Louis, without offering to you our best wishes, and our thanks for
your great courtesy, assuring you how highly we appreciate, and feel
grateful for, your uniform kindness and gentlemanly deportment to each
and all of us. We are most happy to add that our passage to the
Yellowstone River has been devoid of any material accident, which we
can only attribute to the great regularity and constant care with
which you have discharged your arduous duties in the difficult
navigation of the river.
We regret that it is not in our power, at this moment, to offer you a
suitable token of our esteem, but hope you will confer on us the favor
of accepting at our hands a six-barrelled, silver-mounted pistol,
which we sincerely hope and trust you may never have occasion to use
in defence of your person. We beg you to consider us,
Your well-wishers and friends, etc.,
_Fort Union, June 12, Monday._ We had a cloudy and showery day, and a
high wind besides. We saw many Wild Geese and Ducks with their young. We
took in wood at two places, but shot nothing. I saw a Wolf giving chase,
or driving away four Ravens from a sand-bar; but the finest sight of all
took place shortly before we came to the mouth of the Yellowstone, and
that was no less than twenty-two Mountain Rams and Ewes mixed, and amid
them one young one only. We came in sight of the fort at five o'clock,
and reached it at seven. We passed the Opposition fort three miles below
this; their flags were hoisted, and ours also. We were saluted from
Fort Union, and we fired guns in return, six in number. The moment we
had arrived, the gentlemen of the fort came down on horseback, and
appeared quite a cavalcade. I was introduced to Mr. Culbertson and
others, and, of course, the introduction went the rounds. We walked to
the fort and drank some first-rate port wine, and returned to the boat
at half-past nine o'clock. Our captain was pleased with the letter and
the pistol. Our trip to this place has been the quickest on record,
though our boat is the slowest that ever undertook to reach the
Yellowstone. Including all stoppages and detentions, we have made the
trip in forty-eight days and seven hours from St. Louis. We left St.
Louis April 25th, at noon; reaching Fort Union June 12th, at seven in
the evening.
_June 13, Tuesday._ We had a remarkably busy day on board and on shore,
but spent much of our time writing letters. I wrote home at great length
to John Bachman, N. Berthoud, and Gideon B. Smith. We walked to the fort
once and back again, and dined on board with our captain and the
gentlemen of the fort. We took a ride also in an old wagon, somewhat at
the risk of our necks, for we travelled too fast for the nature of what
I was told was the road. We slept on board the "Omega," probably for the
last time.
We have been in a complete state of excitement unloading the boat,
reloading her with a new cargo, and we were all packing and arranging
our effects, as well as writing letters. After dinner our belongings
were taken to the landing of the fort in a large keel-boat, with the
last of the cargo. The room which we are to occupy during our stay at
this place is rather small and low, with only one window, on the west
side. However, we shall manage well enough, I dare say, for the few
weeks we are to be here. This afternoon I had a good deal of
conversation with Mr. Culbertson, and found him well disposed to do all
he can for us; and no one can ask for more politeness than is shown us.
Our captain having invited us to remain with him to-night, we have done
so, and will breakfast with him to-morrow morning. It is his intention
to leave as early as he can settle his business here. All the trappers
are gone to the fort, and in a few weeks will be dispersed over
different and distant parts of the wilderness. The filth they had left
below has been scraped and washed off, as well indeed as the whole boat,
of which there was need enough. I have copied this journal and send it
to St. Louis by our good captain; also one box of skins, one pair Elk
horns, and one bundle of Wolf and other skins.
