She Showed That She Was Very Observant,
Had A Good Memory, And Was Plucky And Determined When In Trouble.
She
Was the guide of the exploring party when she was in a
region of country, as here, with which she
Was familiar.
She remembered localities which she had not seen since her childhood.
When their pirogue was upset by the carelessness of her husband,
it was she who saved the goods and helped to right the boat.
And, with her helpless infant clinging to her, she rode with
the men, guiding them with unerring skill through the mountain
fastnesses and lonely passes which the white men saw for
the first time when their salient features were pointed out
to them by the intelligent and faithful Sacajawea. The Indian
woman has long since departed to the Happy Hunting-Grounds
of her fathers; only her name and story remain to us who follow
the footsteps of the brave pioneers of the western continent.
But posterity should not forget the services which were rendered
to the white race by Sacajawea.
On the fifteenth of July the party arrived at the ridge that divides
the Missouri and the Yellowstone, nine miles from which they reached
the river itself, about a mile and a half from the point where it issues
from the Rocky Mountains. Their journey down the valley of the Yellowstone
was devoid of special interest, but was accompanied with some hardships.
For example, the feet of the horses had become so sore with long travel
over a stony trail that it was necessary to shoe them with raw buffalo hide.
Rain fell frequently and copiously; and often, sheltered at night
only by buffalo hides, they rose in the morning drenched to the skin.
The party could not follow the course of the river very closely,
but were compelled often to cross hills that came down to the bank,
making the trail impassable for horses. Here is the story of July
18 and 19: -
"Gibson, one of the party, was so badly hurt by falling on a sharp point
of wood that he was unable to sit on his horse, and they were obliged to form
a sort of litter for him, so that he could lie nearly at full length.
The wound became so painful, however, after proceeding a short distance,
that he could not bear the motion, and they left him with two men,
while Captain Clark went to search for timber large enough to form canoes.
He succeeded in finding some trees of sufficient size for small canoes,
two of which he determined to construct, and by lashing them together hoped
to make them answer the purpose of conveying the party down the river,
while a few of his men should conduct the horses to the Mandans. All hands,
therefore, were set busily to work, and they were employed in this
labor for several days. In the mean time no less than twenty-four
of their horses were missing, and they strongly suspected had been stolen
by the Indians, for they were unable to find them, notwithstanding they
made the most diligent search."
"July 23.
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