About this time (the nineteenth and twentieth of August), the explorers
lost by death the only member of their party who did not survive the
journey. Floyd River, which flows into the Upper Missouri, in the
northwest corner of Iowa, still marks the last resting-place of Sergeant
Charles Floyd, who died there of bilious colic and was buried by his
comrades near the mouth of the stream. Near here was a quarry of red
pipestone, dear to the Indian fancy as a mine of material for their
pipes; traces of this deposit still remain. So fond of this red rock
were the Indians that when they went there to get the stuff, even
lifelong and vindictive enemies declared a truce while they gathered the
material, and savage hostile tribes suspended their wars for a time.
On the north side of the Missouri, at a point in what is now known
as Clay County, South Dakota, Captains Lewis and Clark, with ten men,
turned aside to see a great natural curiosity, known to the Indians as
the Hill of Little Devils. The hill is a singular mound in the midst of
a flat prairie, three hundred yards long, sixty or seventy yards wide,
and about seventy feet high. The top is a smooth level plain. The
journal says:--
“The Indians have made it a great article of their superstition: it
is called the Mountain of Little People, or Little Spirits; and they
believe that it is the abode of little devils, in the human form, of
about eighteen inches high, and with remarkably large heads; they are
armed with sharp arrows, with which they are very skilful, and are
always on the watch to kill those who should have the hardihood to
approach their residence. The tradition is, that many have suffered from
these little evil spirits, and, among others, three Maha Indians fell
a sacrifice to them a few years since. This has inspired all the
neighboring nations, Sioux, Mahas, and Ottoes, with such terror, that no
consideration could tempt them to visit the hill. We saw none of these
wicked little spirits, nor any place for them, except some small holes
scattered over the top; we were happy enough to escape their vengeance,
though we remained some time on the mound to enjoy the delightful
prospect of the plain, which spreads itself out till the eye rests upon
the northwest hills at a great distance, and those of the northeast,
still farther off, enlivened by large herds of buffalo feeding at a
distance.”
The present residents of the region, South Dakota, have preserved the
Indian tradition, and Spirit Mound may be seen on modern maps of that
country.
Passing on their way up the Missouri, the explorers found several kinds
of delicious wild plums and vast quantities of grapes; and here, too,
they passed the mouth of the Yankton River, now known as the Dakota,
at the mouth of which is the modern city of Yankton, South Dakota. The
Yankton-Sioux Indians, numbering about one thousand people, inhabited
this part of the country, and near here the white men were met by a
large band of these Sioux who had come in at the invitation of Lewis
and Clark. The messengers from the white men reported that they had been
well received by the Indians, who, as a mark of respect, presented their
visitors with “a fat dog, already cooked, of which they partook heartily
and found it well-flavored.” From this time, according to the journal,
the explorers tasted occasionally of roast dog, and later on they
adopted this dish as a regular feature of their bill-of-fare. They do
tell us, however, that they had some difficulty in getting used to so
novel an article of food.
The Sioux and the white men held a grand council under an oak-tree,
from the top of which was flying the American flag. The head chief was
presented with a gold-laced uniform of the United States artillery, a
cocked hat and red feather. The lesser chiefs were also presented
with suitable gifts of lesser value. Various festivities followed the
conference. Next day another powwow was held at which the head chief,
Weucha, or Shake Hand, said:--
“‘I see before me my great father’s two sons. You see me and the rest
of our chiefs and warriors. We are very poor; we have neither powder,
nor ball, nor knives; and our women and children at the village have no
clothes. I wish that, as my brothers have given me a flag and a medal,
they would give something to those poor people, or let them stop and
trade with the first boat which comes up the river. I will bring the
chiefs of the Pawnees and Mahas together, and make peace between them;
but it is better that I should do it than my great father’s sons, for
they will listen to me more readily. I will also take some chiefs to
your country in the spring; but before that time I cannot leave home. I
went formerly to the English, and they gave me a medal and some clothes:
when I went to the Spaniards they gave me a medal, but nothing to keep
it from my skin: but now you give me a medal and clothes. But still
we are poor; and I wish, brothers, you would give us something for our
squaws.’”
When he sat down, Mahtoree, or White Crane, rose:
“‘I have listened,’ said he, ‘to what our father’s words were
yesterday; and I am to-day glad to see how you have dressed our old
chief. I am a young man, and do not wish to take much; my fathers have
made me a chief; I had much sense before, but now I think I have more
than ever. What the old chief has declared I will confirm, and do
whatever he and you please; but I wish that you would take pity on us,
for we are very poor.’
