daylight; but a party of dragoons, headed by a lieutenant, had left
their camp four miles distant from our anchorage at the same time, and
reached the shore before we had proceeded far; they fired a couple of
rifle shots ahead of us, and we brought to at once. The young officer
came on board, and presented a letter from his commander, Captain
Burgwin, from which we found that we had to have our cargo examined.
Our captain[272] was glad of it, and so were we all; for, finding
that it would take several hours, we at once ate our breakfast, and
made ready to go ashore. I showed my credentials and orders from the
Government, Major Mitchell of St. Louis, etc., and I was therefore
immediately settled comfortably. I desired to go to see the commanding
officer, and the lieutenant very politely sent us there on horseback,
guided by an old dragoon of considerable respectability. I was mounted
on a young white horse, Spanish saddle with holsters, and we proceeded
across the prairie towards the Bluffs and the camp. My guide was
anxious to take a short cut, and took me across several bayous, one of
which was really up to the saddle; but we crossed that, and coming to
another we found it so miry, that his horse wheeled after two or three
steps, whilst I was looking at him before starting myself; for you all
well know that an old traveller is, and must be, prudent. We now had
to retrace our steps till we reached the very tracks that the squad
sent after us in the morning had taken, and at last we reached the
foot of the Bluffs, when my guide asked me if I "could ride at a
gallop," to which not answering him, but starting at once at a round
run, I neatly passed him ere his horse was well at the pace; on we
went, and in a few minutes we entered a beautiful dell or valley, and
were in sight of the encampment. We reached this in a trice, and rode
between two lines of pitched tents to one at the end, where I
dismounted, and met Captain Burgwin,[273] a young man, brought up at
West Point, with whom I was on excellent and friendly terms in less
time than it has taken me to write this account of our meeting. I
showed him my credentials, at which he smiled, and politely assured me
that I was too well known throughout our country to need any letters.
While seated in front of his tent, I heard the note of a bird new to
me, and as it proceeded from a tree above our heads, I looked up and
saw the first Yellow-headed Troupial alive that ever came across my
own migrations. The captain thought me probably crazy, as I thought
Rafinesque when he was at Henderson; for I suddenly started, shot at
the bird, and killed it. Afterwards I shot three more at one shot, but
only one female amid hundreds of these Yellow-headed Blackbirds. They
are quite abundant here, feeding on the surplus grain that drops from
the horses' troughs; they walked under, and around the horses, with as
much confidence as if anywhere else. When they rose, they generally
flew to the very tops of the tallest trees, and there, swelling their
throats, partially spreading their wings and tail, they issue their
croaking note, which is a compound, not to be mistaken, between that
of the Crow Blackbird and that of the Red-winged Starling. After I had
fired at them twice they became quite shy, and all of them flew off to
the prairies. I saw then two Magpies[274] in a cage, that had been
caught in nooses, by the legs; and their actions, voice, and general
looks, assured me as much as ever, that they are the very same species
as that found in Europe. Prairie Wolves are extremely abundant
hereabouts. They are so daring that they come into the camp both by
day and by night; we found their burrows in the banks and in the
prairie, and had I come here yesterday I should have had a superb
specimen killed here, but which was devoured by the hogs belonging to
the establishment. The captain and the doctor--Madison[275] by
name--returned with us to the boat, and we saw many more Yellow-headed
Troupials. The high Bluffs back of the prairie are destitute of
stones. On my way there I saw abundance of Gopher hills, two Geese
paired, two Yellow-crowned Herons, Red-winged Starlings, Cowbirds,
common Crow Blackbirds, a great number of Baltimore Orioles, a
Swallow-tailed Hawk, Yellow Red-poll Warbler, Field Sparrow, and
Chipping Sparrow. Sprague killed another of the beautiful Finch.
Robins are very scarce, Parrakeets and Wild Turkeys plentiful. The
officers came on board, and we treated them as hospitably as we could;
they ate their lunch with us, and are themselves almost destitute of
provisions. Last July the captain sent twenty dragoons and as many
Indians on a hunt for Buffaloes. During the hunt they killed 51
Buffaloes, 104 Deer, and 10 Elks, within 80 miles of the camp. The
Sioux Indians are great enemies to the Potowatamies, and very
frequently kill several of the latter in their predatory excursions
against them. This kind of warfare has rendered the Potowatamies very
cowardly, which is quite a remarkable change from their previous valor
and daring. Bell collected six different species of shells, and found
a large lump of pumice stone which does float on the water. We left
our anchorage (which means tied to the shore) at twelve o'clock, and
about sunset we did pass the real Council Bluffs.[276] Here, however,
the bed of the river is utterly changed, though you may yet see that
which is now called the Old Missouri. The Bluffs stand, truly
speaking, on a beautiful bank almost forty feet above the water, and
run off on a rich prairie, to the hills in the background in a gentle
slope, that renders the whole place a fine and very remarkable spot.