_June 14, Wednesday._ At six this morning all hands rose early; the
residue of the cargo for St. Louis was placed on board. Our captain told
us time was up, and we all started for the fort on foot, quite a short
distance. Having deposited our guns there, Bell, Squires, and I walked
off to the wooding-place, where our captain was to remain a good while,
and it was there we should bid him adieu. We found this walk one of the
worst, the very worst, upon which we ever trod; full of wild
rose-bushes, tangled and matted with vines, burs, and thorns of all
sorts, and encumbered by thousands of pieces of driftwood, some decayed,
some sunk in the earth, while others were entangled with the innumerable
roots exposed by floods and rains. We saw nothing but a few Ravens. When
nearly half way, we heard the trampling of galloping horses, and loud
hallooings, which we found to proceed from the wagon of which we have
spoken, which, loaded with men, passed us at a speed one would have
thought impossible over such ground. Soon after we had a heavy shower of
rain, but reached the boat in good order. Harris and Sprague, who had
followed us, came afterwards. I was pretty hot, and rather tired. The
boat took on wood for half an hour after we arrived; then the captain
shook us all by the hand most heartily, and we bade him God speed. I
parted from him really with sorrow, for I have found him all I could
wish during the whole passage; and his position is no sinecure, to say
naught of the rabble under his control. All the wood-cutters who
remained walked off by the road; and we went back in the wagon over a
bad piece of ground--much easier, however, than returning on foot. As we
reached the prairies, we travelled faster, and passed by the late garden
of the fort, which had been abandoned on account of the thieving of the
men attached to the Opposition Company, at Fort Mortimer. Harris caught
a handsome snake, now in spirits. We saw Lazuli Finches and several
other sorts of small birds. Upon reaching the fort, from which many
great guns were fired as salutes to the steamer, which were loudly
returned, I was amused at the terror the firing occasioned to the squaws
and their children, who had arrived in great numbers the previous
evening; they howled, fell down on the earth, or ran in every direction.
All the dogs started off, equally frightened, and made for the distant
hills. Dinner not being ready, three of us took a walk, and saw a good
number of Tamias holes, many cacti of two sorts, and some plants
hitherto uncollected by us. We saw a few Arctic Ground Finches and two
Wolves. After dinner Mr. Culbertson told us that if a Wolf made its
appearance on the prairie near the fort, he would give it chase on
horseback, and bring it to us, alive or dead; and he was as good as his
word. It was so handsomely executed, that I will relate the whole
affair. When I saw the Wolf (a white one), it was about a quarter of a
mile off, alternately standing and trotting; the horses were about
one-half the distance off. A man was started to drive these in; and I
thought the coursers never would reach the fort, much less become
equipped so as to overhaul the Wolf. We were all standing on the
platform of the fort, with our heads only above the palisades; and I
was so fidgety that I ran down twice to tell the hunters that the Wolf
was making off. Mr. Culbertson, however, told me he would see it did not
make off; and in a few moments he rode out of the fort, gun in hand,
dressed only in shirt and breeches. He threw his cap off within a few
yards, and suddenly went off with the swiftness of a jockey bent on
winning a race. The Wolf trotted on, and ever and anon stopped to gaze
at the rider and the horse; till, finding out the meaning (too late,
alas! for him), he galloped off with all his might; but the horse was
too swift for the poor cur, as we saw the rider gaining ground rapidly.
Mr. Culbertson fired his gun off as a signal, I was told, that the Wolf
would be brought in; and the horse, one would think, must have been of
the same opinion, for although the Wolf had now reached the hills, and
turned into a small ravine, the moment it had entered it, the horse
dashed after, the sound of the gun came on the ear, the Wolf was picked
up by Mr. Culbertson without dismounting, hardly slackening his pace,
and thrown across the saddle. The rider returned as swiftly as he had
gone, wet through with a smart shower that had fallen meantime; and the
poor Wolf was placed at my disposal. The time taken from the start to
the return in the yard did not exceed twenty minutes, possibly something
less. Two other men who had started at the same time rode very swiftly
also, and skirted the hills to prevent the Wolf's escape; and one of
them brought in Mr. C.'s gun, which he had thrown on the ground as he
picked up the Wolf to place it on the saddle. The beast was not quite
dead when it arrived, and its jaws told of its dying agonies; it
scratched one of Mr. C.'s fingers sorely; but we are assured that such
things so often occur that nothing is thought of it.
And now a kind of sham Buffalo hunt was proposed, accompanied by a bet
of a suit of clothes, to be given to the rider who would load and fire
the greatest number of shots in a given distance. The horses were
mounted as another Wolf was seen trotting off towards the hills, and Mr.
