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AUDUBON
AND
HIS JOURNALS
[Illustration: EMBERIZA TOWNSENDII, TOWNSEND'S BUNTING.
(Now Spiza townsendii.)
FROM AN UNFINISHED DRAWING BY J. J. AUDUBON OF THE ONLY SPECIMEN
EVER KNOWN, SHOT MAY 11, 1833. IN CHESTER CO., PA., BY J. K.
TOWNSEND.]
AUDUBON AND HIS
JOURNALS
BY
MARIA R. AUDUBON
WITH ZOOeLOGICAL AND OTHER NOTES
BY
ELLIOTT COUES
_ILLUSTRATED_
VOLUME II.
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1897
_Copyright, 1897_,
BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS.
University Press:
JOHN WILSON AND SON CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.
CONTENTS
VOLUME II
PAGE
THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS (_continued_) 1
EPISODES:
LOUISVILLE IN KENTUCKY 199
THE OHIO 203
FISHING IN THE OHIO 208
A WILD HORSE 215
BREAKING UP OF THE ICE 222
THE PRAIRIE 225
THE REGULATORS 231
THE EARTHQUAKE 234
THE HURRICANE 237
COLONEL BOONE 241
NATCHEZ IN 1820 246
THE LOST PORTFOLIO 250
THE ORIGINAL PAINTER 254
THE COUGAR 260
THE RUNAWAY 267
A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH 274
HOSPITALITY IN THE WOODS 280
NIAGARA 286
MEADVILLE 289
THE BURNING OF THE FORESTS 294
A LONG CALM AT SEA 301
STILL BECALMED 306
GREAT EGG HARBOR 310
THE GREAT PINE SWAMP 314
THE LOST ONE 321
THE LIVE-OAKERS 327
SPRING GARDEN 333
DEATH OF A PIRATE 339
THE WRECKERS OF FLORIDA 345
ST. JOHN'S RIVER IN FLORIDA 352
THE FLORIDA KEYS. I 358
THE FLORIDA KEYS. II 365
THE TURTLERS 371
THE FORCE OF THE WATERS 380
JOURNEY IN NEW BRUNSWICK AND MAINE 387
A MOOSE HUNT 393
LABRADOR 401
THE EGGERS OF LABRADOR 406
THE SQUATTERS OF LABRADOR 411
COD FISHING 418
A BALL IN NEWFOUNDLAND 426
THE BAY OF FUNDY 431
A FLOOD 437
THE SQUATTERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI 443
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 449
KENTUCKY SPORTS 455
THE TRAVELLER AND THE POLE-CAT 462
DEER HUNTING 466
THE ECCENTRIC NATURALIST 473
SCIPIO AND THE BEAR 481
A KENTUCKY BARBECUE 486
A RACCOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY 490
PITTING OF WOLVES 497
THE OPOSSUM 501
A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP 506
THE WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVORITE BAIT 509
THE AMERICAN SUN PERCH 515
MY STYLE OF DRAWING BIRDS 522
INDEX 529
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOL. II.
PAGE
EMBERIZA TOWNSENDII (NOW SPIZA TOWNSENDII),
TOWNSEND'S BUNTING _Frontispiece_
From an unfinished drawing by J. J. Audubon of the only
specimen ever known. Shot May 11, 1833, in Chester
County, Pa., by J. K. Townsend.
AUDUBON 84
From the pencil sketch by Isaac Sprague, 1842. In the
possession of the Sprague family, Wellesley Hills, Mass.
CAMP AT THE THREE MAMELLES 118
From a drawing by Audubon, hitherto unpublished.
CAMP ON THE MISSOURI 160
From a drawing by Isaac Sprague.
MRS. AUDUBON. 1854 176
From a daguerreotype.
AUDUBON. 1839 234
Painted in Edinburgh by J. W. Audubon.
VICTOR GIFFORD AUDUBON 274
Painted by Audubon about 1823.
JOHN WOODHOUSE AUDUBON 310
Painted by Audubon about 1823.
TRINGA ALPINA (NOW PELIDNA ALPINA PACIFICA), RED-BACKED
SANDPIPER 352
From the unpublished drawing by J. J. Audubon, November
24, 1831.
AUDUBON. 1850 406
From a daguerreotype. Owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Berthoud
Grimshaw.
VICTOR GIFFORD AUDUBON. 1853 456
JOHN WOODHOUSE AUDUBON. 1853 486
OLD MILL AND MILLER'S COTTAGE AT MILL GROVE ON THE
PERKIOMEN CREEK 524
From a photograph from W. H. Wetherill, Esq.
AUDUBON 526
From a pencil sketch after death by John Woodhouse Audubon,
January 28, 1851.
BOWIE KNIFE 527
Presented by Henry Carleton.
FACSIMILES OF DIPLOMAS _At end of volume_
La Societe Linneenne de Paris. 6 Novembre, 1823.
Lyceum of Natural History, New York. January 13, 1824.
Societe d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. 5 Decembre, 1828.
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts.
November 10, 1830.
Royal Society of Edinburgh. March 5, 1831.
Royal Jennerian Society, London. July 15, 1836.
Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. November 19,
1836.
Western Academy of Natural Sciences, St. Louis, Mo.
April 17, 1843.
Natural History Society of Montreal. March 29, 1847.
THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS
1843
(_Continued_)
_June 4, Sunday._ We have run pretty well, though the wind has been
tolerably high; the country we have passed this day is somewhat better
than what we saw yesterday, which, as I said, was the poorest we have
seen. No occurrence of interest has taken place. We passed this morning
the old Riccaree[1] Village, where General Ashley[2] was so completely
beaten as to lose eighteen of his men, with the very weapons and
ammunition that he had trafficked with the Indians of that village,
against all the remonstrances of his friends and interpreters; yet he
said that it proved fortunate for him, as he turned his steps towards
some other spot, where he procured one hundred packs of Beaver skins for
a mere song. We stopped to cut wood at an old house put up for winter
quarters, and the wood being ash, and quite dry, was excellent. We are
now fast for the night at an abandoned post, or fort, of the Company,
where, luckily for us, a good deal of wood was found cut. We saw only
one Wolf, and a few small gangs of Buffaloes. Bell shot a Bunting which
resembles Henslow's, but we have no means of comparing it at present. We
have collected a few plants during our landing. The steam is blowing
off, and therefore our day's run is ended. When I went to bed last night
it was raining smartly, and Alexis did not go off, as he did wish. By
the way, I forgot to say that along with the three Prairie Marmots, he
brought also four Spoon-billed Ducks, which we ate at dinner to-day, and
found delicious. Bell saw many Lazuli Finches this morning.
Notwithstanding the tremendous shaking of our boat, Sprague managed to
draw four figures of the legs and feet of the Wolf shot by Bell
yesterday, and my own pencil was not idle.
_June 5, Monday._ Alexis went off in the night sometime, and came on
board about three o'clock this morning; he had seen nothing whatever,
except the traces of Beavers and of Otters, on Beaver Creek, which, by
the way, he had to cross on a raft. Speaking of rafts, I am told that
one of these, made of two bundles of rushes, about the size of a man's
body, and fastened together by a few sticks, is quite sufficient to take
two men and two packs of Buffalo robes across this muddy river. In the
course of the morning we passed Cannon Ball River,[3] and the very
remarkable bluffs about it, of which we cannot well speak until we have
stopped there and examined their nature. We saw two Swans alighting on
the prairie at a considerable distance. We stopped to take wood at
Bowie's settlement, at which place his wife was killed by some of the
Riccaree Indians, after some Gros Ventres had assured him that such
would be the case if he suffered his wife to go out of the house. She
went out, however, on the second day, and was shot with three
rifle-balls. The Indians took parts of her hair and went off. She was
duly buried; but the Gros Ventres returned some time afterwards, took up
the body, and carried off the balance of her hair. They, however,
reburied her; and it was not until several months had elapsed that the
story came to the ears of Mr. Bowie. We have also passed Apple Creek,[4]
but the chief part is yet to be added. At one place where the bluffs
were high, we saw five Buffaloes landing a few hundred yards above us on
the western side; one of them cantered off immediately, and by some
means did reach the top of the hills, and went out of our sight; the
four others ran, waded, and swam at different places, always above us,
trying to make their escape. At one spot they attempted to climb the
bluff, having unconsciously passed the place where their leader had made
good his way, and in their attempts to scramble up, tumbled down, and at
last became so much affrighted that they took to the river for good,
with the intention to swim to the shore they had left. Unfortunately for
them, we had been gaining upon them; we had all been anxiously watching
them, and the moment they began to swim we were all about the boat with
guns and rifles, awaiting the instant when they would be close under our
bows. The moment came; I was on the lower deck among several of the
people with guns, and the firing was soon heavy; but not one of the
Buffaloes was stopped, although every one must have been severely hit
and wounded. Bell shot a load of buckshot at the head of one, which
disappeared entirely under the water for perhaps a minute. I sent a ball
through the neck of the last of the four, but all ineffectually, and off
they went, swimming to the opposite shore; one lagged behind the rest,
but, having found footing on a sand-bar, it rested awhile, and again
swam off to rejoin its companions. They all reached the shore, but were
quite as badly off on that side as they had been on the other, and their
difficulties must have been great indeed; however, in a short time we
had passed them. Mr. Charles Primeau,[5] who is a good shot, and who
killed the young Buffalo bull the other day, assured me that it was his
opinion the whole of these would die before sundown, but that Buffaloes
swimming were a hundred times more difficult to kill than those on
shore. I have been told also, that a Buffalo shot by an Indian, in the
presence of several whites, exhibited some marks on the inside of the
skin that looked like old wounds, and that on close examination they
found no less than six balls in its paunch. Sometimes they will run a
mile after having been struck through the heart; whilst at other times
they will fall dead without such desperate shot. Alexis told me that
once he shot one through the thigh, and that it fell dead on the spot.
We passed this afternoon a very curious conical mound of earth, about
which Harris and I had some curiosity, by which I lost two pounds of
snuff, as he was right, and I was wrong. We have seen Geese and
Goslings, Ravens, Blue Herons, Bluebirds, Thrushes, Red-headed
Woodpeckers and Red-shafted ditto, Martins, an immense number of
Rough-winged Swallows about their holes, and Barn Swallows. We heard
Killdeers last evening. Small Crested Flycatchers, Summer Yellow-birds,
Maryland Yellow-throats, House Wrens are seen as we pass along our
route; while the Spotted Sandpiper accompanies us all along the river.
