rest of the company to keep camp and bury our dead. We soon came upon
their trail, and reached them late in the evening. They were encamped,
and making their supper from the body of a horse. They got sight of us
before we were within shooting distance, and fled. We put spurs to our
horses, and overtook them just as they were entering a thicket. Having
every advantage, we killed a greater part of them, it being a division
of the band that had attacked us. We suspended those that we had killed
upon the trees, and left their bodies to dangle in terror to the rest,
and as a proof, how we retaliated aggression. We then returned to our
company, who had each received sufficient warning not to encamp in the
territories {96} of hostile Indians without raising a breast-work round
the camp. Red river at this point bears a north course, and affords an
abundance of the finest lands. We killed plenty of mountain sheep and
deer, though no bears. We continued our march until the 16th, without
seeing any Indians. On that day we came upon a small party, of whom
the men fled, leaving a single woman. Seeing herself in our power, she
began to beat her breast, and cry _Cowera_, _Cowera_; from which we
gathered, that she belonged to that tribe. We treated her kindly, and
travelled on. On the 23d, we came to a village of the Shuena Indians.
As we approached it, they came out and began to fire arrows upon us.
We gave them in return a round of rifle balls. In the excitement of
an attack, we laughed heartily to see these sons of the desert dodge,
and skulk away half bent, as though the heavens were falling upon
them. From their manner we inferred, that they were in fact wholly
unacquainted with white people, or at least they never before heard the
report of a gun. The whole establishment dispersed to the mountains,
and we marched through the village without seeing any inhabitants,
except the bodies of those we had killed. We had received more than one
lesson of caution, and we moved on with great circumspection. But so
much of our time was taken up in defence and attacks, and fortifying
our camps, that we had little leisure to trap. In order that our grand
object should not be wholly defeated, we divided our men into two
companies, the one to trap and the other to keep guard. This expedient
at once rendered our trapping very productive. We discovered little
change in the face of the country. The course of the river still north,
flowing through a rich valley, skirted with high mountains, the summits
of which were white with snow.
On the 25th we reached a small stream,[66] emptying into Red river
through the east bank, up which we detached three men, each carrying
a trap, to discover if beavers abounded in that stream. They were to
return the next day, while we were engaged in shoeing our horses. The
next day elapsed, but none returned. We became anxious about their
fate; and on the {97} 27th, started to see what had become of them.
At mid-day we found their bodies cut in pieces, and spitted before a
great fire, after the same fashion which is used in roasting beaver.
The Indians who had murdered them, saw us as we came on, and fled to
the mountains, so that we had no chance of avenging the death of our
unfortunate companions. We gathered the fragments of their bodies
together and buried them. With sadness in our hearts, and dejection
on our countenances, we returned to our camp, struck our tents, and
marched on. The temperature in this region is rather severe, and we
were wretchedly clad to encounter the cold.
On the 28th, we reached a point of the river where the mountains
shut in so close upon its shores, that we were compelled to climb a
mountain, and travel along the acclivity, the river still in sight, and
at an immense depth beneath us.[67]--Through this whole distance, which
we judged to be, as the river meanders, 100 leagues, we had snow from a
foot to eighteen inches deep. The river bluffs on the opposite shore,
were never more than a mile from us. It is perhaps, this very long and
formidable range of mountains, which has caused, that this country of
Red river, has not been more explored, at least by the American people.
A march more gloomy and heart-wearing, to people hungry, poorly clad,
and mourning the loss of their companions, cannot be imagined. Our
horses had picked a little herbage, and had subsisted on the bark of
shrubs. Our provisions were running low, and we expected every hour to
see our horses entirely give out.
April 10th, we arrived where the river emerges from these horrid
mountains, which so cage it up, as to deprive all human beings of the
ability to descend to its banks, and make use of its waters. No mortal
has the power of describing the pleasure I felt, when I could once more
reach the banks of the river.--Our traps, by furnishing us beavers,
soon enabled us to renew our stock of provisions. We likewise killed
plenty of elk, and dressed their skins for clothing. On the 13th we
reached another part of the river, emptying into the main river from
the {98} north. Up this we all trapped two days. During this excursion
we met a band of hostile Indians, who attacked us with an unavailing
discharge of arrows, of whom we killed four.
