We were received with a salute, which we returned with our small
arms. The governor came in the evening, and invited my father and the
interpreter to sup with him. He ordered some fat beeves to be killed
for the rest of us. The father of Jacova, for that was the name of
the young lady, I had rescued, came, and invited us all to go, and
drink coffee at his son-in-law's, who kept a coffee-house. We went,
and when we had finished our coffee, the father came, and took me by
the hand, and led me up a flight of steps, and into a room, where
were his two daughters. As soon as I entered the room, Jacova and her
sister both came, and embraced me, this being the universal fashion of
interchanging salutations between men and women among these people,
even when there is nothing more, than a simple introduction between
strangers. After I had been seated an hour, looking at them, as they
made signs, and listening to their conversation, of which I did not
understand a syllable, I arose with the intention of returning to
my companions for the night. But Jacova, showing me a bed, prepared
for me, placed herself between me and the door. I showed her that my
clothes were not clean. She immediately brought me others belonging to
her brother-in-law. I wished to be excused from making use of them, but
she seemed so much hurt, that I finally took them, and reseated myself.
She then brought me my leather hunting shirt, which I had taken off to
aid in protecting her from the cold, and begged the interpreter who was
now present, to tell me, that she intended to keep it, as long as she
lived. She then put it on, to prove to me that she was not ashamed of
it.
I went to bed early, and arose, and returned to my companions, before
any of the family were visible. At eight the governor and my father
came to our quarters, and invited us all to dine with him at two in
the afternoon. Accordingly we all dressed in our best, and went at
the appointed time. A band of musicians played during dinner. After
it was finished, and the table removed, a fandango was begun. The
ladies flocked in, in great numbers. The instruments, to which the
dancers moved, were {51} a guitar and violin. Six men and six women
also added their voices. Their mode of dancing was a curiosity to me.
The women stood erect, moving their feet slowly, without any spring or
motion of the body, and the men half bent, moved their feet like drum
sticks. This dance is called _ahavave_. I admired another so much, that
I attempted to go through it. It was a waltz, danced to a slow and
charming air. It produces a fine effect, when twenty or thirty perform
it together. The dancing continued, until near morning, when we retired
to rest.
At eight the following morning we received a license, allowing us to
trap in different parts of the country. We were now divided into small
parties. Mr. Pratte added three to our original number, they making the
company, to which my father and myself belonged, seven. On the 22d, we
set off. Our course lay down the del Norte to the Helay, a river never
before explored by white people.[51] We left our goods with a merchant,
until we should return in the spring. Our whole day's journey lay over
a handsome plain covered with herds of the different domestic animals.
We reached Picacheh a small town in the evening. Jacova and her father
overtook us here, on their way home, which was eighty miles distant
from Santa Fe.
In the morning we began our journey, together. During the day we passed
several small villages and stopped for the night in one called St.
Philip, situated on the banks of the del Norte, surrounded by large
vineyards. Jacova's father insisted upon our drinking plentifully of
the wine made at this place.
The morning of the 24th saw us again on our journey. Our companion, the
old governor, was much amused at seeing us kill wild geese and prairie
wolves with our rifles, the latter being abundant in this country.
In the evening we reached another small town, called St. Louis. All
these inconsiderable villages contain a church. The succeeding day we
traversed the same beautiful plain country, which had made our journey
so far, delightful. The same multitude of domestic animals still grazed
around our path.
{52} On the 27th, we arrived at the residence of Jacova and her
father. It was a large and even magnificent building. We remained here
until the 30th, receiving the utmost attention and kindness. At our
departure, the kind old governor pressed a great many presents upon us;
but we refused all, except a horse for each one of us, some flour and
dried meat.
Seven hunters coming up with us, who were going in our direction,
we concluded to travel with them, as our united strength would
better enable us to contend with the hostile Indians, through whose
country our course lay. We made our way slowly, descending the river
bank, until we reached the last town or settlement in this part of
the province, called Socoro.[52] The population of the part of the
country, through which we travelled was entirely confined to a chain
of settlements along the bottoms of the del Norte, and those of some
of the rivers, which empty into it. I did not see, during the whole of
this journey, an enclosed field, and not even a garden.