“Another chief, called Pawnawneahpahbe, then said:
“‘I am a young man, and know but little; I cannot speak well, but I
have listened to what you have told the old chief, and will do whatever
you agree.’
“The same sentiments were then repeated by Aweawechache.
“We were surprised,” the journal says, “at finding that the first of
these titles means Struck by the Pawnee, and was occasioned by some blow
which the chief had received in battle from one of the Pawnee tribe.
The second is in English Half Man, which seemed a singular name for
a warrior, till it was explained to have its origin, probably, in the
modesty of the chief, who, on being told of his exploits, would say,
‘I am no warrior, I am only half a man.’ The other chiefs spoke very
little; but after they had finished, one of the warriors delivered a
speech, in which he declared he would support them. They promised to
make peace with the Ottoes and Missouris, the only nations with whom
they are at war. All these harangues concluded by describing the
distress of the nation: they begged us to have pity on them; to send
them traders; that they wanted powder and ball; and seemed anxious that
we should supply them with some of their great father’s milk, the name
by which they distinguish ardent spirits. We gave some tobacco to each
of the chiefs, and a certificate to two of the warriors who attended
the chief We prevailed on M. Durion (interpreter) to remain here, and
accompany as many of the Sioux chiefs as he could collect to the seat of
government. We also gave his son a flag, some clothes, and provisions,
with directions to bring about a peace between the surrounding tribes,
and to convey some of their chiefs to see the President.
“The Indians who have just left us are the Yanktons, a tribe of the
great nation of Sioux. These Yanktons are about two hundred men in
number, and inhabit the Jacques, Des Moines, and Sioux Rivers. In person
they are stout, well proportioned, and have a certain air of dignity and
boldness. In their dress they differ nothing from the other bands of the
nation whom we met afterwards.”
Of the Sioux let us say here, there are many bands, or subdivisions.
Some writers make eighteen of these principal branches. But the first
importance is given to the Sioux proper, or Dakotas. The name “Sioux” is
one of reproach, given by their enemies, and signifies “snake;” whereas
“Dakota” means “friend” or “ally.” The Lewis and Clark journal says of
the Yankton-Sioux:--
“What struck us most was an institution peculiar to them and to the Kite
(Crow) Indians further to the westward, from whom it is said to have
been copied. It is an association of the most active and brave young
men, who are bound to each other by attachment, secured by a vow, never
to retreat before any danger, or give way to their enemies. In war they
go forward without sheltering themselves behind trees, or aiding their
natural valor by any artifice. Their punctilious determination not to
be turned from their course became heroic, or ridiculous, a short time
since, when the Yanktons were crossing the Missouri on the ice. A hole
lay immediately in their course, which might easily have been avoided
by going around. This the foremost of the band disdained to do, but
went straight forward and was lost. The others would have followed his
example, but were forcibly prevented by the rest of the tribe. These
young men sit, camp, and dance together, distinct from the rest of the
nation; they are generally about thirty or thirty-five years old, and
such is the deference paid to courage that their seats in council are
superior to those of the chiefs and their persons more respected. But,
as may be supposed, such indiscreet bravery will soon diminish the
numbers of those who practise it; so that the band is now reduced to
four warriors, who were among our visitors. These were the remains of
twenty-two who composed the society not long ago; but, in a battle with
the Kite (Crow) Indians of the Black Mountains, eighteen of them were
killed, and these four were dragged from the field by their companions.”
Just above the site of the city of Yankton, and near what is still known
as Bon Homme Island, Captain Clark explored a singular earth formation
in a bend of the river. This had all the appearance of an ancient
fortification, stretching across the bend and furnished with redoubts
and other features of a great fort. In the journal is given a glowing
account of the work and an elaborate map of the same. Modern research,
however, has proved that this strange arrangement of walls and parapets
is only a series of sand ridges formed by the currents of the river and
driftings of sand. Many of these so-called earthworks are situated on
the west bank of the Upper Missouri, in North Dakota and South Dakota.
A few days later, the party saw a species of animal which they described
as “goats,”--very fleet, with short pronged horns inclining backward,
and with grayish hair, marked with white on the rump. This creature,
however, was the American antelope, then unknown to science, and first
described by Lewis and Clark. While visiting a strange dome-shaped
mountain, “resembling a cupola,” and now known as “the Tower,” the
explorers found the abode of another animal, heretofore unknown to them.