On the 15th, we returned to the banks of Red river, which is here a
clear beautiful stream. We moved very slowly, for our beasts were too
lean and worn down, to allow us to do otherwise. On the 16th we met
with a large party of the Shoshonees,[68] a tribe of Indians famous for
the extent of their wanderings, and for the number of white people they
had killed, by pretending friendship to them, until they found them
disarmed, or asleep. One of our company could speak their language,
from having been a prisoner among them for a year. They were warmly
clad with buffaloe robes, and they had muskets, which we knew they
must have taken from the white people. We demanded of them to give up
the fire arms, which they refused. On this we gave them our fire, and
they fled to the mountains, leaving their women and children in our
power.--We had no disposition to molest them. We learned from these
women, that they had recently destroyed a company of French hunters on
the head waters of the Platte. We found six of their yet fresh scalps,
which so exasperated us, that we hardly refrained from killing the
women. We took from them all the beaver skins which they had taken from
the slain French, and five of their mules, and added to our provisions
their stock of dried buffaloe meat. We had killed eight of their men,
and we mortified the women excessively, by compelling them to exchange
the scalps of the unfortunate Frenchmen for those of their own people.
We resumed our march, and ascended the river to the point where it
forked again, neither fork being more than from twenty-five to thirty
yards wide. On the 19th, we began to ascend the right hand fork, which
pursues a N. E. course.[69] On the 23d, we arrived at the chief village
of the Nabahoes, a tribe that we knew to be friendly to the whites.
We enquired of them, if we could cross the Rocky Mountains best at
the head of this fork or the other; and they informed us, that the
mountains {99} were impassable, except by following the left hand fork.
Knowing that they were at war with the Shoshonee, we let them know how
many of them we had killed. With this they were delighted, and gave
us eight horses, one for each man we had slain. They sent with us,
moreover, ten Indians to point out to us the route, in which to cross
the mountains.
On the 25th, we started up the left hand fork, and arrived on the
30th, in the country of the Pewee tribe,[70] who are friendly to the
Nabahoes. Their chief village is situated within two days' travel
of the low gap, at which we were to cross the mountains, at which
gap we arrived on the first of May.[71] The crossing was a work, the
difficulty of which may be imagined from the nature of the case and
the character of the mountains.--The passage occupied six days, during
which we had to pass along compact drifts of snow, higher than a man on
horseback. The narrow path through these drifts is made by the frequent
passing of buffaloes, of which we found many dead bodies in the way.
We had to pack cotton-wood bark on the horses for their own eating,
and the wood necessary to make fires for our cooking. Nothing is to be
seen among these mountains, but bare peaks and perpetual snow. Every
one knows, that these mountains divide between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. At the point where we crossed them, they run in a direction a
little north of west, and south of east, further than the eye can reach.
On the 7th, we struck the south fork of the Platte, near Long's
Peak,[72] and descended it five days. We then struck across the plain
to the main Platte, on which we arrived on the 16th. In descending it
we found the beavers scarce, for all these rivers had been thoroughly
trapped. The river is skirted with only a few small willows, and the
country is open prairie, entirely destitute of trees. We saw immense
droves of elk, buffaloes, and white bears, which haunt the buffaloe
range to prey upon those noble animals. We had the merriest sport
imaginable, in chasing the buffaloes over these perfectly level plains,
and shooting them with the arrows we had taken from the Indians {100}
we had killed. I have killed myself, and seen others kill a buffaloe,
with a single shot of an arrow. The bows are made with ribs of
buffaloes, and drive the arrows with prodigious force. On the 20th, we
left this river and started for the Big Horn,[73] a fork of the Yellow
Stone, itself a considerable river of the Missouri. We reached the Big
Horn on the 31st, and found but few beavers. June 2d, we struck over
towards the main Yellow Stone,[74] and on the 3d entered the country of
the Flat Heads, who were entirely friendly.[75] We purchased some furs
of them. They are Indians of exceedingly handsome forms, were it not
for the horrid deformity of their heads, which are transversely from
ear to ear but a few inches in diameter, and in the other direction
monstrous, giving them the appearance of wearing a military cap with
all its plumage. This plumage is furnished by their matted tresses of
hair, painted and skewered up to a high point. This monstrosity is
occasioned by binding two pieces of board on each side of the head of
the new-born infant, which is kept secure with bandages, until the
child is three years old, at which time the head bones have acquired
a firmness to retain their then shape during life. On the 11th, we
reached the Yellow Stone, and ascended it to its head; and thence
crossed the ridges of the Rocky Mountains to Clarke's fork of the
Columbia.[76] But all these streams had been so much trapped, as to
yield but few beavers. Clarke's fork is a hundred yards wide, a bold,
clear, pleasant stream, remarkable for the number and excellence of
its fish, and most beautiful country of fertile land on its shores.