After remaining one day here, in order to recruit our horses, we
resumed our course down the river, Dec. 3d. The bottoms, through
which we now passed, were thinly timbered, and the only growth was
cotton-wood and willow. We saw great numbers of bears, deer and
turkeys. A bear having chased one of our men into the camp, we killed
it.
On the 7th we left the del Norte, and took a direct course for the
Copper mines.[53] We next travelled from the river over a very
mountainous country four days, at the expiration of which time we
reached this point of our destination. We were here but one night,
and I had not leisure to examine the mode, in which the copper was
manufactured. In the morning we hired two Spanish servants to accompany
us; and taking a north-west course pursued our journey, until we
reached the Helay on the 14th. We found the country the greater part
of the two last days hilly and somewhat barren with a growth of pine,
live oak, _pinion_, cedar and some small trees, of which I did not know
the name. We caught thirty beavers, the first night we encamped on this
river. The next morning, accompanied by another man, {53} I began to
ascend the bank of the stream to explore, and ascertain if beaver were
to be found still higher, leaving the remainder of the party to trap
slowly up, until they should meet us on our return. We threw a pack
over our shoulders, containing a part of the beavers, we had killed,
as we made our way on foot. The first day we were fatigued by the
difficulty of getting through the high grass, which covered the heavily
timbered bottom. In the evening we arrived at the foot of mountains,
that shut in the river on both sides, and encamped. We saw during the
day several bears, but did not disturb them, as they showed no ill
feeling towards us.
On the morning of the 13th we started early, and crossed the river,
here a beautiful clear stream about thirty yards in width, running
over a rocky bottom, and filled with fish. We made but little advance
this day, as bluffs came in so close to the river, as to compel us to
cross it thirty-six times. We were obliged to scramble along under the
cliffs, sometimes upon our hands and knees, through a thick tangle of
grape-vines and under-brush. Added to the unpleasantness of this mode
of getting along in itself, we did not know, but the next moment would
bring us face to face with a bear, which might accost us suddenly. We
were rejoiced, when this rough ground gave place again to the level
bottom. At night we reached a point, where the river forked, and
encamped on the point between the forks. We found here a boiling spring
so near the main stream, that the fish caught in the one might be
thrown into the other without leaving the spot, where it was taken. In
six minutes it would be thoroughly cooked.
The following morning my companion and myself separated, agreeing to
meet after four days at this spring. We were each to ascend a fork of
the river. The banks of that which fell to my lot, were very brushy,
and frequented by numbers of bears, of whom I felt fearful, as I had
never before travelled alone in the woods. I walked on with caution
until night, and encamped near a pile of drift wood, which I set on
fire, thinking thus to frighten any animals that might approach during
the night. {54} I placed a spit, with a turkey I had killed upon it,
before the fire to roast. After I had eaten my supper I laid down by
the side of a log with my gun by my side. I did not fall asleep for
some time. I was aroused from slumber by a noise in the leaves, and
raising my head saw a panther stretched on the log by which I was
lying, within six feet of me. I raised my gun gently to my face, and
shot it in the head. Then springing to my feet, I ran about ten steps,
and stopped to reload my gun, not knowing if I had killed the panther
or not. Before I had finished loading my gun, I heard the discharge
of one on the other fork, as I concluded, the two running parallel
with each other, separated only by a narrow ridge. A second discharge
quickly followed the first, which led me to suppose, that my comrade
was attacked by Indians.
I immediately set out and reached the hot spring by day break, where
I found my associate also. The report of my gun had awakened him, when
he saw a bear standing upon its hind feet within a few yards of him
growling. He fired his gun, then his pistol, and retreated, thinking,
with regard to me, as I had with regard to him, that I was attacked by
Indians. Our conclusion now was, to ascend one of the forks in company,
and then cross over, and descend the other. In consequence we resumed
the course, I had taken the preceding day. We made two day's journey,
without beaver enough to recompense us for our trouble, and then
crossed to the east fork, trapping as we went, until we again reached
the main stream. Some distance below this, we met those of our party
we had left behind, with the exception of the seven, who joined us on
the del Norte. They had deserted the expedition, and set off upon their
return down the river. We now all hastened on to overtake them, but it
was to no purpose. They still kept in advance, trapping clean as they
went, so that we even found it difficult to catch enough to eat.