Culbertson again told us he would bring it in. This time, however, he
was mistaken; the Wolf was too far off to be overtaken, and it reached
the hill-tops, made its way through a deep ravine full of large rocks,
and was then given up. Mr. Culbertson was seen coming down without his
quarry. He joined the riders, started with his gun empty, loaded in a
trice, and fired the first shot; then the three riders came on at full
speed, loading and firing first on one side, then on the other of the
horse, as if after Buffaloes. Mr. C. fired eleven times before he
reached the fort, and within less than half a mile's run; the others
fired once less, each. We were all delighted to see these feats. No one
was thrown off, though the bridles hung loose, and the horses were under
full gallop all the time. Mr. Culbertson's mare, which is of the full
Blackfoot Indian breed, is about five years old, and could not be bought
for four hundred dollars. I should like to see some of the best English
hunting gentlemen hunt in the like manner. We are assured that after
dusk, or as soon as the gates of the fort are shut, the Wolves come near
enough to be killed from the platform, as these beasts oftentimes come
to the trough where the hogs are fed daily. We have seen no less than
eight this day from the fort, moving as leisurely as if a hundred miles
off. A heavy shower put off running a race; but we are to have a regular
Buffalo hunt, where I must act only as a spectator; for, alas! I am now
too near seventy to run and load whilst going at full gallop. Two
gentlemen arrived this evening from the Crow Indian Nation; they crossed
to our side of the river, and were introduced at once. One is Mr.
Chouteau, son of Auguste Chouteau, and the other a Scotchman, Mr. James
Murray, at whose father's farm, on the Tweed, we all stopped on our
return from the Highlands of Scotland. They told us that the snow and
ice was yet three feet deep near the mountains, and an abundance over
the whole of the mountains themselves. They say they have made a good
collection of robes, but that Beavers are very scarce. This day has been
spent altogether in talking, sight-seeing, and enjoyment. Our room was
small, dark, and dirty, and crammed with our effects. Mr. Culbertson saw
this, and told me that to-morrow he would remove us to a larger,
quieter, and better one. I was glad to hear this, as it would have been
very difficult to draw, write, or work in; and yet it is the very room
where the Prince de Neuwied resided for two months, with his secretary
and bird-preserver. The evening was cloudy and cold; we had had several
showers of rain since our bath in the bushes this morning, and I felt
somewhat fatigued. Harris and I made our beds up; Squires fixed some
Buffalo robes, of which nine had been given us, on a long old bedstead,
never knowing it had been the couch of a foreign prince;[18] Bell and
Sprague settled themselves opposite to us on more Buffalo skins, and
night closed in. But although we had lain down, it was impossible for us
to sleep; for above us was a drunken man affected with a _goitre_, and
not only was his voice rough and loud, but his words were continuous.
His oaths, both in French and English, were better fitted for the Five
Points in New York, or St. Giles of London, than anywhere among
Christians. He roared, laughed like a maniac, and damned himself and the
whole creation. I thought that time would quiet him, but, no! for now
clarionets, fiddles, and a drum were heard in the dining-room, where
indeed they had been playing at different times during the afternoon,
and our friend above began swearing at this as if quite fresh. We had
retired for the night; but an invitation was sent us to join the party
in the dining-room. Squires was up in a moment, and returned to say that
a ball was on foot, and that "all the beauty and fashion" would be
skipping about in less than no time. There was no alternative; we all
got up, and in a short time were amid the _beau monde_ of these parts.
Several squaws, attired in their best, were present, with all the
guests, _engages_, clerks, etc. Mr. Culbertson played the fiddle very
fairly; Mr. Guepe the clarionet, and Mr. Chouteau the drum, as if
brought up in the army of the great Napoleon. Cotillions and reels were
danced with much energy and apparent enjoyment, and the company
dispersed about one o'clock. We retired for the second time, and now
occurred a dispute between the drunkard and another man; but,
notwithstanding this, I was so wearied that I fell asleep.
