The Indians east of the Rocky Mountains, their migratory habits, &c.—The
American Fur Company and its shipments—Fort Larimie and
location—Saline quality in the earth and the waters of Platt and
its tributaries—Independence rock—Daring deed of one of our
company.
Twenty-five miles west of St. Josephs, on the emigrant route, is a
school for Indians, calld Iowa and Sack Mission Boarding School. It is
conducted by a Mr. S. M. Ervin and H. W. Hamilton. During our stay of
two or three days at that place, I visited Mr. Ervin at his school-house
and dwelling, with a pleasing reception as a stranger, and was shown to
the several apartments of the house. It is a building 106 feet in length
by about 40 in width, with a basement for cooking and dining-rooms. The
other two stories are occupied as school-room, lodging-rooms and
dwelling for the superintendent, and in one apartment is a library and
printing press. Mr. Ervin pointed me to his scholars, at this time
numbering only 26, consisting mostly of girls from ten to twelve years
of age, dressd in American costume. These appeard well, and seemd to be
a proof that the wild man of the desert is susceptible of cultivation.
Unhappily, however, I was informd by a person living there, it is with
difficulty youth are persuaded to tarry long enough at the school to
acquire any valuable education.
Whilst staying at that place, Mr. Ervin came into our camp and preachd a
sermon to the emigrants, and whilst there he publicly declard that we
should pass no nation of Indians on our route to Oregon more vicious
than those of that place. We however met with no difficulty nor lost any
property by them, though one of them had the boldness to say to one of
the emigrants—
“Me good to steal horses!”
To which the emigrant replied—
“You must not steal our horses.”
The Indian still farther announced—
“Ah, me good to steal horse.”
The Indians at this place receive a very good support in consequence of
the large amount of land under cultivation by the care and
superintendence of the mission.
Those Indians located at Grand Island, calld the Pawnee tribe, are at
present a feeble race, liable to be driven about by the Sioux at all
times. They are poor, and under the necessity of stealing what buffalo
meat and robes they need for their support, and whenever they are
discoverd by a band of Sioux rangers, they are obligd to flee for their
safety to some other place. Their pressing necessity for food and
clothing makes them more inclind to trouble the emigrant trains than
they otherwise would, and whenever they meet with a train that is feeble
in numbers, they fall on them and plunder their food and clothing.
The day before we arrivd at Grand Island, a band of Sioux rangers
discoverd some Pawnees on the banks of the Platt, drying and preparing
buffalo meat for their winter’s stock of provisions. They enterd their
camp and drove them away so suddenly, that in their wild flight they
were obligd to throw away robes and other property, which was strewd
along the road 15 or 20 miles’ distance. By this circumstance we passd
the Pawnees without seeing an individual Indian.
The Sioux are probably the strongest nation east of the South Pass. They
range from Fort Larimie eastward to the Missouri river. Near Ash Hollow
on the Platt, we passd two bands of them not many miles distant from
each other, consisting of 40 or 50 lodges in each. Their lodges are made
by setting up small poles in a conical form and covering them with
buffalo skins. Some of them are quite large, requiring from 10 to 15
buffalo skins to inclose them. In the center of these their fires are
built. The smoke issues at the top of this conical-shapd edifice,
through which a small opening is left for that purpose. Around these
fires whilst in their lodges, the Indians sit or recline upon the
ground, without seats of any kind, or any thing at all, except sometimes
flag matresses or the pelts of some animals.
When they wish to prepare for the reception of company of a public
nature, they form a semi-circle on the ground with their chiefs or heads
of bands in the center of the arch of the half-circle, which renders
them conspicuous to all. On our approach to the first of these bands, we
found them seated in a semi-circular form, with their two chiefs,
Whirlwind and Badwoon, in the center of this arch, with the American
flag erected within and in front of the chiefs, ready to receive us,
having been apprisd of our coming several days beforehand by an Indian
trader by the name of Richards, who had traveld with us much of the way
from St. Josephs to that place. He having gone ahead, arrivd at the band
several days before us, informing them that we were coming and advising
them to peace, with the expectation of receiving a gift from us as
indicative of friendship. Accordingly they spread robes and blankets on
the ground within the half-circle, upon which the emigrants bestowd
their gifts of flour, corn meal, beans, bacon, and every such thing, as
they pleasd to give. While in the act of doing this, occasional
acclamations were heard from the red audience, especially when a larger
panful of flour than common was presented.
After our company had ceasd to present their gifts, two or three men
started from the circle to make a distribution of the gift, which was
bestowd upon the heads of families. This was an amusing sight. Some
would present a dish to receive their gift, others the corner of a
blanket, and others again would hold out the skirt of an old filthy coat
to receive a little flour. Presently all receivd their several gifts,
and so we parted in friendship.