Finding it impossible to come up with them, we ceased to urge our
poor horses, as they were much jaded, and tender footed beside, and
travelled slowly, catching what beaver we {55} could, and killing some
deer, although the latter were scarce, owing, probably to the season of
the year. The river here was beautiful, running between banks covered
with tall cotton-woods and willows. This bottom extended back a mile on
each side. Beyond rose high and rather barren hills.
On the 20th we came to a point, where the river entered a cavern
between two mountains. We were compelled to return upon our steps,
until we found a low gap in the mountains. We were three day's
crossing, and the travelling was both fatiguing and difficult. We found
nothing to kill.
On the 23d we came upon the river, where it emptied into a beautiful
plain. We set our traps, but to no purpose, for the beavers were all
caught, or alarmed. The river here pursues a west course. We travelled
slowly, using every effort to kill something to eat, but without
success.
On the morning of the 26th we concluded, that we must kill a horse,
as we had eaten nothing for four day's and a half, except the small
portion of a hare caught by my dogs, which fell to the lot of each
of a party of seven. Before we obtained this, we had become weak in
body and mind, complaining, and desponding of our success in search of
beaver. Desirous of returning to some settlement, my father encouraged
our party to eat some of the horses, and pursue our journey. We were
all reluctant to begin to partake of the horse-flesh; and the actual
thing without bread or salt was as bad as the anticipation of it. We
were somewhat strengthened, however, and hastened on, while our supply
lasted, in the hope of either overtaking those in advance of us, or
finding another stream yet undiscovered by trappers.
The latter desire was gratified the first of January, 1825. The stream,
we discovered, carried as much water as the Helay, heading north. We
called it the river St. Francisco.[54] After travelling up its banks
about four miles, we encamped, and set all our traps, and killed a
couple of fat turkies. In the morning we examined our traps, and found
in them 37 beavers! This success restored our spirits instantaneously.
Exhilarating {56} prospects now opened before us, and we pushed on with
animation. The banks of this river are for the most part incapable of
cultivation being in many places formed of high and rugged mountains.
Upon these we saw multitudes of mountain sheep.[55] These animals are
not found on level ground, being there slow of foot, but on these
cliffs and rocks they are so nimble and expert in jumping from point
to point, that no dog or wolf can overtake them. One of them that
we killed had the largest horns, that I ever saw on animals of any
description. One of them would hold a gallon of water. Their meat
tastes like our mutton. Their hair is short like a deer's, though fine.
The French call them the _gros cornes_, from the size of their horns
which curl around their ears, like our domestic sheep. These animals
are about the size of a large deer. We traced this river to its head,
but not without great difficulty, as the cliffs in many places came so
near the water's edge, that we were compelled to cross points of the
mountain, which fatigued both ourselves and our horses exceedingly.
The right hand fork of this river, and the left of the Helay head in
the same mountain, which is covered with snow, and divides its waters
from those of Red river. We finished our trapping on this river, on the
14th. We had caught the very considerable number of 250 beavers, and
had used and preserved most of the meat, we had killed. On the 19th we
arrived on the river Helay, encamped, and buried our furs in a secure
position, as we intended to return home by this route.
On the 20th we began to descend the Helay, hoping to find in our
descent another beaver stream emptying into it. We had abandoned the
hope of rejoining the hunters, that had left us, and been the occasion
of our being compelled to feed upon horse flesh. No better was to be
expected of us, than that we should take leave to imprecate many a
curse upon their heads; and that they might experience no better fate,
than to fall into the hands of the savages, or be torn in pieces by
the white bears. At the same time, so ready are the hearts of mountain
hunters to relent, that I have not a doubt that each man of us would
{57} have risqued his life to save any one of them from the very fate,
we imprecated upon them.
