The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places (63 page)

Wednesday, 14th
In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of Jefferson river, Captain Lewis determined to remain here and obtain all the information he could
collect with regard to the country. Having nothing to eat but a little flour and parched meal, with the berries of the Indians, he sent out Drewyer and Shields, who borrowed horses from the
natives, to hunt for a few hours. About the same time the young warriors set out for the same purpose. There are but few elk or black-tailed deer in this neighbourhood, and as the common red deer
secrete themselves in the bushes when alarmed, they are soon safe from the arrows, which are but feeble weapons against any animals which the huntsmen cannot previously run down with their horses.
Soon after they returned, our two huntsmen came in with no better success. Captain Lewis therefore made a little paste with the flour, and the addition of some berries formed a very palatable
repast. Having now secured the good will of Cameahwait, Captain Lewis informed him of his wish that he would speak to the warriors and endeavour to engage them to accompany him to the forks of
Jefferson river, where by this time another chief with a large party of white men were waiting his return; that it would be necessary to take about thirty horses to transport the merchandize; that
they should be well rewarded for their trouble; and that when all the party should have reached the Shoshonee camp they would remain some time among them, and trade for horses, as well as concert
plans for furnishing them in future with regular supplies of merchandize. He readily consented to do so, and after collecting the tribe together he made a long harangue, and in about an hour and a
half returned, and told Captain Lewis that they would be ready to accompany him in the morning.

Thursday, 15th
Captain Lewis rose early, and having eaten nothing yesterday except his scanty meal of flour and berries, felt the inconveniences of extreme hunger. On
inquiry he found that his whole stock of provisions consisted of two pounds of flour. This he ordered to be divided into two equal parts, and one-half of it boiled with the berries into a sort of
pudding; and after presenting a large share to the chief, he and his three men breakfasted on the remainder. Cameahwait was delighted at this new dish; he took a little of the flour in his hand,
tasted and examined it very narrowly, asking if it was made of roots; Captain Lewis explained the process of preparing it, and he said it was the best thing he had eaten for a long time.

This being finished, Captain Lewis now endeavoured to hasten the departure of the Indians, who still hesitated and seemed reluctant to move, although the chief addressed them twice for the
purpose of urging them; on inquiring the reason, Cameahwait told him that some foolish person had suggested that he was in league with their enemies the Pahkees, and had come only to draw them into
ambuscade, but that he himself did not believe it. Captain Lewis felt uneasy at this insinuation; he knew the suspicious temper of the Indians, accustomed from their infancy to regard every
stranger as an enemy, and saw that if this suggestion were not instantly checked it might hazard the total failure of the enterprise. Assuming therefore a serious air, he told the chief that he was
sorry to find they placed so little confidence in him, but that he pardoned their suspicions because they were ignorant of the character of white men, among whom it was disgraceful to lie or entrap
even an enemy by falsehood; that if they continued to think thus meanly of us they might be assured no white men would ever come to supply them with arms and merchandize; that there was at this
moment a party of white men waiting to trade with them at the forks of the river; and that if the greater part of the tribe entertained any suspicion, he hoped there were still among them some who
were men, who would go and see with their own eyes the truth of what he said, and who, even if there was any danger, were not afraid to die. To doubt the courage of an Indian is to touch the
tenderest string of his mind, and the surest way to rouse him to any dangerous achievement. Cameahwait instantly replied that he was not afraid to die, and mounting his horse, for the third time
harangued the warriors; he told them that he was resolved to go if he went alone, or if he were sure of perishing; that he hoped there were among those who heard him some who were not afraid to
die, and who would prove it by mounting their horses and following him. This harangue produced an effect on six or eight only of the warriors, who now joined their chief. With these Captain Lewis
smoked a pipe, and then, fearful of some change in their capricious temper, set out immediately. It was about twelve o’clock when his small party left the camp, attended by Cameahwait and the
eight warriors; their departure seemed to spread a gloom over the village; those who would not venture to go were sullen and melancholy, and the women were crying and imploring the Great Spirit to
protect their warriors as if they were going to certain destruction. Yet such is the wavering inconstancy of these savages that Captain Lewis’s party had not gone far when they were joined by
ten or twelve more warriors, and before reaching the creek which they had passed on the morning of the 13th, all the men of the nation and a number of women had overtaken them, and had changed from
the surly ill temper in which they were two hours ago to the greatest cheerfulness and gayety. When they arrived at the spring on the side of the mountain where the party had encamped on the 12th,
the chief insisted on halting to let the horses graze; to which Captain Lewis assented, and smoked with them. They are excessively fond of the pipe, in which, however, they are not able to indulge
much, as they do not cultivate tobacco themselves, and their rugged country affords them but few articles to exchange for it. Here they remained for about an hour, and on setting out, by engaging
to pay four of the party, Captain Lewis obtained permission for himself and each of his men to ride behind an Indian; but he soon found riding without stirrups more tiresome than walking, and
therefore dismounted, making the Indian carry his pack. About sunset they reached the upper part of the level valley in the cove through which he had passed, and which they now called Shoshonee
cove. The grass being burned on the north side of the river they crossed over to the south, and encamped about four miles above the narrow pass between the hills noticed as they traversed the cove
before. The river was here about six yards wide, and frequently dammed up by the beaver. Drewyer had been sent forward to hunt, but he returned in the evening unsuccessful, and their only supper
therefore was the remaining pound of flour, stirred in a little boiling water, and then divided between the four white men and two of the Indians.

16th Friday
As neither our party nor the Indians had anything to eat, Captain Lewis sent two of his hunters ahead this morning to procure some provision; at the same time
he requested Cameahwait to prevent his young men from going out, lest by their noise they might alarm the game. But this measure immediately revived their suspicions; it now began to be believed
that these men were sent forward in order to apprise the enemy of their coming, and as Captain Lewis was fearful of exciting any further uneasiness, he made no objection on seeing a small party of
Indians go on each side of the valley under pretence of hunting, but in reality to watch the movements of our two men; even this precaution, however, did not quiet the alarms of the Indians, a
considerable part of whom returned home, leaving only twenty-eight men and three women. After the hunters had been gone about an hour, Captain Lewis again mounted with one of the Indians behind
him, and the whole party set out; but just as they passed through the narrows they saw one of the spies coming back at full speed across the plain; the chief stopped and seemed uneasy, the whole
band were moved with fresh suspicions, and Captain Lewis himself was much disconcerted, lest by some unfortunate accident some of their enemies might have perhaps straggled that way. The young
Indian had scarcely breath to say a few words as he came up, when the whole troop dashed forward as fast as their horses could carry them; and Captain Lewis, astonished at this movement, was borne
along for nearly a mile before he learnt with great satisfaction that it was all caused by the spy’s having come to announce that one of the white men had killed a deer. Relieved from his
anxiety, he now found the jolting very uncomfortable; for the Indian behind him, being afraid of not getting his share of the feast, had lashed the horse at every step since they set off; he
therefore reined him in and ordered the Indian to stop beating him. The fellow had no idea of losing time in disputing the point, and jumping off the horse ran for a mile at full speed. