PROCEED INTO THE HUNTING-COUNTRY OF THE OSAGES--DILUVIAL HILLS
AND PLAINS--BALD HILL--SWAN CREEK--OSAGE ENCAMPMENTS--FORM
OF THE OSAGE LODGE--THE HABITS OF THE BEAVER--DISCOVER A
REMARKABLE CAVERN IN THE LIMESTONE ROCK, HAVING NATURAL VASES
OF PURE WATER--ITS GEOLOGICAL AND METALLIFEROUS CHARACTER--
REACH THE SUMMIT OF THE OZARK RANGE, WHICH IS FOUND TO
DISPLAY A BROAD REGION OF FERTILE SOIL, OVERLYING A MINERAL
DEPOSIT.
My stay, which I regarded in the light of a pilgrimage, at the hunters'
cabins, was now drawing to a close. I had originally reached their camps
after a fatiguing and devious march through some of the most sterile and
rough passages of the Ozarks, guided only by a pocket compass, and had
thrown myself on their friendship and hospitality to further my
progress. Without their friendly guidance, it was felt that no higher
point in this elevation could be reached. Every objection raised by them
had now been surmounted. I had waited their preliminary journey for corn
for their families, and my companion and myself had made ourselves
useful by helping, in the mean time, to complete their cabins and
improvements. While thus engaged, I had become tolerably familiar with
their character, physical and moral, and may add something more
respecting them. Holt, as I have before indicated, was a pure hunter,
expert with the rifle, and capable of the periodical exertion and
activity which hunting requires, but prone to take his ease when there
was meat in the cabin, and averse to all work beside. He was of an easy,
good-natured temper, and would submit to a great deal of inconvenience
and want, before he would rouse himself. But when out in the woods, or
on the prairies, he was quite at home. He knew the habits and range of
animals, their time for being out of their coverts, the kind of food
they sought, and the places where it was likely to be found. He had a
quick eye and a sure aim, and quadruped or bird that escaped him, must
be nimble. He was about five feet eight inches in height, stout and full
faced, and was particular in his gear and dress, but in nothing so much
as the skin wrapper that secured his rifle-lock. This was always in
perfect order.
Fisher was two or three inches taller, more slender, lank of features,
and sterner. He was a great believer in the bewitching of guns, seemed
often to want a good place to fire from, had more deliberation in what
he did, and was not so successful a sportsman. He had, too, when in the
cabin, more notions of comfort, built a larger dwelling, worked more on
it, and had some desires for cultivation. When on the prairie, he
dismounted from his horse with some deliberation; but, before he was
well on terra firma, Holt had slid off and killed his game. The shots of
both were true, and, between them, we ran no danger of wanting a meal.
It was the twenty-eighth day of December before every objection to their
guiding us was obviated, and, although neither of them had been relieved
from the fear of Osage hostility, they mounted their horses in the
morning, and announced themselves ready to proceed. Our course now lay
toward the north-west, and the weather was still mild and favorable. We
ascended through the heavily-timbered bottom-lands of the valley for a
mile or two, and then passed by an easy route through the valley cliffs,
to the prairie uplands north of them. After getting fairly out of the
gorge we had followed, we entered on a rolling highland prairie, with
some clumps of small forest trees, and covered, as far as the eye could
reach, with coarse wild grass, and the seed-pods of autumnal flowers,
nodding in the breeze. It was a waving surface. Sometimes the elevations
assumed a conical shape. Sometimes we crossed a depression with trees.
Often the deer bounded before us, and frequently the sharp crack of the
rifle was the first intimation to me that game was near. Holt told me
that the error of the young or inexperienced hunters was in looking too
far for their game. The plan to hunt successfully was, to raise the eye
slowly from the spot just before you, for the game is often close by,
and not to set it on distant objects at first. We moved on leisurely,
with eyes and ears alert for every sight and sound. A bird, a quadruped,
a track--these were important themes.
When night approached, we encamped near the foot of an eminence, called,
from its appearance, the Bald Hill. An incident occurred early in our
march, which gave us no little concern. A fine young horse of one of the
neighboring hunters, which had been turned out to range, followed our
track from White river valley, and, notwithstanding all the efforts of
our guides, could not be driven back. At length they fired the dry
prairie-grass behind us, the wind serving, deeming this the most
effectual way of driving him back. The expedient did not, however, prove
eventually successful; for, after a while, the animal again made his
appearance. We lost some time in these efforts. It was thought better,
at length, that I should ride him, which was accomplished by placing a
deerskin upon his back by way of saddle, with a kind of bridle, &c. The
animal was spirited, and, thus mounted, I kept up with the foremost.