Sparrow Hawks, Turkey Buzzards, Arctic Towhee Buntings, Cat-birds,
Mallards, Coots, Gadwalls, King-birds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red
Thrushes, all are noted as we pass. We have had a good day's run; it is
now half-past ten. The wind has been cold, and this evening we have had
a dash of rain. We have seen only one Wolf. We have heard some wonderful
stories about Indians and white men, none of which I can well depend
upon. We have stopped for the night a few miles above where the
"Assiniboin"[6] steamer was burnt with all her cargo uninsured, in the
year 1835. I heard that after she had run ashore, the men started to
build a scow to unload the cargo; but that through some accident the
vessel was set on fire, and that a man and a woman who alone had been
left on board, walked off to the island, where they remained some days
unable to reach shore.
_June 6, Tuesday._ This morning was quite cold, and we had a thick white
frost on our upper deck. It was also extremely cloudy, the wind from the
east, and all about us looked dismal enough. The hands on board seemed
to have been busy the whole of the night, for I scarcely slept for the
noise they made. We soon came to a very difficult part of the river, and
had to stop full three hours. Meanwhile the yawl went off to seek and
sound for a channel, whilst the wood-cutters and the carriers--who, by
the way, are called "charrettes"[7]--followed their work, and we
gathered a good quantity of drift-wood, which burns like straw. Our
hopes of reaching the Mandan Village were abandoned, but we at last
proceeded on our way and passed the bar; it was nearly dinner-time.
Harris and Bell had their guns, and brought two Arctic Towhee Buntings
and a Black-billed Cuckoo. They saw two large flocks of Geese making
their way westward. The place where we landed showed many signs of Deer,
Elk, and Buffaloes. I saw trees where the latter had rubbed their heavy
bodies against the bark, till they had completely robbed the tree of its
garment. We saw several Red-shafted Woodpeckers, and other birds named
before. The Buffalo, when hunted on horseback, does _not_ carry its tail
erect, as has been represented in books, but close between the legs; but
when you see a Buffalo bull work its tail sideways in a twisted rolling
fashion, _then_ take care of him, as it is a sure sign of his intention
to rush against his pursuer's horse, which is very dangerous, both to
hunter and steed. As we proceeded I saw two fine White-headed Eagles
alighting on their nest, where perhaps they had young--and how
remarkably late in the season this species does breed here! We also saw
a young Sandhill Crane, and on an open prairie four Antelopes a few
hundred yards off. Alexis tells me that at this season this is a rare
occurrence, as the females are generally in the brushwood now; but in
this instance the male and three females were on open prairie. We have
passed what is called the Heart[8] River, and the Square Hills, which,
of course, are by no means square, but simply more level than the
generality of those we have passed for upwards of three weeks. We now
saw four barges belonging to our company, and came to, above them, as
usual. A Mr. Kipp, one of the partners, came on board; and Harris,
Squires, and myself had time to write each a short letter to our friends
at home. Mr. Kipp had a peculiar looking crew who appeared not much
better than a set of bandits among the Pyrenees or the Alps; yet they
seem to be the very best sort of men for trappers and boatmen. We
exchanged four of our men for four of his, as the latter are wanted at
the Yellowstone. The country appears to Harris and to myself as if we
had outrun the progress of vegetation, as from the boat we observed oaks
scarcely in leaflets, whilst two hundred miles below, and indeed at a
much less distance, we saw the same timber in nearly full leaf; flowers
are also scarce. A single Wolf was seen by some one on deck. Nothing can
be possibly keener than the senses of hearing and sight, as well as of
smell, in the Antelope. Not one was ever known to jump up close to a
hunter; and the very motion of the grasses, as these are wafted by the
wind, will keep them awake and on the alert. Immediately upon the
breaking up of the ice about the Mandan Village, three Buffaloes were
seen floating down on a large cake; they were seen by Mr. Primeau from
his post, and again from Fort Pierre. How much further the poor beasts
travelled, no one can tell. It happens not infrequently, when the river
is entirely closed in with ice, that some hundreds of Buffaloes attempt
to cross; their aggregate enormous weight forces the ice to break, and
the whole of the gang are drowned, as it is impossible for these animals
to climb over the surrounding sharp edges of the ice. We have seen not
less than three nests of White-headed Eagles this day. We are fast
ashore about sixteen miles below the Mandan Villages, and will, in all
probability, reach there to-morrow morning at an early hour. It is
raining yet, and the day has been a most unpleasant one.
_June 7, Wednesday._ We had a vile night of rain, and wind from the
northeast, which is still going on, and likely to continue the whole of
this blessed day. Yesterday, when we had a white frost, ice was found in
the kettles of Mr. Kipp's barges. We reached Fort Clark[9] and the
Mandan Villages at half-past seven this morning. Great guns were fired
from the fort and from the "Omega," as our captain took the guns from
the "Trapper" at Fort Pierre. The site of this fort appears a good one,
though it is placed considerably below the Mandan Village. We saw some
small spots cultivated, where corn, pumpkins, and beans are grown. The
fort and village are situated on the high bank, rising somewhat to the
elevation of a hill. The Mandan mud huts are very far from looking
poetical, although Mr. Catlin has tried to render them so by placing
them in regular rows, and all of the same size and form, which is by no
means the case. But different travellers have different eyes! We saw
more Indians than at any previous time since leaving St. Louis; and it
is possible that there are a hundred huts, made of mud, all looking like
so many potato winter-houses in the Eastern States. As soon as we were
near the shore, every article that could conveniently be carried off was
placed under lock and key, and our division door was made fast, as well
as those of our own rooms. Even the axes and poles were put by. Our
captain told us that last year they stole his cap and his shot-pouch and
horn, and that it was through the interference of the first chief that
he recovered his cap and horn; but that a squaw had his leather belt,
and would not give it up. The appearance of these poor, miserable
devils, as we approached the shore, was wretched enough. There they
stood in the pelting rain and keen wind, covered with Buffalo robes, red
blankets, and the like, some partially and most curiously besmeared with
mud; and as they came on board, and we shook hands with each of them, I
felt a clamminess that rendered the ceremony most repulsive. Their legs
and naked feet were covered with mud. They looked at me with apparent
curiosity, perhaps on account of my beard, which produced the same
effect at Fort Pierre. They all looked very poor; and our captain says
they are the _ne plus ultra_ of thieves. It is said there are nearly
three thousand men, women, and children that, during winter, cram
themselves into these miserable hovels. Harris and I walked to the fort
about nine o'clock. The walking was rascally, passing through mud and
water the whole way. The yard of the fort itself was as bad. We entered
Mr. Chardon's own room, crawled up a crazy ladder, and in a low garret I
had the great pleasure of seeing alive the Swift or Kit Fox which he has
given to me. It ran swiftly from one corner to another, and, when
approached, growled somewhat in the manner of a common Fox. Mr. Chardon
told me that good care would be taken of it until our return, that it
would be chained to render it more gentle, and that I would find it an
easy matter to take it along. I sincerely hope so. Seeing a remarkably
fine skin of a large Cross Fox[10] which I wished to buy, it was handed
over to me. After this, Mr. Chardon asked one of the Indians to take us
into the village, and particularly to show us the "Medicine Lodge." We
followed our guide through mud and mire, even into the Lodge. We found
this to be, in general terms, like all the other lodges, only larger,
measuring twenty-three yards in diameter, with a large squarish aperture
in the centre of the roof, some six or seven feet long by about four
wide. We had entered this curiosity shop by pushing aside a wet Elk skin
stretched on four sticks. Looking around, I saw a number of calabashes,
eight or ten Otter skulls, two very large Buffalo skulls with the horns
on, evidently of great age, and some sticks and other magical implements
with which none but a "Great Medicine Man" is acquainted. During my
survey there sat, crouched down on his haunches, an Indian wrapped in a
dirty blanket, with only his filthy head peeping out. Our guide spoke to
him; but he stirred not. Again, at the foot of one of the posts that
support the central portion of this great room, lay a parcel that I took
for a bundle of Buffalo robes; but it moved presently, and from beneath
it half arose the emaciated body of a poor blind Indian, whose skin was
quite shrivelled; and our guide made us signs that he was about to die.
We all shook both hands with him; and he pressed our hands closely and
with evident satisfaction. He had his pipe and tobacco pouch by him, and
soon lay down again. We left this abode of mysteries, as I was anxious
to see the interior of one of the common huts around; and again our
guide led us through mud and mire to his own lodge, which we entered in
the same way as we had done the other. All these lodges have a sort of
portico that leads to the door, and on the tops of most of them I
observed Buffalo skulls. This lodge contained the whole family of our
guide--several women and children, and another man, perhaps a son-in-law
or a brother. All these, except the man, were on the outer edge of the
lodge, crouching on the ground, some suckling children; and at nearly
equal distances apart were placed berths, raised about two feet above
the ground, made of leather, and with square apertures for the sleepers
or occupants to enter. The man of whom I have spoken was lying down in
one of these, which was all open in front. I walked up to him, and,
after disturbing his happy slumbers, shook hands with him; he made signs
for me to sit down; and after Harris and I had done so, he rose,
squatted himself near us, and, getting out a large spoon made of boiled
Buffalo horn, handed it to a young girl, who brought a great rounded
wooden bowl filled with pemmican, mixed with corn and some other stuff.
I ate a mouthful or so of it, and found it quite palatable; and Harris
and the rest then ate of it also. Bell was absent; we had seen nothing
of him since we left the boat. This lodge, as well as the other, was
dirty with water and mud; but I am told that in dry weather they are
kept cleaner, and much cleaning do they need, most truly. A round,
shallow hole was dug in the centre for the fire; and from the roof
descended over this a chain, by the aid of which they do their cooking,
the utensil being attached to the chain when wanted. As we returned
towards the fort, I gave our guide a piece of tobacco, and he appeared
well pleased. He followed us on board, and as he peeped in my room, and
saw the dried and stuffed specimens we have, he evinced a slight degree
of curiosity. Our captain, Mr. Chardon, and our men have been busily
engaged in putting ashore that portion of the cargo designed for this
fort, which in general appearance might be called a poor miniature
representation of Fort Pierre. The whole country around was overgrown
with "Lamb's quarters" (_Chenopodium album_), which I have no doubt, if
boiled, would take the place of spinach in this wild and, to my eyes,
miserable country, the poetry of which lies in the imagination of those
writers who have described the "velvety prairies" and "enchanted
castles" (of mud), so common where we now are. We observed a
considerable difference in the color of these Indians, who, by the way,
are almost all Riccarees; many appeared, and in fact are, redder than
others; they are lank, rather tall, and very alert, but, as I have said
before, all look poor and dirty. After dinner we went up the muddy bank
again to look at the corn-fields, as the small patches that are meanly
cultivated are called. We found poor, sickly looking corn about two
inches high, that had been represented to us this morning as full six
inches high. We followed the prairie, a very extensive one, to the
hills, and there found a deep ravine, sufficiently impregnated with
saline matter to answer the purpose of salt water for the Indians to
boil their corn and pemmican, clear and clean; but they, as well as the
whites at the fort, resort to the muddy Missouri for their drinking
water, the only fresh water at hand. Not a drop of spirituous liquor has
been brought to this place for the last two years; and there can be no
doubt that on this account the Indians have become more peaceable than
heretofore, though now and then a white man is murdered, and many horses
are stolen. As we walked over the plain, we saw heaps of earth thrown up
to cover the poor Mandans who died of the small-pox. These mounds in
many instances appear to contain the remains of several bodies and,
perched on the top, lies, pretty generally, the rotting skull of a
Buffalo. Indeed, the skulls of the Buffaloes seem as if a kind of
relation to these most absurdly superstitious and ignorant beings. I
could not hear a word of the young Grizzly Bear of which Mr. Chardon had
spoken to me. He gave me his Buffalo head-dress and other trifles--as
he was pleased to call them; all of which will prove more or less
interesting and curious to you when they reach Minniesland. He presented
Squires with a good hunting shirt and a few other things, and to all of
us, presented moccasins. We collected a few round cacti;[11] and I saw
several birds that looked much the worse for the cold and wet weather we
have had these last few days. Our boat has been thronged with Indians
ever since we have tied to the shore; and it is with considerable
difficulty and care that we can stop them from intruding into our rooms
when we are there. We found many portions of skulls lying on the ground,
which, perhaps, did at one period form the circles of them spoken of by
Catlin. All around the village is filthy beyond description. Our captain
tells us that no matter what weather we may have to-morrow, he will
start at daylight, even if he can only go across the river, to get rid
of these wolfish-looking vagabonds of Indians. I sincerely hope that we
may have a fair day and a long run, so that the air around us may once
more be pure and fresh from the hand of Nature. After the Riccarees had
taken possession of this Mandan Village, the remains of that once
powerful tribe removed about three miles up the river, and there have
now fifteen or twenty huts, containing, of course, only that number of
families. During the worst periods of the epidemic which swept over this
village with such fury, many became maniacs, rushed to the Missouri,
leaped into its turbid waters, and were seen no more. Mr. Primeau, wife,
and children, as well as another half-breed, have gone to the fort, and
are to remain there till further orders. The fort is in a poor
condition, roofs leaking, etc. Whilst at the fort this afternoon, I was
greatly surprised to see a tall, athletic Indian thrashing the dirty
rascals about Mr. Chardon's door most severely; but I found on inquiry
that he was called "the soldier,"[12] and that he had authority to do so
whenever the Indians intruded or congregated in the manner this
_canaille_ had done. After a while the same tall fellow came on board
with his long stick, and immediately began belaboring the fellows on the
lower guards; the latter ran off over the planks, and scrambled up the
muddy banks as if so many affrighted Buffaloes. Since then we have been
comparatively quiet; but I hope they will all go off, as the captain is
going to put the boat from the shore, to the full length of our spars.
The wind has shifted to the northward, and the atmosphere has been so
chilled that a House Swallow was caught, benumbed with cold, and brought
to me by our captain. Harris, Bell, and I saw a Cliff Swallow take
refuge on board; but this was not caught. We have seen Say's Flycatcher,
the Ground Finch, Cow Buntings, and a few other birds. One of the agents
arrived this afternoon from the Gros Ventre, or Minnetaree Village,
about twelve miles above us. He is represented as a remarkably brave
man, and he relates some strange adventures of his prowess. Several
_great warriors_ have condescended to shake me by the hand; their very
touch is disgusting--it will indeed be a deliverance to get rid of all
this "Indian poetry." We are, nevertheless, to take a few to the
Yellowstone. Alexis has his wife, who is, in fact, a good-looking young
woman; an old patroon, Provost, takes one of his daughters along; and we
have, besides, several red-skinned single gentlemen. We were assured
that the northern parts of the hills, that form a complete curtain to
the vast prairie on which we have walked this afternoon, are still
adorned with patches of snow that fell there during last winter. It is
now nine o'clock, but before I go to rest I cannot resist giving you a
description of the curious exhibition that we have had on board, from a
numerous lot of Indians of the first class, say some forty or fifty.
They ranged themselves along the sides of the large cabin, squatting on
the floor. Coffee had been prepared for the whole party, and hard
sea-biscuit likewise. The coffee was first given to each of them, and
afterwards the biscuits, and I had the honor of handing the latter to
the row on one side of the boat; a box of tobacco was opened and laid on
the table. The man who came from the Gros Ventres this afternoon proved
to be an excellent interpreter; and after the captain had delivered his
speech to him, he spoke loudly to the group, and explained the purport
of the captain's speech. They grunted their approbation frequently, and
were, no doubt, pleased. Two individuals (Indians) made their appearance
highly decorated, with epaulets on the shoulders, red clay on blue
uniforms, three cocks' plumes in their head-dress, rich moccasins,
leggings, etc. These are men who, though in the employ of the Opposition
company, act truly as friends; but who, meantime, being called "Braves,"
never grunted, bowed, or shook hands with any of us. Supper over and the
tobacco distributed, the whole body arose simultaneously, and each and
every one of these dirty wretches we had all to shake by the hand. The
two braves sat still until all the rest had gone ashore, and then
retired as majestically as they had entered, not even shaking hands with
our good-humored captain. I am told that this performance takes place
once every year, on the passing of the Company's boats. I need not say
that the coffee and the two biscuits apiece were gobbled down in less
than no time. The tobacco, which averaged about two pounds to each man,
was hid in their robes or blankets for future use. Two of the Indians,
who must have been of the highest order, and who distributed the "rank
weed," were nearly naked; one had on only a breech-clout and one
legging, the other was in no better case. They are now all ashore
except one or more who are going with us to the Yellowstone; and I will
now go to my rest. Though I have said "Good-night," I have arisen almost
immediately, and I must write on, for we have other scenes going on both
among the trappers below and some of the people above. Many Indians,
squaws as well as men, are bartering and trading, and keep up such a
babble that Harris and I find sleep impossible; needless to say, the
squaws who are on board are of the lowest grade of morality.