We tied up for the night about three miles above them, and all hands
went ashore to cut wood, which begins to be somewhat scarce, of a good
quality. Our captain cut and left several cords of green wood for his
return trip, at this place; Harris and Bell went on shore, and saw
several Bats, and three Turkeys. This afternoon a Deer was seen
scampering across the prairies until quite out of sight.
Wild-gooseberry bushes are very abundant, and the fruit is said to be
very good.
_May 11, Thursday._ We had a night of rain, thunder, and heavy wind
from the northeast, and we did not start this morning till seven
o'clock, therefore had a late breakfast. There was a bright blood-red
streak on the horizon at four o'clock that looked forbidding, but the
weather changed as we proceeded, with, however, showers of rain at
various intervals during the day. We have now come to a portion of
the river more crooked than any we have passed; the shores on both
sides are evidently lower, the hills that curtain the distance are
further from the shores, and the intervening space is mostly prairie,
more or less overflowed. We have seen one Wolf on a sand-bar, seeking
for food, perhaps dead fish. The actions were precisely those of a cur
dog with a long tail, and the bellowing sound of the engine did not
seem to disturb him. He trotted on parallel to the boat for about one
mile, when we landed to cut drift-wood. Bell, Harris, and I went on
shore to try to have a shot at him. He was what is called a
brindle-colored Wolf,[277] of the common size. One hundred trappers,
however, with their axes at work, in a few moments rather stopped his
progress, and when he saw us coming, he turned back on his track, and
trotted off, but Bell shot a very small load in the air to see the
effect it would produce. The fellow took two or three leaps, stopped,
looked at us for a moment, and then started on a gentle gallop. When I
overtook his tracks they appeared small, and more rounded than usual.
I saw several tracks at the same time, therefore more than one had
travelled over this great sandy and muddy bar last night, if not this
morning. I lost sight of him behind some large piles of drift-wood,
and could see him no more. Turkey-buzzards were on the bar, and I
thought that I should have found some dead carcass; but on reaching
the spot, nothing was there. A fine large Raven passed at one hundred
yards from us, but I did not shoot. Bell found a few small shells, and
Harris shot a Yellow-rumped Warbler. We have seen several White
Pelicans, Geese, Black-headed Gulls, and Green-backed Swallows, but
nothing new. The night is cloudy and intimates more rain. We are fast
to a willowed shore, and are preparing lines to try our luck at
catching a Catfish or so. I was astonished to find how much stiffened
I was this morning, from the exercise I took on horseback yesterday,
and think that now it would take me a week, at least, to accustom my
body to riding as I was wont to do twenty years ago. The timber is
becoming more scarce as we proceed, and I greatly fear that our only
opportunities of securing wood will be those afforded us by that
drifted on the bars.
_May 12, Friday._ The morning was foggy, thick, and calm. We passed
the river called the _Sioux Pictout_,[278] a small stream formerly
abounding with Beavers, Otters, Muskrats, etc., but now quite
destitute of any of these creatures. On going along the banks
bordering a long and wide prairie, thick with willows and other small
brush-wood, we saw four Black-tailed Deer[279] immediately on the
bank; they trotted away without appearing to be much alarmed; after a
few hundred yards, the two largest, probably males, raised themselves
on their hind feet and pawed at each other, after the manner of
stallions. They trotted off again, stopping often, but after a while
disappeared; we saw them again some hundreds of yards farther on,
when, becoming suddenly alarmed, they bounded off until out of sight.
They did not trot or run irregularly as our Virginian Deer does, and
their color was of a brownish cast, whilst our common Deer at this
season is red. Could we have gone ashore, we might in all probability
have killed one or two of them. We stopped to cut wood on the opposite
side of the river, where we went on shore, and there saw many tracks
of Deer, Elk, Wolves, and Turkeys. In attempting to cross a muddy
place to shoot at some Yellow-headed Troupials that were abundant, I
found myself almost mired, and returned with difficulty. We only shot
a Blackburnian Warbler, a Yellow-winged ditto, and a few Finches. We
have seen more Geese than usual as well as Mallards and Wood Ducks.
This afternoon the weather cleared up, and a while before sunset we
passed under Wood's Bluffs,[280] so called because a man of that name
fell overboard from his boat while drunk. We saw there many Bank
Swallows, and afterwards we came in view of the Blackbird Hill,[281]
where the famous Indian chief of that name was buried, at his
request, on his horse, whilst the animal was alive. We are now fast to
the shore opposite this famed bluff. We cut good ash wood this day,
and have made a tolerable run, say forty miles.
_Saturday, May 13._ This morning was extremely foggy, although I could
plainly see the orb of day trying to force its way through the haze.
While this lasted all hands were engaged in cutting wood, and we did
not leave our fastening-place till seven, to the great grief of our
commander. During the wood cutting, Bell walked to the top of the
hills, and shot two Lark Buntings, males, and a Lincoln's Finch. After
a while we passed under some beautiful bluffs surmounted by many
cedars, and these bluffs were composed of fine white sandstone, of a
soft texture, but very beautiful to the eye. In several places along
this bluff we saw clusters of nests of Swallows, which we all looked
upon as those of the Cliff Swallow, although I saw not one of the
birds. We stopped again to cut wood, for our opportunities are not now
very convenient. Went out, but only shot a fine large Turkey-hen,
which I brought down on the wing at about forty yards. It ran very
swiftly, however, and had not Harris's dog come to our assistance, we
might have lost it. As it was, however, the dog pointed, and Harris
shot it, with my small shot-gun, whilst I was squatted on the ground
amid a parcel of low bushes. I was astonished to see how many of the
large shot I had put into her body. This hen weighed 113/4 pounds. She
had a nest, no doubt, but we could not find it. We saw a good number
of Geese, though fewer than yesterday; Ducks also. We passed many fine
prairies, and in one place I was surprised to see the richness of the
bottom lands. We saw this morning eleven Indians of the Omaha tribe.
They made signals for us to land, but our captain never heeded them,
for he hates the red-skins as most men hate the devil. One of them
fired a gun, the group had only one, and some ran along the shore for
nearly two miles, particularly one old gentleman who persevered until
we came to such bluff shores as calmed down his spirits. In another
place we saw one seated on a log, close by the frame of a canoe; but
he looked surly, and never altered his position as we passed. The
frame of this boat resembled an ordinary canoe. It is formed by both
sticks giving a half circle; the upper edges are fastened together by
a long stick, as well as the centre of the bottom. Outside of this
stretches a Buffalo skin without the hair on; it is said to make a
light and safe craft to cross even the turbid, rapid stream--the
Missouri. By simply looking at them, one may suppose that they are
sufficiently large to carry two or three persons. On a sand-bar
afterwards we saw three more Indians, also with a canoe frame, but we
only interchanged the common yells usual on such occasions. They
looked as destitute and as hungry as if they had not eaten for a week,
and no doubt would have given much for a bottle of whiskey. At our
last landing for wood-cutting, we also went on shore, but shot
nothing, not even took aim at a bird; and there was an Indian with a
flint-lock rifle, who came on board and stared about until we left,
when he went off with a little tobacco. I pity these poor beings from
my heart! This evening we came to the burial-ground bluff of Sergeant
Floyd,[282] one of the companions of the never-to-be-forgotten
expedition of Lewis and Clark, over the Rocky Mountains, to the
Pacific Ocean. A few minutes afterwards, before coming to Floyd's
Creek, we started several Turkey-cocks from their roost, and had we
been on shore could have accounted for more than one of them. The
prairies are becoming more common and more elevated; we have seen more
evergreens this day than we have done for two weeks at least. This
evening is dark and rainy, with lightning and some distant thunder,
and we have entered the mouth of the Big Sioux River,[283] where we
are fastened for the night. This is a clear stream and abounds with
fish, and on one of the branches of this river is found the famous red
clay, of which the precious pipes, or calumets are manufactured. We
will try to procure some on our return homeward. It is late; had the
weather been clear, and the moon, which is full, shining, it was our
intention to go ashore, to try to shoot Wild Turkeys; but as it is
pouring down rain, and as dark as pitch, we have thrown our lines
overboard and perhaps may catch a fish. We hope to reach Vermilion
River day after to-morrow. We saw abundance of the birds which I have
before enumerated.