We travelled to-day about ten miles. The day was clear, but chilly, with
a north-westerly wind, which we had to face. Holt had killed a young doe
during the day, which was quickly skinned, and he took along the choice
parts of it for our evening's repast. Part of the carcase was left
behind as wolf's-meat.
Dec. 29th. Little change appeared in the country. For about six miles we
travelled over hill and dale, meeting nothing new, but constantly
expecting something. We then descended into the valley of Swan creek--a
clear stream of thirty yards wide, a tributary of White river. Its banks
present a rich alluvial bottom, well wooded with maple, hickory, ash,
hag-berry, elm, and sycamore. We followed up this valley about five
miles, when it commenced raining, and we were compelled to encamp.
Protection from the rain, however, was impossible. We gained some little
shelter under the broad roots of a clump of fallen trees and limbs, and
passed a most comfortless night, being wet, and without a fire.
The next morning, (Dec. 30th,) at the earliest dawn, we were in motion.
After ascending the Swan creek valley about nine miles, through a most
fertile tract, we fell into the Osage trail, a well-beaten horse-path,
and passed successively three of their deserted camps, which had
apparently been unoccupied for a month or more. The poles and frames of
each lodge were left standing, and made a most formidable show. The
paths, hacked trees, and old stumps of firebrands, showed that they had
been deserted in the fall. The fear of this tribe now appeared to have
left the minds of our guides. These encampments were all very large, and
could probably each have accommodated several hundred persons.
The form of the Osage lodge may be compared to a hemisphere, or an
inverted bird's-nest, with a small aperture left in the top for the
escape of smoke, and an elongated opening at the side, by way of door,
to pass and repass. It is constructed by cutting a number of flexible
green poles, sharpened at one end, and stuck firmly in the ground. The
corresponding tops are then bent over and tied, and the framework
covered with linden bark. These wigwams are arranged in circles, one
line of lodges within another. In the centre is a scaffolding for meat.
The chief's tent is conspicuously situated at the head of each
encampment. It is different from the rest, resembling an inverted half
cylinder. The whole is arranged with much order and neatness, and
evinces that they move in large parties, that the chiefs exercise a good
deal of authority.
The Osages are a tribe who have from early times been prominent in the
south-west, between the Arkansas and Missouri. The term Osage is of
French origin; it seems to be a translation of the Algonquin term
Assengigun, or Bone Indians. Why? They call themselves Was-ba-shaw, and
have a curious allegory of their having originated from a beaver and a
snail. They are divided into two bands, the Little and Great Osages, the
latter of whom make their permanent encampments on the river Osage of
the Missouri. The Ozarks appear from early days to have been their
hunting-grounds for the valuable furred animals, and its deep glens and
gorges have served as nurseries for the bear. They are one of the great
prairie stock of tribes, who call God Wacondah. They are physically a
fine tribe of men, of good stature and courage, but have had the
reputation, among white and red men, of being thieves and plunderers.
Certainly, among the hunter population of this quarter, they are
regarded as little short of ogres and giants; and they tell most
extravagant tales of their doings. Luckily, it was so late in the season
that we were not likely to encounter many of them.
In searching the precincts of the old camps, my guides pointed out a
place where the Indians had formerly pinioned down Teen Friend, one of
the most successful of the white trappers in this quarter, whom they had
found trapping their beaver in the Swan creek valley. I thought it was
an evidence of some restraining fear of our authorities at St. Louis,
that they had not taken the enterprising old fellow's scalp, as well as
his beaver packs.
Life in the wilderness is dependent on contingencies, which are equally
hard to be foreseen or controlled. We are, at all events, clearly out of
the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace. And the maxim that we have
carefully conned over in childhood, "No man may put off the law of God,"
is but a feeble reliance when urged against the Osages or Pawnees.
Deeming themselves now high enough up the Swan creek valley, my guides
determined to leave it, and turned their horses' heads up a gorge that
led to the open plains. We now steered our course north-west, over an
elevated plain, or prairie, covered, as usual, with ripe grass. We
followed across this tract for about twenty miles, with no general
deviation of our course, but without finding water. In search of this,
we pushed on vigorously till night set in, when it became intensely
dark, and we were in danger of being precipitated, at every step, into
some hole, or down some precipice. Darkness, in a prairie, places the
traveller in the position of a ship at sea, without a compass; to go on,
or to stop, seems equally perilous. For some two hours we groped our
way in this manner, when one of the guides shouted that he had found a
standing pool. Meantime, it had become excessively dark. The atmosphere
was clouded over, and threatened rain. On reaching the pool, there was
no wood to be found, and we were compelled to encamp without a fire, and
laid down supperless, tired, and cold.
