Rough Wintry Travelling--Hills and Plains.--Snow and Ice.--
Disappearance of Game.--A Vast Dreary Plain.--A. Second Halt
for the Winter.--Another Wigwam.--New Year’s Feast.--Buffalo
Humps, Tongues, and Marrow-Bones.--Return of Spring.--Launch
of Canoes.--Bad Navigation.--Pedestrian March.--Vast
Prairies.--Deserted Camps.--Pawnee Squaws.--An Otto
Indian.--News of War.--Voyage Down the Platte and the
Missouri.--Reception at Fort Osage.--Arrival at St. Louis.
THE interval of comfort and repose which the party had enjoyed in their
wigwam, rendered the renewal of their fatigues intolerable for the first
two or three days. The snow lay deep, and was slightly frozen on the
surface, but not sufficiently to bear their weight. Their feet became
sore by breaking through the crust, and their limbs weary by floundering
on without firm foothold. So exhausted and dispirited were they, that
they began to think it would be better to remain and run the risk of
being killed by the Indians, than to drag on thus painfully, with the
probability of perishing by the way. Their miserable horse fared no
better than themselves, having for the first day or two no other fodder
than the ends of willow twigs, and the bark of the cotton-wood tree.
They all, however, appeared to gain patience and hardihood as they
proceeded, and for fourteen days kept steadily on, making a distance
of about three hundred and thirty miles. For some days, the range of
mountains which had been near to their wigwam kept parallel to the river
at no great distance, but at length subsided into hills. Sometimes
they found the river bordered with alluvial bottoms, and groves with
cotton-wood and willows; sometimes the adjacent country was naked and
barren. In one place it ran for a considerable distance between rocky
hills and promontories covered with cedar and pitch pines, and peopled
with the bighorn and the mountain deer; at other places it wandered
through prairies well stocked with buffaloes and antelopes. As they
descended the course of the river, they began to perceive the ash and
white oak here and there among the cotton-wood and willow; and at length
caught a sight of some wild horses on the distant prairies.
The weather was various; at one time the snow lay deep; then they had
a genial day or two, with the mildness and serenity of autumn; then,
again, the frost was so severe that the river was sufficiently frozen to
bear them upon the ice.
During the last three days of their fortnight’s travel, however, the
face of the country changed. The timber gradually diminished, until they
could scarcely find fuel sufficient for culinary purposes. The game
grew more and more scanty, and, finally, none were to be seen but a few
miserable broken-down buffalo bulls, not worth killing. The snow lay
fifteen inches deep, and made the travelling grievously painful and
toilsome. At length they came to an immense plain, where no vestige of
timber was to be seen; nor a single quadruped to enliven the desolate
landscape. Here, then, their hearts failed them, and they held another
consultation. The width of the river, which was upwards of a mile, its
extreme shallowness, the frequency of quicksands, and various other
characteristics, had at length made them sensible of their errors with
respect to it, and they now came to the correct conclusion, that they
were on the banks of the Platte or Shallow River. What were they to do?
Pursue its course to the Missouri? To go on at this season of the year
seemed dangerous in the extreme. There was no prospect of obtaining
either food or firing. The country was destitute of trees, and though
there might be drift-wood along the river, it lay too deep beneath the
snow for them to find it.
The weather was threatening a change, and a snowstorm on these boundless
wastes might prove as fatal as a whirlwind of sand on an Arabian desert.
After much dreary deliberation, it was at length determined to retrace
their three last days’ journey of seventy-seven miles, to a place which
they had remarked where there was a sheltering growth of forest trees,
and a country abundant in game. Here they would once more set up their
winter quarters, and await the opening of the navigation to launch
themselves in canoes.
Accordingly, on the 27th of December, they faced about, retraced their
steps, and on the 30th, regained the part of the river in question. Here
the alluvial bottom was from one to two miles wide, and thickly
covered with a forest of cotton-wood trees; while herds of buffalo were
scattered about the neighboring prairie, several of which soon fell
beneath their rifles.