In fact, on the night of the 22d, four of them, actually half starved,
arrived at our camp, declaring, that they had eaten nothing for five
days. Notwithstanding our recent curses bestowed upon them, we received
them as brothers. They related that the Indians had assaulted and
defeated them, robbing them of all their horses, and killing one of
their number. Next day the remaining two came in, one of them severely
wounded in the head by an Indian arrow. They remained with us two
days, during which we attempted to induce them to lead us against the
Indians, who had robbed them, that we might assist them to recover what
had been robbed from them. No persuasion would induce them to this
course. They insisted at the same time, that if we attempted to go on
by ourselves, we should share the same fate, which had befallen them.
On the morning of the 25th, we gave them three horses, and as much
dried meat as would last them to the mines, distant about 150 miles.
Fully impressed, that the Indians would massacre us, they took such a
farewell of us, as if never expecting to see us again.
In the evening of the same day, although the weather threatened a
storm, we packed up, and began to descend the river. We encamped this
night in a huge cavern in the midst of the rocks. About night it began
to blow a tempest, and to snow fast. Our horses became impatient under
the pelting of the storm, broke their ropes, and disappeared. In the
morning, the earth was covered with snow, four or five inches deep.
One of our companions accompanied me to search for our horses. We soon
came upon their trail, and followed it, until it crossed the river. We
found it on the opposite side, and pursued it up a creek, that empties
into the Helay on the north shore. We passed a cave at the foot of the
cliffs. At its mouth I remarked, that the bushes were beaten down, as
though some animal had been browsing upon them. I was aware, that a
bear had entered the cave. We collected some pine knots, split them
with our tomahawks, and kindled torches, with which I proposed to
{58} my companion, that we should enter the cave together, and shoot
the bear. He gave me a decided refusal, notwithstanding I reminded
him, that I had, more than once, stood by him in a similar adventure;
and notwithstanding I made him sensible, that a bear in a den is by no
means so formidable, as when ranging freely in the woods. Finding it
impossible to prevail on him to accompany me, I lashed my torch to a
stick, and placed it parallel with the gun barrel, so as that I could
see the sights on it, and entered the cave. I advanced cautiously
onward about twenty yards, seeing nothing. On a sudden the bear reared
himself erect within seven feet of me, and began to growl, and gnash
his teeth. I levelled my gun and shot him between the eyes, and began
to retreat. Whatever light it may throw upon my courage, I admit,
that I was in such a hurry, as to stumble, and extinguish my light.
The growling and struggling of the bear did not at all contribute to
allay my apprehensions. On the contrary, I was in such haste to get
out of the dark place, thinking the bear just at my heels, that I fell
several times on the rocks, by which I cut my limbs, and lost my gun.
When I reached the light, my companion declared, and I can believe
it, that I was as pale as a corpse. It was some time, before I could
summon sufficient courage to re-enter the cavern for my gun. But having
re-kindled my light, and borrowed my companion's gun, I entered the
cavern again, advanced and listened. All was silent, and I advanced
still further, and found my gun, near where I had shot the bear. Here
again I paused and listened. I then advanced onward a few strides,
where to my great joy I found the animal dead. I returned, and brought
my companion in with me. We attempted to drag the carcass from the
den, but so great was the size, that we found ourselves wholly unable.
We went out, found our horses, and returned to camp for assistance.
My father severely reprimanded me for venturing to attack such a
dangerous animal in its den, when the failure to kill it outright by
the first shot, would have been sure to be followed by my death.
Four of us were detached to the den. We were soon enabled {59} to drag
the bear to the light, and by the aid of our beast to take it to camp.
It was both the largest and whitest bear I ever saw. The best proof,
I can give, of the size and fatness is, that we extracted ten gallons
of oil from it. The meat we dried, and put the oil in a trough, which
we secured in a deep crevice of a cliff, beyond the reach of animals
of prey. We were sensible that it would prove a treasure to us on our
return.