_June 8, Thursday._ This morning was fair and cold, as you see by the
range of the thermometer, 37 deg. to 56 deg.. We started at a very early hour,
and breakfasted before five, on account of the village of Gros Ventres,
where our captain had to stop. We passed a few lodges belonging to the
tribe of the poor Mandans, about all that remained. I only counted
eight, but am told there are twelve. The village of the Gros Ventres
(Minnetarees) has been cut off from the bank of the river by an enormous
sand-bar, now overgrown with willows and brush, and we could only see
the American flag flying in the cool breeze. Two miles above this,
however, we saw an increasing body of Indians, for the prairie was
sprinkled with small parties, on horse and on foot. The first who
arrived fired a salute of small guns, and we responded with our big gun.
They had an abundance of dogs harnessed to take wood back to the
village, and their yells and fighting were severe upon our ears. Some
forty or more of the distinguished blackguards came on board; and we had
to close our doors as we did yesterday. After a short period they were
feasted as last evening; and speeches, coffee, and tobacco, as well as
some gunpowder, were given them, which they took away in packs, to be
divided afterward. We took one more passenger, and lost our interpreter,
who is a trader with the Minnetarees. The latter are by no means as
fine-looking a set of men as those we have seen before, and I observed
none of that whiteness of skin among them. There were numbers of men,
women, and children. We saw a crippled and evidently tame Wolf, and two
Indians, following us on the top of the hills. We saw two Swans on a
bar, and a female Elk, with her young fawn, for a few minutes. I wished
that we had been ashore, as I know full well that the mother would not
leave her young; and the mother killed, the young one would have been
easily caught alive. We are now stopping for the night, and our men are
cutting wood. We have done this, I believe, four times to-day, and have
run upward of sixty miles. At the last wood-cutting place, a young
leveret was started by the men, and after a short race, the poor thing
squatted, and was killed by the stroke of a stick. It proved to be the
young of _Lepus townsendii_ [_L. campestris_], large enough to have left
the mother, and weighing rather more than a pound. It is a very
beautiful specimen. The eyes are very large, and the iris pure amber
color. Its hair is tightly, but beautifully curled. Its measurements are
as follows [_omitted_]. Bell will make a fine skin of it to-morrow
morning. We have had all sorts of stories related to us; but Mr. Kipp,
who has been in the country for twenty-two years, is evidently a person
of truth, and I expect a good deal of information from him. Our captain
told us that on a previous voyage some Indians asked him if, "when the
great Medicine" (meaning the steamer) "was tired, he gave it whiskey."
Mr. Sire laughed, and told them he did. "How much?" was the query. "A
barrelful, to be sure!" The poor wretches at first actually believed
him, and went off contented, but were naturally angry at being
undeceived on a later occasion. I have now some hope of finding a young
of the Antelope alive at Fort Union, as Mr. Kipp left one there about
ten days ago. I am now going to bed, though our axemen and "charettes"
are still going; and I hope I may not be called up to-morrow morning,
to be ready for breakfast at half-past four. Harris and Bell went off
with Alexis. Bell fired at a bird, and a large Wolf immediately made its
appearance. This is always the case in this country; when you shoot an
animal and hide yourself, you may see, in less than half an hour, from
ten to thirty of these hungry rascals around the carcass, and have fine
fun shooting at them. We have had a windy day, but a good run on the
whole. I hope to-morrow may prove propitious, and that we shall reach
Fort Union in five more days.
_June 9, Friday._ Thermometer 42 deg., 75 deg., 66 deg.. We had a heavy white frost
last night, but we have had a fine, pleasant day on the whole, and to me
a most interesting one. We passed the Little Missouri[13] (the real one)
about ten this morning. It is a handsome stream, that runs all the way
from the Black Hills, one of the main spurs of the mighty Rocky
Mountains. We saw three Elks swimming across it, and the number of this
fine species of Deer that are about us now is almost inconceivable. We
have heard of burning springs, which we intend to examine on our way
down. We started a Goose from the shore that had evidently young ones;
she swam off, beating the water with wings half extended, until nearly
one hundred yards off. A shot from a rifle was fired at her, and
happily missed the poor thing; she afterwards lowered her neck, sank her
body, and with the tip of the bill only above water, kept swimming away
from us till out of sight. Afterwards one of the trappers shot at two
Geese with two young ones. We landed at four o'clock, and Harris and
Bell shot some Bay-winged Buntings and _Emberiza pallida_, whilst
Sprague and I went up to the top of the hills, bounding the beautiful
prairie, by which we had stopped to repair something about the engine.