_May 14, Sunday._ It rained hard and thundered during the night; we
started at half-past three, when it had cleared, and the moon shone
brightly. The river is crooked as ever, with large bars, and edged
with prairies. Saw many Geese, and a Long-billed Curlew. One poor
Goose had been wounded in the wing; when approached, it dived for a
long distance and came up along the shore. Then we saw a Black Bear,
swimming across the river, and it caused a commotion. Some ran for
their rifles, and several shots were fired, some of which almost
touched Bruin; but he kept on, and swam very fast. Bell shot at it
with large shot and must have touched it. When it reached the shore,
it tried several times to climb up, but each time fell back. It at
last succeeded, almost immediately started off at a gallop, and was
soon lost to sight. We stopped to cut wood at twelve o'clock, in one
of the vilest places we have yet come to. The rushes were waist-high,
and the whole underbrush tangled by grape vines. The Deer and the Elks
had beaten paths which we followed for a while, but we saw only their
tracks, and those of Turkeys. Harris found a heronry of the common
Blue Heron, composed of about thirty nests, but the birds were shy and
he did not shoot at any. Early this morning a dead Buffalo floated by
us, and after a while the body of a common cow, which had probably
belonged to the fort above this. Mr. Sire told us that at this point,
two years ago, he overtook three of the deserters of the company, who
had left a keel-boat in which they were going down to St. Louis. They
had a canoe when overtaken; he took their guns from them, destroyed
the canoe, and left them there. On asking him what had become of them,
he said they had walked back to the establishment at the mouth of
Vermilion River, which by land is only ten miles distant; ten miles,
through such woods as we tried in vain to hunt in, is a walk that I
should not like at all. We stayed cutting wood for about two hours,
when we started again; but a high wind arose, so that we could not
make headway, and had to return and make fast again, only a few
hundred yards from the previous spot. On such occasions our captain
employs his wood-cutters in felling trees, and splitting and piling
the wood until his return downwards, in about one month, perhaps, from
now. In talking with our captain he tells us that the Black Bear is
rarely seen swimming this river, and that one or two of them are about
all he observes on going up each trip. I have seen them swimming in
great numbers on the lower parts of the Ohio, and on the Mississippi.
It is said that at times, when the common Wolves are extremely hard
pressed for food, they will eat certain roots which they dig up for
the purpose, and the places from which they take this food look as if
they had been spaded. When they hunt a Buffalo, and have killed it,
they drag it to some distance--about sixty yards or so--and dig a hole
large enough to receive and conceal it; they then cover it with earth,
and lie down over it until hungry again, when they uncover, and feed
upon it. Along the banks of the rivers, when the Buffaloes fall, or
cannot ascend, and then die, the Wolves are seen in considerable
numbers feeding upon them. Although cunning beyond belief in hiding at
the report of a gun, they almost instantly show themselves from
different parts around, and if you wish to kill some, you have only to
hide yourself, and you will see them coming to the game you have left,
when you are not distant more than thirty or forty yards. It is said
that though they very frequently hunt their game until the latter take
to the river, they seldom, if ever, follow after it. The wind that
drove us ashore augmented into a severe gale, and by its present
appearance looks as if it would last the whole night. Our fire was
comfortable, for, as you know, the thermometer has been very
changeable since noon. We have had rain also, though not continuous,
but quite enough to wet our men, who, notwithstanding have cut and
piled about twelve cords of wood, besides the large quantity we have
on board for to-morrow, when we hope the weather will be good and
calm.
_May 15, Monday._ The wind continued an irregular gale the whole of
the night, and the frequent logs that struck our weather side kept me
awake until nearly daybreak, when I slept about two hours; it
unfortunately happened that we were made fast upon the weather shore.