On the 28th we resumed our journey, and pushed down the stream to reach
a point on the river, where trapping had not been practised. On the
30th, we reached this point, and found the man, that the Indians had
killed. They had cut him in quarters, after the fashion of butchers.
His head, with the hat on, was stuck on a stake. It was full of the
arrows, which they had probably discharged into it, as they had danced
around it. We gathered up the parts of the body, and buried them.
At this point we commenced setting our traps. We found the river
skirted with very wide bottoms, thick-set with the musquito trees,[56]
which bear a pod in the shape of a bean, which is exceedingly sweet. It
constitutes one of the chief articles of Indian subsistence; and they
contrive to prepare from it a very palatable kind of bread, of which we
all became very fond. The wild animals also feed upon this pod.
On the 31st we moved our camp ten miles. On the way we noted many
fresh traces of Indians, and killed a bear, that attacked us. The
river pursues a west course amidst high mountains on each side. We
trapped slowly onward, still descending the river, and unmolested by
the Indians. On the 8th of February, we reached the mouth of a small
river entering the Helay on the north shore. Here we unexpectedly
came upon a small party of Indians, that fled at the sight of us, in
such consternation and hurry, as to leave all their effects, which
consisted of a quantity of the bread mentioned above, and some robes
made of rabbit skins. Still more; they left a small child. The child
was old enough to distinguish us from its own people, for it opened
its little throat, and screamed so lustily, that we feared it would
have fits. The poor thing meanwhile made its {60} best efforts to fly
from us. We neither plundered nor molested their little store. We
bound the child in such a manner, that it could not stray away, and
get lost, aware, that after they deemed us sufficiently far off, the
parents would return, and take the child away. We thence ascended the
small river about four miles, and encamped. For fear of surprize, and
apprehending the return of the savages, that had fled from us, and
perhaps in greater force, we secured our camp with a small breast-work.
We discovered very little encouragement in regard to our trapping
pursuit, for we noted few signs of beavers on this stream. The night
passed without bringing us any disturbance. In the morning two of us
returned to the Indian camp. The Indians had re-visited it, and removed
every thing of value, and what gave us great satisfaction, their child.
In proof, that the feelings of human nature are the same every where,
and that the language of kindness is a universal one; in token of their
gratitude, as we understood it, they had suspended a package on a kind
of stick, which they had stuck erect. Availing ourselves of their
offer, we examined the present, and found it to contain a large dressed
buck skin, an article, which we greatly needed for moccasins, of which
some of us were in pressing want. On the same stick we tied a red
handkerchief by way of some return.
We thence continued to travel up this stream four days in succession,
with very little incident to diversify our march. We found the banks
of this river plentifully timbered with trees of various species,
and the land fine for cultivation. On the morning of the 13th, we
returned to the Helay, and found on our way, that the Indians had
taken the handkerchief, we had left, though none of them had shown any
disposition, as we had hoped, to visit us. We named the stream we had
left, the deserted fork, on account of having found it destitute of
beavers. We thence resumed our course down the Helay, which continues
to flow through a most beautiful country. Warned by the frequent traces
of fresh Indian foot-prints, we every night adopted {61} the expedient
of enclosing our horses in a pen, feeding them with cotton-wood bark,
which we found much better for them than grass.
On the 16th, we advanced to a point, where the river runs between high
mountains, in a ravine so narrow, as barely to afford it space to pass.
We commenced exploring them to search for a gap, through which we might
be able to pass. We continued our expedition, travelling north, until
we discovered a branch, that made its way out of the mountains. Up
its ravine we ascended to the head of the branch. Its fountains were
supplied by an immense snow bank, on the summit of the mountain. With
great labor and fatigue we reached this summit, but could descry no
plains within the limits of vision. On every side the peaks of ragged
and frowning mountains rose above the clouds, affording a prospect of
dreariness and desolation, to chill the heart. While we could hear
the thunder burst, and see the lightning glare before us, we found
an atmosphere so cold, that we were obliged to keep up severe and
unremitting exercise, to escape freezing.