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.
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