My guides were hardy, rough fellows, and did not mind these omissions of
meals for a day together, and had often, as now, slept without
camp-fires at night. As the object seemed to be a trial of endurance, I
resolved not to compromit myself by appearing a whit less hardy than
they did, and uttered not a word that might even shadow forth complaint.
This was, however, a cold and cheerless spot at best, with the wide
prairie for a pillow, and black clouds, dropping rain, for a covering.
The next morning, as soon as it was at all light, we followed down the
dry gorge in which we had lain, to Findley's Fork--a rich and
well-timbered valley, which we descended about five miles. As we rode
along through an open forest, soon after entering this valley, we
observed the traces of the work of the beaver, and stopped to view a
stately tree, of the walnut species, which had been partially gnawed off
by these animals. This tree was probably eighteen or twenty inches in
diameter, and fifty feet high. The animals had gnawed a ring around it,
but abandoned their work. It had afterwards been undermined by the
freshets of the stream, and had fallen. Was it too hard a work? If so,
it would seem that some instinct akin to reason came to their aid, in
leading them to give up their essay.
There was now every appearance of a change of weather. It was cold, and
a wintry breeze chilled our limbs. I thought my blood was as warm as
that of my guides, however, and rode on cheerfully. At length, Holt and
Fisher, of their own motion, stopped to kindle a fire, and take
breakfast. We had still plenty of fresh venison, which we roasted, as
each liked, on spits. Thus warmed and refreshed, we continued down the
valley, evidently in a better philosophical mood; for a man always
reasons better, and looks more beneficently about him, this side of
starvation.
I observed a small stream of pure water coming in on the north, side,
which issued through an opening in the hills; and as this ran in the
general direction we were pursuing, the guides led up it. We were soon
enclosed in a lateral valley, with high corresponding hills, as if, in
remote ages, they had been united. Very soon it became evident that this
defile was closed across and in front of us. As we came near this
barrier, it was found that it blocked up the whole valley, with the
exception of the mouth of a gigantic cave. The great width and height of
this cave, and its precipitous face, gave it very much the appearance of
some ruinous arch, out of proportion. It stretched from hill to hill.
The limpid brook we had been following, ran from its mouth. On entering
it, the first feeling was that of being in "a large place." There was no
measure for the eye to compute height or width. We seemed suddenly to be
beholding some secret of the great works of nature, which had been hid
from the foundation of the world. The impulse, on these occasions, is to
shout. I called it Winoca.[9] On advancing, we beheld an immense natural
vase, filled with pure water. This vase was formed from concretions of
carbonate of lime, of the nature of stalagmite, or, rather, stalactite.
It was greyish-white and translucent, filling the entire breadth of the
cave. But, what was still more imposing, another vase, of similar
construction, was formed on the next ascending plateau of the floor of
the cave. The water flowed over the lips of this vase into the one
below. The calcareous deposit seems to have commenced at the surface of
the water, which, continually flowing over the rims of each vase,
increases the deposit.
The height of the lower vase is about five feet, which is inferable by
our standing by it, and looking over the rim into the limpid basin. The
rim is about two and a half inches thick. Etruscan artists could not
have formed a more singular set of capacious vases.
The stream of water that supplies these curious tanks, rushes with
velocity from the upper part of the cavern. The bottom of the cave is
strewed with small and round calcareous concretions, about the size of
ounce balls, of the same nature with the vases. They are in the
condition of stalagmites. These concretions are opaque, and appear to
have been formed from the impregnated waters percolating from the roof
of the cavern. There are evidences of nitric salts in small crevices.
Geologically, the cavern is in the horizontal limestone, which is
evidently metalliferous. It is the same calcareous formation which
characterizes the whole Ozark range. Ores of lead (the sulphurets) were
found in the stratum in the bed of a stream, at no great distance north
of this cave; and its exploration for its mineral wealth is believed to
be an object of practical importance.
I had now followed the geological formation of the country far
south-westwardly. The relative position of the calcareous, lead-bearing
stratum, had everywhere been the same, when not disturbed or displaced.
Wide areas on the sources of the Maramec, Gasconade, and Osage, and also
of the Currents, Spring river, and Eleven-points and Strawberry, were
found covered by heavy drift, which concealed the rock; but wherever
valleys had been cut through the formation by the stream, and the strata
laid bare, they disclosed the same horizontality of deposit, and the
same relative position of limestone and sandstone rock.
FOOTNOTE:
[9] From the Osage word for an underground spirit.