We gathered some handsome lupines, of two different species, and many
other curious plants. From this elevated spot we could see the
wilderness to an immense distance; the Missouri looked as if only a
brook, and our steamer a very small one indeed. At this juncture we saw
two men running along the shore upwards, and I supposed they had seen an
Elk or something else, of which they were in pursuit. Meantime, gazing
around, we saw a large lake, where we are told that Ducks, Geese, and
Swans breed in great numbers; this we intend also to visit when we come
down. At this moment I heard the report of a gun from the point where
the men had been seen, and when we reached the steamboat, we were told
that a Buffalo had been killed. From the deck I saw a man swimming round
the animal; he got on its side, and floated down the stream with it. The
captain sent a parcel of men with a rope; the swimmer fastened this
round the neck of the Buffalo, and with his assistance, for he now swam
all the way, the poor beast was brought alongside; and as the tackle had
been previously fixed, it was hauled up on the fore deck. Sprague took
its measurements with me, which are as follows: length from nose to root
of tail, 8 feet; height of fore shoulder to hoof, 4 ft. 91/2 in.; height
at the rump to hoof, 4 ft. 2 in. The head was cut off, as well as one
fore and one hind foot. The head is so full of symmetry, and so
beautiful, that I shall have a drawing of it to-morrow, as well as
careful ones of the feet. Whilst the butchers were at work, I was highly
interested to see one of our Indians cutting out the milk-bag of the cow
and eating it, quite fresh and raw, in pieces somewhat larger than a
hen's egg. One of the stomachs was partially washed in a bucket of
water, and an Indian swallowed a large portion of this. Mr. Chardon
brought the remainder on the upper deck and ate it uncleaned. I had a
piece well cleaned and tasted it; to my utter astonishment, it was very
good, but the idea was repulsive to me; besides which, I am not a
meat-eater, as you know, except when other provisions fail. The animal
was in good condition; and the whole carcass was cut up and dispersed
among the men below, reserving the nicer portions for the cabin. This
was accomplished with great rapidity; the blood was washed away in a
trice, and half an hour afterwards no one would have known that a
Buffalo had been dressed on deck. We now met with a somewhat
disagreeable accident; in starting and backing off the boat, our yawl
was run beneath the boat; this strained it, and sprung one of the planks
so much that, when we landed on the opposite side of the river, we had
to haul it on shore, and turn it over for examination; it was afterwards
taken to the forecastle to undergo repairs to-morrow, as it is often
needed. Whilst cutting wood was going on, we went ashore. Bell shot at
two Buffaloes out of eight, and killed both; he would also have shot a
Wolf, had he had more bullets. Harris saw, and shot at, an Elk; but he
knows little about still hunting, and thereby lost a good chance. A
negro fire-tender went off with his rifle and shot two of Townsend's
Hares. One was cut in two by his ball, and he left it on the ground; the
other was shot near the rump, and I have it now hanging before me; and,
let me tell you, that I never before saw so beautiful an animal of the
same family. My drawing will be a good one; it is a fine specimen, an
old male. I have been hearing much of the prevalence of scurvy, from
living so constantly on dried flesh, also about the small-pox, which
destroyed such numbers of the Indians. Among the Mandans, Riccarees, and
Gros Ventres, hundreds died in 1837, only a few surviving; and the
Assiniboins were nearly exterminated. Indeed it is said that in the
various attacks of this scourge 52,000 Indians have perished. This last
visitation of the dread disease has never before been related by a
traveller,[14] and I will write more of it when at Fort Union. It is now
twenty minutes to midnight; and, with walking and excitement of one kind
or another, I am ready for bed. Alexis and another hunter will be off in
an hour on a hunt.
_June 10, Saturday._ I rose at half-past three this morning. It was
clear and balmy; our men were cutting wood, and we went off shooting. We
saw a female Elk that was loath to leave the neighborhood; and Bell shot
a Sharp-tailed Grouse, which we ate at our supper and found pretty good,
though sadly out of season. As we were returning to the boat, Alexis and
his companion went off after Buffaloes that we saw grazing peaceably on
the bank near the river. Whilst they were shooting at the Buffaloes, and
almost simultaneously, the fawn of the female Elk was seen lying asleep
under the bank. It rose as we approached, and Bell shot at it, but
missed; and with its dam it went briskly off. It was quite small,
looking almost red, and was beautifully spotted with light marks of the
color of the Virginia Deer's fawn. I would have given five dollars for
it, as I saw it skipping over the prairie. At this moment Alexis came
running, and told the captain they had killed two Buffaloes; and almost
all the men went off at once with ropes, to bring the poor animals on
board, according to custom. One, however, had been already dressed. The
other had its head cut off, and the men were tugging at the rope,
hauling the beast along over the grass. Mr. Chardon was seated on it;
until, when near the boat, the rope gave way, and the bull rolled over
into a shallow ravine. It was soon on board, however, and quickly
skinned and cut up. The two hunters had been absent three-quarters of an
hour. At the report of the guns, two Wolves made their appearance, and
no doubt fed at leisure on the offal left from the first Buffalo. Harris
saw a gang of Elks, consisting of between thirty and forty. We have
passed a good number of Wild Geese with goslings; the Geese were shot
at, notwithstanding my remonstrances on account of the young, but
fortunately all escaped. We passed some beautiful scenery when about the
middle of the "Bend," and almost opposite had the pleasure of seeing
five Mountain Rams, or Bighorns, on the summit of a hill. I looked at
them through the telescope; they stood perfectly still for some minutes,
then went out of sight, and then again were in view. One of them had
very large horns; the rest appeared somewhat smaller. Our captain told
us that he had seen them at, or very near by, the same place last
season, on his way up. We saw many very curious cliffs, but not one
answering the drawings engraved for Catlin's work. We passed Knife
River,[15] _Riviere aux Couteaux_, and stopped for a short time to take
in wood. Harris killed a Sparrow Hawk, and saw several Red-shafted
Woodpeckers. Bell was then engaged in saving the head of the Buffalo
cow, of which I made a drawing, and Sprague an outline, notwithstanding
the horrible motion of our boat. We passed safely a dangerous chain of
rocks extending across the river; we also passed White River;[16] both
the streams I have mentioned are insignificant. The weather was warm,
and became cloudy, and it is now raining smartly. We have, however, a
good quantity of excellent wood, and have made a good run, say sixty
miles. We saw what we supposed to be three Grizzly Bears, but could not
be sure. We saw on the prairie ahead of us some Indians, and as we
neared them, found them to be Assiniboins. There were about ten
altogether, men, squaws, and children. The boat was stopped, and a
smart-looking, though small-statured man came on board. He had eight
plugs of tobacco given him, and was asked to go off; but he talked a
vast deal, and wanted powder and ball. He was finally got rid of. During
his visit, our Gros Ventre chief and our Sioux were both in my own
cabin. The first having killed three of that tribe and scalped them, and
the Sioux having a similar record, they had no wish to meet. A few miles
above this we stopped to cut wood. Bell and Harris went on shore; and we
got a White Wolf, so old and so poor that we threw it overboard.