They encamped on the margin of the river, in a grove where there were
trees large enough for canoes. Here they put up a shed for immediate
shelter, and immediately proceeded to erect a hut. New Year’s day dawned
when, as yet, but one wall of their cabin was completed; the genial and
jovial day, however, was not permitted to pass uncelebrated, even by
this weatherbeaten crew of wanderers. All work was suspended, except
that of roasting and boiling. The choicest of the buffalo meat, with
tongues, and humps, and marrow-bones, were devoured in quantities that
would astonish any one that has not lived among hunters or Indians; and
as an extra regale, having no tobacco left, they cut up an old tobacco
pouch, still redolent with the potent herb, and smoked it in honor of
the day. Thus for a time, in present revelry, however uncouth, they
forgot all past troubles and all anxieties about the future, and their
forlorn wigwam echoed to the sound of gayety.
The next day they resumed their labors, and by the 6th of the month it
was complete. They soon killed abundance of buffalo, and again laid in a
stock of winter provisions. The party were more fortunate in this, their
second cantonment. The winter passed away without any Indian visitors,
and the game continued to be plenty in the neighborhood. They felled two
large trees, and shaped them into canoes; and, as the spring opened, and
a thaw of several days’ continuance melted the ice in the river, they
made every preparation for embarking. On the 8th of March they launched
forth in their canoes, but soon found that the river had not depth
sufficient even for such slender barks. It expanded into a wide but
extremely shallow stream, with many sand-bars, and occasionally various
channels. They got one of their canoes a few miles down it, with extreme
difficulty, sometimes wading and dragging it over the shoals; at length
they had to abandon the attempt, and to resume their journey on foot,
aided by their faithful old pack-horse, who had recruited strength
during the repose of the winter.
The weather delayed them for a few days, having suddenly become more
rigorous than it had been at any time during the winter; but on the 20th
of March they were again on their journey.
In two days they arrived at the vast naked prairie, the wintry aspect of
which had caused them, in December, to pause and turn back. It was now
clothed in the early verdure of spring, and plentifully stocked with
game. Still, when obliged to bivouac on its bare surface, without any
shelter, and by a scanty fire of dry buffalo dung, they found the night
blasts piercing cold. On one occasion, a herd of buffalo straying near
their evening camp, they killed three of them merely for their hides,
wherewith to make a shelter for the night.
They continued on for upwards of a hundred miles; with vast prairies
extending before them as they advanced; sometimes diversified by
undulating hills, but destitute of trees. In one place they saw a
gang of sixty-five wild horses, but as to the buffaloes, they seemed
absolutely to cover the country. Wild geese abounded, and they passed
extensive swamps that were alive with innumerable flocks of water-fowl,
among which were a few swans, but an endless variety of ducks.
The river continued a winding course to the east-north-east, nearly a
mile in width, but too shallow to float even an empty canoe. The country
spread out into a vast level plain, bounded by the horizon alone,
excepting to the north, where a line of hills seemed like a long
promontory stretching into the bosom of the ocean. The dreary sameness
of the prairie wastes began to grow extremely irksome. The travellers
longed for the sight of a forest, or grove, or single tree, to break the
level uniformity, and began to notice every object that gave reason to
hope they were drawing towards the end of this weary wilderness. Thus
the occurrence of a particular kind of grass was hailed as a proof that
they could not be far from the bottoms of the Missouri; and they were
rejoiced at putting up several prairie hens, a kind of grouse seldom
found far in the interior. In picking up driftwood for fuel, also, they
found on some pieces the mark of an axe, which caused much speculation
as to the time when and the persons by whom the trees had been felled.
Thus they went on, like sailors at sea, who perceive in every floating
weed and wandering bird, harbingers of the wished-for land.
By the close of the month the weather became very mild, and, heavily
burdened as they were, they found the noontide temperature uncomfortably
warm. On the 30th, they came to three deserted hunting camps, either of
Pawnees or Ottoes, about which were buffalo skulls in all directions;
and the frames on which the hides had been stretched and cured. They had
apparently been occupied the preceding autumn.