_June 15, Thursday._ We all rose late, as one might expect; the weather
was quite cool for the season, and it was cloudy besides. We did nothing
else than move our effects to an upstairs room. The Mackinaw boats
arrived at the fort about noon, and were unloaded in a precious short
time; and all hands being called forth, the empty boats themselves were
dragged to a ravine, turned over, and prepared for calking previous to
their next voyage up or down, as the case might be. The gentlemen from
these boats gave me a fine pair of Deer's horns; and to Mr. Culbertson a
young Gray Wolf, and also a young Badger, which they had brought in. It
snarled and snapped, and sometimes grunted not unlike a small pig, but
did not bite. It moved somewhat slowly, and its body looked flattish all
the time; the head has all the markings of an adult, though it is a
young of the present spring. Bell and Harris hunted a good while, but
procured only a Lazuli Finch and a few other birds. Bell skinned the
Wolf, and we put its hide in the barrel with the head of the Buffalo
cow, etc. I showed the plates of the quadrupeds to many persons, and I
hope with success, as they were pleased and promised me much. To-morrow
morning a man called Black Harris is to go off after Antelopes for me;
and the hunters for the men of the fort and themselves; and perhaps some
of the young men may go with one or both parties. I heard many stories
about Wolves; particularly I was interested in one told by Mr. Kipp, who
assured us he had caught upwards of one hundred with baited fish-hooks.
Many other tales were told us; but I shall not forget them, so will not
write them down here, but wait till hereafter. After shooting at a mark
with a bow made of Elk horn, Mr. Kipp presented it to me. We saw several
Wolves, but none close to the fort. Both the common Crow and Raven are
found here; Bell killed one of the former.
_June 16, Friday._ The weather was cool this morning, with the wind due
east. I drew the young Gray Wolf, and Sprague made an outline of it.
Bell, Provost, Alexis, and Black Harris went over the river to try to
procure Antelopes; Bell and Alexis returned to dinner without any game,
although they had seen dozens of the animals wanted, and also some
Common Deer. The two others, who travelled much farther, returned at
dusk with empty stomachs and a young fawn of the Common Deer. Harris and
I took a long walk after my drawing was well towards completion, and
shot a few birds. The Buffalo, old and young, are fond of rolling on the
ground in the manner of horses, and turn quite over; this is done not
only to clean themselves, but also to rub off the loose old coat of hair
and wool that hangs about their body like so many large, dirty rags.
Those about the fort are gentle, but will not allow a person to touch
their bodies, not even the young calves of the last spring. Our young
Badger is quite fond of lying on his back, and then sleeps. His general
appearance and gait remind me of certain species of Armadillo. There was
a good deal of talking and jarring about the fort; some five or six men
came from the Opposition Company, and would have been roughly handled
had they not cleared off at the beginning of trouble. Arrangements were
made for loading the Mackinaw barges, and it is intended that they shall
depart for St. Louis, leaving on Sunday morning. We shall all be glad
when these boats with their men are gone, as we are now full to the
brim. Harris has a new batch of patients, and enjoys the work of
physician.
_June 17, Saturday._ Warm and fair, with the river rising fast. The
young fawn was hung up, and I drew it. By dinner-time Sprague had well
prepared the Gray Wolf, and I put him to work at the fawn. Bell went
shooting, and brought five or six good birds. The song of the Lazuli
Finch so much resembles that of the Indigo Bird that it would be
difficult to distinguish them by the note alone. They keep indifferently
among the low bushes and high trees. He also brought a few specimens of
_Spermophilus hoodii_ of Richardson,[19] of which the measurements were
taken. Wolves often retreat into holes made by the sinking of the earth
near ravines, burrowing in different directions at the bottoms of these.
I sent Provost early this morning to the Opposition fort, to inquire
whether Mr. Cutting had written letters about us, and also to see a fine
Kit Fox, brought in one of their boats from the Yellowstone. Much has
been done in the way of loading the Mackinaw boats. Bell has skinned the
young Wolf, and Sprague will perhaps finish preparing the fawn. The
hunters who went out yesterday morning have returned, and brought back a
quantity of fresh Buffalo meat. Squires brought many fragments of a
petrified tree. No Antelopes were shot, and I feel uneasy on this score.
Provost returned and told me Mr. Cutting's men with the letters had not
arrived, but that they were expected hourly. The Kit Fox had been
suffocated to death by some dozens of bundles of Buffalo robes falling
on it, while attached to a ladder, and had been thrown out and eaten by
the Wolves or the dogs. This evening, quite late, I shot a fine large
Gray Wolf. I sincerely hope to see some Antelopes to-morrow, as well as
other animals.