Meantime a fawn Elk was observed crossing the river, coming toward our
shore; it was shot at twice, but missed; it swam to the shore, but under
such a steep bank that it could not get up. Alexis, who was told of
this, ran down the river bank, reached it, and fastened his suspenders
around its neck, but could not get it up the bank. Bell had returned,
and went to his assistance, but all in vain; the little thing was very
strong, and floundered and struggled till it broke the tie, and swam
swiftly with the current down the river, and was lost. A slight rope
would have secured it to us. This was almost the same spot where the
captain caught one alive last season with the yawl; and we could have
performed the same feat easily, had not the yawl been on deck
undergoing repairs. We pushed off, and very soon saw more Indians on the
shore, also Assiniboins. They had crossed the "Bend" below us, and had
brought some trifles to trade with us; but our captain passed on, and
the poor wretches sat and looked at the "Great Medicine" in
astonishment. Shortly after this, we saw a Wolf attempting to climb a
very steep bank of clay; he fell down thrice, but at last reached the
top and disappeared at once. On the opposite shore another Wolf was
lying down on a sand-bar, like a dog, and might readily have been taken
for one. We have stopped for the night at nine o'clock; and I now have
done my day's putting-up of memoranda and sketches, intending to enlarge
upon much after I return home. I forgot to say that last evening we saw
a large herd of Buffaloes, with many calves among them; they were
grazing quietly on a fine bit of prairie, and we were actually opposite
to them and within two hundred yards before they appeared to notice us.
They stared, and then started at a handsome canter, suddenly wheeled
round, stopped, closed up their ranks, and then passed over a slight
knoll, producing a beautiful picturesque view. Another thing I forgot to
speak of is a place not far below the Little Missouri, where Mr. Kipp
assured us we should find the remains of a petrified forest, which we
hope to see later.
_June 11, Sunday._ This day has been tolerably fine, though windy. We
have seen an abundance of game, a great number of Elks, common Virginian
Deer, Mountain Rams in two places, and a fine flock of Sharp-tailed
Grouse, that, when they flew off from the ground near us, looked very
much like large Meadow Larks. They were on a prairie bordering a large
patch of Artemisia, which in the distance presents the appearance of
acres of cabbages. We have seen many Wolves and some Buffaloes. One
young bull stood on the brink of a bluff, looking at the boat
steadfastly for full five minutes; and as we neared the spot, he waved
his tail, and moved off briskly. On another occasion, a young bull that
had just landed at the foot of a very steep bluff was slaughtered
without difficulty; two shots were fired at it, and the poor thing was
killed by a rifle bullet. I was sorry, for we did not stop for it, and
its happy life was needlessly ended. I saw near that spot a large Hawk,
and also a very small Tamias, or Ground Squirrel. Harris saw a
Spermophile, of what species none of us could tell. We have seen many
Elks swimming the river, and they look almost the size of a well-grown
mule. They stared at us, were fired at, at an enormous distance, it is
true, and yet stood still. These animals are abundant beyond belief
hereabouts. We have seen much remarkably handsome scenery, but nothing
at all comparing with Catlin's descriptions; his book must, after all,
be altogether a humbug. Poor devil! I pity him from the bottom of my
soul; had he studied, and kept up to the old French proverb that says,
"Bon renomme vaut mieux que ceinture dore," he might have become an
"honest man"--the quintessence of God's works. We did hope to have
reached L'Eau Bourbeux (the Muddy River[17]) this evening, but we are
now fast ashore, about six miles below it, about the same distance that
we have been told we were ever since shortly after dinner. We have had
one event: our boat caught fire, and burned for a few moments near the
stern, the effects of the large, hot cinders coming from the chimney;
but it was almost immediately put out, thank God! Any inattention, with
about 10,000 lbs. of powder on board, might have resulted in a sad
accident. We have decided to write a short letter of thanks to our truly
gentlemanly captain, and to present him with a handsome six-barrelled
pistol, the only thing we have that may prove of service to him,
although I hope he may never need it. Sprague drew four figures of the
Buffalo's foot; and Bell and I have packed the whole of our skins. We
ran to-day all round the compass, touching every point. The following is
a copy of the letter to Captain Sire, signed by all of us.
FORT UNION, MOUTH OF YELLOWSTONE, UPPER MISSOURI,
_June 11th, 1843_.