For several days they kept patiently on, watching every sign that might
give them an idea as to where they were, and how near to the banks of
the Missouri.
Though there were numerous traces of hunting parties and encampments,
they were not of recent date. The country seemed deserted. The only
human beings they met with were three Pawnee squaws, in a hut in the
midst of a deserted camp. Their people had all gone to the south, in
pursuit of the buffalo, and had left these poor women behind, being too
sick and infirm to travel.
It is a common practice with the Pawnees, and probably with other roving
tribes, when departing on a distant expedition, which will not admit of
incumbrance or delay, to leave their aged and infirm with a supply
of provisions sufficient for a temporary subsistence. When this is
exhausted, they must perish; though sometimes their sufferings are
abridged by hostile prowlers who may visit the deserted camp.
The poor squaws in question expected some such fate at the hands of
the white strangers, and though the latter accosted them in the kindest
manner, and made them presents of dried buffalo meat, it was impossible
to soothe their alarm, or get any information from them.
The first landmark by which the travellers were enabled to conjecture
their position with any degree of confidence, was an island about
seventy miles in length, which they presumed to be Grand Isle. If so,
they were within one hundred and forty miles of the Missouri. They kept
on, therefore, With renewed spirit, and at the end of three days met
with an Otto Indian, by whom they were confirmed in their conjecture.
They learnt at the same time another piece of information, of an
uncomfortable nature. According to his account, there was war between
the United States and England, and in fact it had existed for a whole
year, during which time they had been beyond the reach of all knowledge
of the affairs of the civilized world.
The Otto conducted the travellers to his village, situated a short
distance from the banks of the Platte. Here they were delighted to meet
with two white men, Messrs. Dornin and Roi, Indian traders recently from
St. Louis. Of these they had a thousand inquiries to make concerning
all affairs, foreign and domestic, during their year of sepulture in the
wilderness; and especially about the events of the existing war.
They now prepared to abandon their weary travel by land, and to embark
upon the water. A bargain was made with Mr. Dornin, who engaged to
furnish them with a canoe and provisions for the voyage, in exchange for
their venerable and well-tried fellow traveller, the old Snake horse.
Accordingly, in a couple of days, the Indians employed by that gentleman
constructed for them a canoe twenty feet long, four feet wide, and
eighteen inches deep. The frame was of poles and willow twigs, on which
were stretched five elk and buffalo hides, sewed together with sinews,
and the seams payed with unctuous mud. In this they embarked at an early
hour on the 16th of April, and drifted down ten miles with the stream,
when the wind being high they encamped, and set to work to make oars,
which they had not been able to procure at the Indian village.
Once more afloat, they went merrily down the stream, and after making
thirty-five miles, emerged into the broad turbid current of the
Missouri. Here they were borne along briskly by the rapid stream;
though, by the time their fragile bark had floated a couple of hundred
miles, its frame began to show the effects of the voyage. Luckily they
came to the deserted wintering place of some hunting party, where they
found two old wooden canoes. Taking possession of the largest, they
again committed themselves to the current, and after dropping down
fifty-five miles further, arrived safely at Fort Osage.
Here they found Lieutenant Brownson still in command; the officer who
had given the expedition a hospitable reception on its way up the river,
eighteen months previously. He received this remnant of the party with
a cordial welcome, and endeavored in every way to promote their comfort
and enjoyment during their sojourn at the fort. The greatest luxury they
met with on their return to the abode of civilized man, was bread, not
having tasted any for nearly a year.
Their stay at Fort Osage was but short. On re-embarking they were
furnished with an ample supply of provisions by the kindness of
Lieutenant Brownson, and performed the rest of their voyage without
adverse circumstance. On the 30th of April they arrived in perfect
health and fine spirits at St. Louis, having been ten months in
performing this perilous expedition from Astoria. Their return caused
quite a sensation at the place, bringing the first intelligence of the
fortune of Mr. Hunt and his party in their adventurous route across
the Rocky Mountains, and of the new establishment on the shores of the
Pacific.