This Adventure Taught
Them The Danger Of Crossing The Slippery Heights Of The River;
But As The Plains Were Intersected
By deep ravines,
almost as difficult to pass, they continued down the river,
sometimes in the mud of the low
Grounds, sometimes up to their
arms in the water; and when it became too deep to wade,
they cut footholds with their knives in the sides of the banks.
In this way they travelled through the rain, mud, and water,
and having made only eighteen miles during the whole day, camped in
an old Indian lodge of sticks, which afforded them a dry shelter.
Here they cooked part of six deer they had killed in the course
of their walk, and having eaten the only morsel they had tasted
during the whole day, slept comfortably on some willow-boughs."
Chapter X
To the Great Falls of the Missouri
Next day, June 8, the Lewis party returned to the main body of
the expedition. They reported that timber was scarce along the river,
except in the lowlands, where there were pretty groves and thickets.
These trees, the journal says, were the haunts of innumerable birds,
which, as the sun rose, sung delightfully: -
"Among these birds they distinguished the brown thrush, robin,
turtle-dove, linnet, gold-finch, large and small blackbird,
wren, and some others. As they came along, the whole party
were of opinion that this river was the true Missouri;
but Captain Lewis, being fully persuaded that it was neither
the main stream, nor that which it would be advisable to ascend,
gave it the name of Maria's River. After travelling all day
they reached camp about five o'clock in the afternoon, and found
Captain Clark and the party very anxious for their safety.
As they had stayed two days longer than had been expected,
and as Captain Clark had returned at the appointed time,
it was feared that they had met with some accident."
As we now know, the stream that came in from the north was that which is still
called Maria's (or Marais) River, and the so-called branch from the southwest
was the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark, however, were in the dark as to the
relations of the two streams. Which was the parent? Which was the branch?
After pondering all the evidence that could be collected to bear on
the important question, the two captains agreed that the southern stream
was the true Missouri, and the northern stream was an important branch.
The journal says:
"These observations, which satisfied our minds completely, we communicated
to the party; but every one of them was of a contrary opinion.
Much of their belief depended on Crusatte, an experienced waterman on
the Missouri, who gave it as his decided judgment that the north fork was
the genuine Missouri. The men, therefore, mentioned that, although they
would most cheerfully follow us wherever we should direct, yet they were
afraid that the south fork would soon terminate in the Rocky Mountains,
and leave us at a great distance from the Columbia.
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