It was the 20th of October when they found themselves once more
upon this noted stream. The Shoshokoes, whom they had met with in
such scanty numbers on their journey down the river, now
absolutely thronged its banks to profit by the abundance of
salmon, and lay up a stock for winter provisions. Scaffolds were
everywhere erected, and immense quantities of fish drying upon
them. At this season of the year, however, the salmon are
extremely poor, and the travellers needed their keen sauce of
hunger to give them a relish.
In some places the shores were completely covered with a stratum
of dead salmon, exhausted in ascending the river, or destroyed at
the falls; the fetid odor of which tainted the air.
It was not until the travellers reached the head-waters of the
Portneuf that they really found themselves in a region of
abundance. Here the buffaloes were in immense herds; and here
they remained for three days, slaying and cooking, and feasting,
and indemnifying themselves by an enormous carnival, for a long
and hungry Lent. Their horses, too, found good pasturage, and
enjoyed a little rest after a severe spell of hard travelling.
During this period, two horsemen arrived at the camp, who proved
to be messengers sent express for supplies from Montero's party;
which had been sent to beat up the Crow country and the Black
Hills, and to winter on the Arkansas. They reported that all was
well with the party, but that they had not been able to
accomplish the whole of their mission, and were still in the Crow
country, where they should remain until joined by Captain
Bonneville in the spring. The captain retained the messengers
with him until the 17th of November, when, having reached the
caches on Bear River, and procured thence the required supplies,
he sent them back to their party; appointing a rendezvous toward
the last of June following, on the forks of Wind River Valley, in
the Crow country.
He now remained several days encamped near the caches, and having
discovered a small band of Shoshonies in his neighborhood,
purchased from them lodges, furs, and other articles of winter
comfort, and arranged with them to encamp together during the
winter.
The place designed by the captain for the wintering ground was on
the upper part of Bear River, some distance off. He delayed
approaching it as long as possible, in order to avoid driving off
the buffaloes, which would be needed for winter provisions. He
accordingly moved forward but slowly, merely as the want of game
and grass obliged him to shift his position. The weather had
already become extremely cold, and the snow lay to a considerable
depth. To enable the horses to carry as much dried meat as
possible, he caused a cache to be made, in which all the baggage
that could be spared was deposited. This done, the party
continued to move slowly toward their winter quarters.
They were not doomed, however, to suffer from scarcity during the
present winter. The people upon Snake River having chased off
the buffaloes before the snow had become deep, immense herds now
came trooping over the mountains; forming dark masses on their
sides, from which their deep-mouthed bellowing sounded like the
low peals and mutterings from a gathering thunder-cloud. In
effect, the cloud broke, and down came the torrent thundering
into the valley. It is utterly impossible, according to Captain
Bonneville, to convey an idea of the effect produced by the sight
of such countless throngs of animals of such bulk and spirit, all
rushing forward as if swept on by a whirlwind.
The long privation which the travellers had suffered gave
uncommon ardor to their present hunting. One of the Indians
attached to the party, finding himself on horseback in the midst
of the buffaloes, without either rifle, or bow and arrows, dashed
after a fine cow that was passing close by him, and plunged his
knife into her side with such lucky aim as to bring her to the
ground. It was a daring deed; but hunger had made him almost
desperate.
The buffaloes are sometimes tenacious of life, and must be
wounded in particular parts. A ball striking the shagged frontlet
of a bull produces no other effect than a toss of the head and
greater exasperation; on the contrary, a ball striking the
forehead of a cow is fatal. Several instances occurred during
this great hunting bout, of bulls fighting furiously after having
received mortal wounds. Wyeth, also, was witness to an instance
of the kind while encamped with Indians. During a grand hunt of
the buffaloes, one of the Indians pressed a bull so closely that
the animal turned suddenly on him. His horse stopped short, or
started back, and threw him. Before he could rise the bull rushed
furiously upon him, and gored him in the chest so that his breath
came out at the aperture. He was conveyed back to the camp, and
his wound was dressed. Giving himself up for slain, he called
round him his friends, and made his will by word of mouth. It was
something like a death chant, and at the end of every sentence
those around responded in concord. He appeared no ways
intimidated by the approach of death. "I think," adds Wyeth, "the
Indians die better than the white men; perhaps from having less
fear about the future."
The buffaloes may be approached very near, if the hunter keeps to
the leeward; but they are quick of scent, and will take the alarm
and move off from a party of hunters to the windward, even when
two miles distant.
The vast herds which had poured down into the Bear River Valley
were now snow-bound, and remained in the neighborhood of the camp
throughout the winter.