This morning the gale kept up, and as we had nothing better to do, it
was proposed that we should walk across the bottom lands, and attempt
to go to the prairies, distant about two and a half miles. This was
accordingly done; Bell, Harris, Mr. La Barge[284]--the first pilot--a
mulatto hunter named Michaux, and I, started at nine. We first crossed
through tangled brush-wood, and high-grown rushes for a few hundreds
of yards, and soon perceived that here, as well as all along the
Missouri and Mississippi, the land is highest nearest the shore, and
falls off the farther one goes inland. Thus we soon came to mud, and
from mud to muddy water, as _pure_ as it runs in the Missouri itself;
at every step which we took we raised several pounds of mud on our
boots. Friend Harris very wisely returned, but the remainder of us
proceeded through thick and thin until we came in sight of the
prairies. But, alas! between us and them there existed a regular line
of willows--and who ever saw willows grow far from water? Here we were
of course stopped, and after attempting in many places to cross the
water that divided us from the dry land, we were forced back, and had
to return as best we could. We were mud up to the very middle, the
perspiration ran down us, and at one time I was nearly exhausted;
which proves to me pretty clearly that I am no longer as young, or as
active, as I was some thirty years ago. When we reached the boat I was
glad of it. We washed, changed our clothes, dined, and felt much
refreshed. During our excursion out, Bell saw a Virginian Rail, and
our sense of smell brought us to a dead Elk, putrid, and largely
consumed by Wolves, whose tracks were very numerous about it. After
dinner we went to the heronry that Harris had seen yesterday
afternoon; for we had moved only one mile above the place of our
wooding before we were again forced on shore. Here we killed four fine
individuals, all on the wing, and some capital shots they were,
besides a Raven. Unfortunately we had many followers, who destroyed
our sport; therefore we returned on board, and at half-past four left
our landing-place, having cut and piled up between forty and fifty
cords of wood for the return of the "Omega." The wind has lulled down
considerably, we have run seven or eight miles, and are again fast to
the shore. It is reported that the water has risen two feet, but this
is somewhat doubtful. We saw abundance of tracks of Elk, Deer, Wolf,
and Bear, and had it been anything like tolerably dry ground, we
should have had a good deal of sport. Saw this evening another dead
Buffalo floating down the river.
_May 16, Tuesday._ At three o'clock this fair morning we were under
way, but the water has actually risen a great deal, say three feet,
since Sunday noon. The current therefore is very strong, and impedes
our progress greatly. We found that the Herons we had killed yesterday
had not yet laid the whole of their eggs, as we found one in full
order, ripe, and well colored and conditioned. I feel assured that the
Ravens destroy a great many of their eggs, as I saw one helping itself
to two eggs, at two different times, on the same nest. We have seen a
great number of Black-headed Gulls, and some Black Terns, some Indians
on the east side of the river, and a Prairie Wolf, dead, hung across a
prong of a tree. After a while we reached a spot where we saw ten or
more Indians who had a large log cabin, and a field under fence. Then
we came to the establishment called that of Vermilion River,[285] and
met Mr. Cerre, called usually Pascal, the agent of the Company at
this post, a handsome French gentleman, of good manners. He dined with
us. After this we landed, and walked to the fort, if the place may so
be called, for we found it only a square, strongly picketed, without
portholes. It stands on the immediate bank of the river, opposite a
long and narrow island, and is backed by a vast prairie, all of which
was inundated during the spring freshet. He told me that game was
abundant, such as Elk, Deer, and Bear; but that Ducks, Geese, and
Swans were extremely scarce this season. Hares are plenty--no Rabbits.
We left as soon as possible, for our captain is a pushing man most
truly. We passed some remarkable bluffs of blue and light limestone,
towards the top of which we saw an abundance of Cliff-Swallows, and
counted upwards of two hundred nests. But, alas! we have finally met
with an accident. A plate of one of our boilers was found to be burned
out, and we were obliged to stop on the west side of the river, about
ten miles below the mouth of the Vermilion River. Here we were told
that we might go ashore and hunt to our hearts' content; and so I
have, but shot at nothing. Bell, Michaux, and I, walked to the hills
full three miles off, saw an extraordinary quantity of Deer, Wolf, and
Elk tracks, as well as some of Wild Cats. Bell started a Deer, and
after a while I heard him shoot. Michaux took to the top of the hills,
Bell about midway, and I followed near the bottom; all in vain,
however. I started a Woodcock, and caught one of her young, and I am
now sorry for this evil deed. A dead Buffalo cow and calf passed us a
few moments ago. Squires has seen one other, during our absence. We
took at Mr. Cerre's establishment two _engages_ and four Sioux
Indians. We are obliged to keep bright eyes upon them, for they are
singularly light-fingered. The woods are filled with wild-gooseberry
bushes, and a kind of small locust not yet in bloom, and quite new to
me. The honey bee was not found in this country twenty years ago, and
now they are abundant. A keel-boat passed, going down, but on the
opposite side of the river. Bell and Michaux have returned. Bell
wounded a large Wolf, and also a young Deer, but brought none on
board, though he saw several of the latter. Harris killed one of the
large new Finches, and a Yellow-headed Troupial. Bell intends going
hunting to-morrow at daylight, with Michaux; I will try my luck too,
but do not intend going till after breakfast, for I find that walking
eight or ten miles through the tangled and thorny underbrush, fatigues
me considerably, though twenty years ago I should have thought nothing
of it.