“About four acres of ground,” says the journal, “was covered with small
holes.” The account continues: “These are the residence of a little
animal, called by the French petit chien (little dog), which sit erect
near the mouth, and make a whistling noise, but, when alarmed, take
refuge in their holes. In order to bring them out we poured into one of
the holes five barrels of water without filling it, but we dislodged and
caught the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet,
we found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half-way to
the bottom: we discovered, however, two frogs in the hole, and near it
we killed a dark rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie dog.
We were also informed, though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort
of lizard and a snake live habitually with these animals. The
petit chien are justly named, as they resemble a small dog in some
particulars, although they have also some points of similarity to the
squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that
the ear is shorter; the tail like that of the ground squirrel; the toe
nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray.”
Great confusion has been caused in the minds of readers on account of
there being another burrowing animal, called by Lewis and Clark “the
burrowing squirrel,” which resembles the petit chien in some respects.
But the little animal described here is now well known as the
prairie-dog,--an unfortunate and misleading name. It is in no sense a
species of dog. The creature commonly weighs about three pounds, and its
note resembles that of a toy-dog. It is a species of marmot; it subsists
on grass roots and other vegetable products; its flesh is delicate and,
when fat, of good flavor. The writer of these lines, when crossing the
great plains, in early times, found the “prairie-dogs” excellent eating,
but difficult to kill; they are expert at diving into their holes at the
slightest signal of danger.
The following days they saw large herds of buffalo, and the copses of
timber appeared to contain elk and deer, “just below Cedar Island,”
adds the journal, “on a hill to the south, is the backbone of a fish,
forty-five feet long, tapering towards the tail, and in a perfect
state of petrifaction, fragments of which were collected and sent to
Washington.” This was not a fish, but the fossil remains of a reptile of
one of the earliest geological periods. Here, too, the party saw immense
herds of buffalo, thousands in number, some of which they killed for
their meat and skins. They also saw elk, deer, turkeys, grouse, beaver,
and prairie-dogs. The journal bitterly complains of the “moschetoes,”
which were very troublesome. As mosquitoes we now know them.
Oddly enough, the journal sometimes speaks of “goats” and sometimes of
“antelopes,” and the same animal is described in both instances. Here is
a good story of the fleetness of the beautiful creature:--
“Of all the animals we had seen, the antelope seems to possess the most
wonderful fleetness. Shy and timorous, they generally repose only on
the ridges, which command a view of all the approaches of an enemy:
the acuteness of their sight distinguishes the most distant danger;
the delicate sensibility of their smell defeats the precautions of
concealment; and, when alarmed, their rapid career seems more like
the flight of birds than the movements of a quadruped. After many
unsuccessful attempts, Captain Lewis at last, by winding around the
ridges, approached a party of seven, which were on an eminence towards
which the wind was unfortunately blowing. The only male of the party
frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to announce any
danger to the females, which formed a group at the top. Although they
did not see Captain Lewis, the smell alarmed them, and they fled when he
was at the distance of two hundred yards: he immediately ran to the
spot where they had been; a ravine concealed them from him; but the next
moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the distance of three miles.
He doubted whether they could be the same; but their number, and the
extreme rapidity with which they continued their course, convinced
him that they must have gone with a speed equal to that of the
most distinguished race-horse. Among our acquisitions to-day were a
mule-deer, a magpie, a common deer, and buffalo: Captain Lewis also
saw a hare, and killed a rattlesnake near the burrows of the barking
squirrels.”
By “barking squirrels” the reader must understand that the animal better
known as the prairie-dog is meant; and the mule-deer, as the explorers
called it, was not a hybrid, but a deer with very long ears, better
known afterwards as the black-tailed deer.
At the Big Bend of the Missouri, in the heart of what is now South
Dakota, while camped on a sand-bar, the explorers had a startling
experience. “Shortly after midnight,” says the journal, “the sleepers
were startled by the sergeant on guard crying out that the sand-bar was
sinking, and the alarm was timely given; for scarcely had they got off
with the boats before the bank under which they had been lying fell in;
and by the time the opposite shore was reached, the ground on which they
had been encamped sunk also. A man who was sent to step off the distance
across the head of the bend, made it but two thousand yards, while its
circuit is thirty miles.”
The next day, three Sioux boys swam the river and told them that two
parties of their nation, one of eighty lodges, and one of sixty lodges,
were camped up the river, waiting to have a palaver with the white
explorers. These were Teton Sioux, and the river named for them still
bears that title.