The Situations On The North Are More High And Open.
We Encamped On That Side, The Wind, The Sand Which
It raised,
and the rapidity of the current having prevented our advancing
more than eight miles; during the latter part
Of the day the river
became wider, and crowded with sand-bars. The game was in such
plenty that we killed only what was necessary for our subsistence.
For several days past we have seen great numbers of buffalo lying
dead along the shore, some of them partly devoured by the wolves.
They have either sunk through the ice during the winter,
or been drowned in attempting to cross; or else, after crossing
to some high bluff, have found themselves too much exhausted either
to ascend or swim back again, and perished for want of food:
in this situation we found several small parties of them.
There are geese, too, in abundance, and more bald eagles
than we have hitherto observed; the nests of these last being
always accompanied by those of two or three magpies, who are
their inseparable attendants."
Chapter VIII
In the Haunts of Grizzlies and Buffalo
Game, which had been somewhat scarce after leaving the Yellowstone,
became more plentiful as they passed on to the westward ,
still following the winding course of the Missouri. Much of the time,
baffling winds and the crookedness of the stream made sailing impossible,
and the boats were towed by men walking along the banks.
Even this was sometimes difficult, on account of the rocky ledges that beset
the shores, and sharp stones that lay in the path of the towing parties.
On the twenty-eighth of April, however, having a favorable wind,
the party made twenty-eight miles with their sails, which was reckoned
a good day's journey. On that day the journal records that game had again
become very abundant, deer of various kinds, elk, buffalo, antelope,
bear, beaver, and geese being numerous. The beaver, it was found,
had wrought much damage by gnawing down trees; some of these, not less
than three feet in diameter had been gnawed clean through by the beaver.
On the following day the journal has this record: -
"We proceeded early, with a moderate wind. Captain Lewis, who was on shore
with one hunter, met, about eight o'clock, two white [grizzly] bears.
Of the strength and ferocity of this animal the Indians had given us
dreadful accounts. They never attack him but in parties of six or
eight persons, and even then are often defeated with a loss of one or more
of their party. Having no weapons but bows and arrows, and the bad guns
with which the traders supply them, they are obliged to approach very near
to the bear; as no wound except through the head or heart is mortal,
they frequently fall a sacrifice if they miss their aim. He rather
attacks than avoids a man, and such is the terror which he has inspired,
that the Indians who go in quest of him paint themselves and perform all
the superstitious rites customary when they make war on a neighboring nation.
Hitherto, those bears we had seen did not appear desirous of encountering us;
but although to a skilful rifleman the danger is very much diminished,
yet the white bear is still a terrible animal.
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