convince them, showed them
feats of strength [102]which added to his looks made him
more terrible than we wished him to be. Opposite our camp
is a small creek on the south, which we distinguished by
the name of the chief Kakawissassa.
October 10,
1804
Wednesday, 10th.
The weather was this day fine, and as we were desirous of
assembling the whole nation at once, we dispatched Mr. Gravelines,
who with Mr. Tabeau another French trader had breakfeasted
with us, to invite the chiefs of the two upper villages
to a conference. They all assembled at one o'clock, and
after the usual ceremonies we addressed them in the same
way in which we had already spoken to the Ottoes and Sioux:
we then made or acknowledged three chiefs, one for each
of the three villages; giving to each a flag, a medal, a
red coat, a cocked hat and feather, also some goods, paint
and tobacco, which they divided among themselves: after
this the airgun was exhibited, very much to their astonishment,
nor were they less surprised at the color and manner of
York. On our side we were equally gratified at discovering
that these Ricaras made use of no spirituous liquors of
any kind, the example of the traders who bring it to them
so far from tempting having in fact disgusted them. Supposing
that it was as agreeable to them as to the other Indians,
we had at first offered them whiskey; but they refused it
with this sensible remark, that they were surprised that
their father should present to them a liquor which would
make them fools. On another occasion they observed to Mr.
Tabeau, that no man could be their friend who tried to lead
them into such follies. The council being over they retired
to consult on their answer, and the next morning,
Next
Journal Entry
|