The night previous to our arrival at this band, we had encampd about 2
miles distant, though in sight of their lodges. In the morning, after
our teams were ready for starting, our captain orderd the train to keep
close together, with their guns where they could lay their hands on them
at a moment’s warning, if necessary, and no one should speak to an
Indian except himself till we should pass the reach of danger, as there
was no possible way to pass this band excepting through their camp, and
as the advice of former emigrants was to guard against the treachery of
the Indians. Unfortunately for me, as some would think, I had neither
gun, pistol nor bowie-knife with me, but the young man with whom I
traveld, having a spare pistol presented it to me, saying—
“Here, take this, and the captain says you must go to his wagon and get
a hatchet, so that you may defend yourself and others.”
I told him as we had about 2 miles to travel before we should come to
them, and as I had no convenient way of carrying it, except in my hand,
he had better carry it till we arrivd there, and then I would take it.
But this was the last I saw of the pistol at that place. When our teams
arrivd at the camp, we all halted, and one man ran one way and another
man another way, talking and trading with the Indians, and preparing to
give them presents.
These bands migrate with the roaming buffalo, for on him depends their
support. At this time they were here, drying buffalo meat for their
winter supply, and also preparing robes for sale, though their station
is most of the time at Fort Larimie. The flesh of the buffalo is cut
into thin pieces and dried in the sun without salt, and this is their
principal food. They have no flour except what little they procure of
the emigrants while passing to Oregon. In this waste country the plow is
not seen to greet the soil, and the poor Indian has nought for his
support but what nature alone provides. These Indians are better dressd,
and may be considerd more wealthy, if their property can be calld
wealth, than Indians west of the Rocky Mountains.
The American Fur Company, which has its posts of trade located at
different points east of the Rocky Mountains, are at present in a
somewhat prosperous state. I was informd by the Principal at Fort
Larimie, that the company shipd from Fort Pier, a point on a tributary
of the Missouri river, the year 1847, more than 80,000 buffalo robes,
between 11,000 and 12,000 of which were obtaind at Fort Larimie, besides
a great amount of other peltry. But as the country is gradually drying
up and buffalo becoming less abundant, this source of profit will at
length fail.
Fort Larimie is located at Larimie fork of Platt river, a mile or two
above its confluence with that river. There is nothing interesting about
the fort. It is built of sun-dried bricks, with timbers sufficient to
support the bricks and form the doors and windows, and done in the
coarsest manner. Within this wall, which is about 12 or 14 feet high,
are the dwellings and other necessary rooms for the accommodation of the
fort. Within this area, also, stands a large rude press, for pressing
robes and peltry for market. In another apartment is a yard for horses
and cattle. What is most attractive is, within these dwellings are seen
the white man and the rusty-looking Indian woman, living lovingly
together, whilst the little papooses are playing together as happily.
Without these mud walls are seen no appendages. The eye can rest on
nothing all around but a dreary waste, an uncultivated country.
On advancing up the Platt and its tributary, Sweet Water river, the
traveler’s attention is attracted by a kind of salt he occasionally sees
upon the ground along the road, which by examining he finds to possess
strong alkaline properties. The waters of the Platt and Sweet Water
rivers are also impregnated so strongly that whenever the rivers are so
low as to disclose the sand-bars long enough for them to dry upon their
surfaces, this salt is seen abundantly upon them.
A few miles east of Independence rock, along our route, we saw several
ponds, or small lakes, with an incrustation of this salt several inches
thick. These places the emigrants call saleratus lakes, from the known
fact that it has the property of raising bread.
Advancing a few miles, we come to Independence rock.—This rock is hardly
worthy of notice, except for the many inscriptions made upon it by
emigrants. It is a coarse granite rock about 100 feet high, covering
about 20 acres of ground, standing alone and near enough to our road to
read its inscriptions on passing it.
About 4 miles west of Independence rock, the Sweet Water passes through
a gap of precipitous rocks 300 feet high, where is a cascade of short
distance. This gap is narrow and formd along its sides with several
crevices of circular and chimney shape, from top to bottom. In one of
these a man of our company, by the name of Brock, descended. Whilst the
train was slowly passing along, several men of our company left the
train for the purpose of passing through this gap along the sides of the
waterfall. On their approach at this place, they stood viewing the
scenery around, whilst one of them, looking up, saw a man in the act of
descending through one of these frightful openings, at a distance of
more than 200 feet above their heads. Mr. Brock had passd around to the
top of the rocks alone, to view the scenery, and finding one of these
places, attempted a descent. He began the descent without knowing that
any human being stood to witness his hazardous undertaking. This opening
was so wide in some places that he could with difficulty reach from one
side to the other without losing his perpendicular position, and
oftentimes he was obligd to hold on to the rocks by his fingers, where
they projected not more than an inch. In this alarming situation of Mr.
Brock, his comrades below stood looking at him, without daring to speak,
with intense anxiety for his safety, till he had accomplishd his entire
descent.
[Illustration: Decorative glyph]