We ascended this river to its head, which is in Long's Peak, near the
head waters of the Platte. We thence struck our course for the head
waters of the Arkansas, on which we arrived July 1st. Here we met a
band of the Grasshopper Indians, who derive their name from gathering
grasshoppers, drying them, and pulverizing them, with the meal of which
they make mush and bread; and this is their chief article of food.
They are so little improved, as not even to have furnished themselves
with {101} the means of killing buffaloes. At sight of us, these poor
two-legged animals, dodged into the high grass like so many partridges.
We marched up this stream, trapping for the few beavers which it
afforded. Its banks are scantily timbered, being only skirted with
a few willows. On the 5th, we met a war party of the Black Foot
Indians,[77] all well mounted. As soon as they saw us, they came
fiercely upon us, yelling as though the spirit of darkness had loaned
them the voices of all his tenants. We dismounted, and as soon as
they were within shooting distance, we gave them our fire, which they
promptly returned. The contest was fierce for something more than 20
minutes, a part of the time not more than 50 yards apart. They then
retreated, and we mounted our horses, and gave them chase, though
unavailingly, for their horses were as fleet as the wind, compared
with ours. We soon desisted from so useless a pursuit, and returned to
the battle ground. We found sixteen Blackfeet dead, and with infinite
anguish, counted four of our own companions weltering in their blood.
We buried them with sorrowful hearts, and eyes full of tears. Ah! Among
those who live at home, surrounded by numerous relations and friends,
in the midst of repose, plenty and security, when one of the number
droops, and dies with sickness or age, his removal leaves a chasm that
is not filled for years. Think how we must have mourned these brave
men, who had shared so many dangers, and on whose courage and aid we
had every day relied for protection. Here on these remote plains, far
from their friends, they had fallen by the bloody arrow or spear of
these red, barbarous Ishmaelites of the desert, but neither unwept nor
unrevenged. Having performed the sad task of depositing the bodies of
these once warm hearted friends in the clay, we ascended to the head
of this river, and crossed the mountain that separates its waters
from those of the Rio del Norte, which river we struck on the 20th.
We began to descend it, and on the 23d met a band of the Nabahoes,
who accompanied us {102} quite to their chief village. It will be
seen, that all these streams upon which we have been trapping, rise
from sources which interlock with each other, and the same range of
peaks at very short distances from each other. These form the heads of
Red river of the east, and the Colorado of the west, Rio del Norte,
Arkansas, Platte, Yellow Stone, Missouri and Columbia. The village of
these Indians is distant 50 miles from the Rio del Norte. We remained
at it two days, and rested our horses, and refreshed ourselves. This
tribe some years since had been at war with the Spanish, during which
they plundered them of great numbers of horses, mules and cattle, which
caused that they had now large stocks of these animals, together with
flocks of sheep. They raise a great abundance of grain, and manufacture
their wool much better than the Spanish. On the first of August we
arrived at Santa Fe, with a fine amount of furs. Here disaster awaited
us. The Governor, on the pretext that we had trapped without a license
from him, robbed us of all our furs. We were excessively provoked, and
had it not been from a sense of duty to our own beloved country, we
would have redressed our wrongs, and retaken our furs with our own arms.
Here I remained until the 18th, disposing of a part of my goods,
and reserving the remainder for a trip which I contemplated to
the province of Sonora. I had the pleasure once more of receiving
the affectionate greeting of Jacova, who gave me the most earnest
counsels to quit this dangerous and rambling way of life, and settle
myself down in a house of my own. I thanked her for her kindness
and good counsel, and promised to follow it, after rambling another
year in the wilderness.--Thence I went to the mines, where I had the
inexpressible satisfaction again to embrace my dear father, whom I
found in perfect health, and making money rapidly. I remained there
three days, and, accompanied with one servant, arrived in Hanas on the
first of September. This is a small town situated in the province of
Biscay, between the province of Sonora and New Mexico, in a direction
S. W. from the copper mines.[78] {103} The country is generally of
that character, denominated in Kentucky, barren. The soil is level
and black. These people raise a great quantity of stock, such as
horses, cows, sheep and goats. Their farming implements are clumsy and
indifferent. They use oxen entirely in their agriculture. Their ploughs
are a straight piece of timber, five feet long and eight inches thick,
mortised for two other pieces of timber, one to be fitted to the beam,
by which the oxen draw, and another to the handle, by which the man
holds the plough. The point that divides the soil, is of wood, and
hewed sloping to such a point, that a hollow piece of iron is fastened
on it at the end. This is one inch thick, and three inches broad at
top, and slopes also to a point.
Their hoes, axes and other tools are equally indifferent; and they are
precisely in such a predicament, as might be expected of a people who
have no saw mills, no labor saving machinery, and do every thing by
dint of hard labor, and are withal very indolent and unenterprising.
I amused myself at times with an old man, who daily fell in my way,
who was at once rich and to the last degree a miser; and yet devotedly
attached to the priests, who were alone able to get a little money
out of him. He often spoke to me about the unsafeness of my religion.
Instead of meeting his remarks with an argument, I generally affronted
him at once, and then diverted myself with his ways of showing his
anger. I told him that his priest treated him as the Spanish hostlers
do their horses. He asked me to explain the comparison. I observed,
'you know how the hostler in the first place throws his lasso over
the mule's neck. That secures the body of the beast. Next the animal
is blindfolded. That hinders his seeing where he is led. Next step he
binds the saddle safe and fast. Then the holy father rigs his heels
with spurs. Next come spur and lash, and the animal is now restive to
no purpose. There is no shaking off the rider. On he goes, till the
animal under him dies, and both go to hell together!' At this he flew
into such a violent rage, as to run at me with his knife. I dodged out
of his {104} way, and appeased him by convincing him that I was in
jest. The rich, in their way of living, unite singular contrasts of
magnificence and meanness. For instance, they have few of the useful
articles of our dining and tea sets, but a great deal of massive
silver plate, and each guest a silver fork and spoon. The dining room
is contiguous to the kitchen. A window is thrown open, and the cook
hands a large dish through the window to a servant, who bears it to the
table. The entertainer helps himself first, and passes the dish round
to all the guests. Then another and another is brought on, often to
the number of sixteen. All are savored so strong with garlic and red
pepper, that an American at first cannot eat them. The meat is boiled
to such a consistency that a spoon manages it better than a knife. At
the close of the dinner they bring in wine and cigars, and they sit and
smoke and drink wine until drowsiness steals upon them, and they go
to bed for their siesta. They sleep until three in the afternoon, at
which time the church bell tolls. They rise, take a cup of chocolate,
and handle the wine freely. This short affair over, they return and
sit down on the shaded side of the house, and chatter like so many
geese till night, when they divide, a part to mass, and a part to the
card table, where I have seen the poor, betting their shirts, hats and
shoes. The village contains 700 souls.
On the 6th, I departed from this town, travelling a west course through
a most beautiful country, the plains of which were covered with
domestic animals running wild. On the 8th I arrived at the foot of the
mountain, that divides the province of Sonora from Biscay. I slept at
a country seat, where they were making whiskey of a kind of plantain,
of which I have spoken before, which they called Mascal (Maguey). Here
were assembled great numbers of Spaniards and Indians. They were soon
drunk, and as a matter of course, fighting with knives and clubs. In
the morning, two Spaniards and one Indian were found dead. Late in the
morning, a file of soldiers arrived, and took the suspected murderers
to prison.
In the morning I commenced climbing the mountain before {105} me, and
in the evening arrived at a small town in Sonoro, called Barbisca;[79]
situated on the bank of a most beautiful little stream, called Iago,
which discharges itself into the Pacific ocean, near the harbor of
Ymus. Its banks are not much timbered, nor is the soil uncommonly
good. The morning of the 9th was a great religious festival, or famous
Saint's day, which collected a vast crowd of people. After breakfast
and mass, the image of the virgin Mary was paraded round the public
square in solemn procession, during which there was a constant crash
of cannon and small arms. Then an old priest headed a procession,
bearing the image of Christ, nailed to a cross. After these images
were returned to their church, they brought into a square enclosure,
strongly fenced for that purpose, a wild bull, which they threw down,
tied and sharpened its horns. The tops of the houses were all covered
with people to see the spectacle that was performing. The bull was
covered with red cloth, and two men entered the enclosure, each holding
in the right hand a bundle of sky rockets, and in the left a red
handkerchief. The rockets were lashed to a stick a foot long, in the
end of which was a small nail, a half an inch long, with a beard at the
end, like that of a fish hook. They then untied the fierce animal. No
sooner was he on his feet, than he sprang at one of his assailants, who
avoided his attack, by dextrously slipping aside, and as the animal
darted by him, stuck in his neck two small rockets, one on each side.
The other assailant then gave a sharp whistle to draw the infuriated
animal upon him. The bull snorted and dashed at him. He dodged the
animal in the same manner, as the other had done, and left sticking
in his forehead, as he passed, a garland of artificial flowers, made
of paper, beautifully cut and painted, and large enough to cover his
whole forehead. In this way they kept alternately driving him this
way and that, sticking rockets in him as he dashed by them, until he
was covered with eight or ten, clinging to his neck and shoulders.
They then touched the crackers with a lighted match. Words would not
paint the bull's expressions of rage and terror, as he bounded round
the enclosure, covered with fire, {106} and the rockets every moment
discharging like fire arms. After this, a man entered with a small
sword. The bull bellowed and darted at him. As the bull dropped his
head to toss him, he set his feet upon the horns, and in a twinkling,
thrust his sword between the shoulder blades, so as to touch the spinal
marrow. The animal dropped as dead as a stone. The drum and fife then
struck up, as a signal for the horsemen to come and carry off the
dead animal, and bring in a fresh one. All this was conducted with
incredible dispatch. In this way seven bulls were successively tortured
to death, by footmen.
After this, four men entered on horseback, equipped with spears in the
shape of a trowel, and a handle four feet long. With this spear in the
one hand, and a noose in the other, they gallopped round the bull. The
bull immediately made at the horsemen passing him, who moved just at
such a pace, as not to allow the bull to toss the horse. The horseman
then couched his spear backwards, so as to lay it on the bull's neck.
The bull instantly reared and tossed, and in the act forced the spear
between his fore shoulders, so as to hit the spinal marrow. If the
spear is laid rightly, and the animal makes his accustomed motions, he
drops instantly dead. But to do this requires infinite dexterity and
fearlessness. If the man be clumsy, or of weak-nerves, he is apt to
fail in couching the spear right, in which case, as a matter of course,
the horse is gored, and it is ten to one that the man is slain. In this
way fourteen bulls were killed, and with them, five horses and one man,
during this festival. At night commenced gambling and card playing, and
both as fiercely pursued as the bull fighting. This great feast lasted
three days, during which, as the people were in a very purchasable
humor, I sold a number of hundred dollar's worth of my goods.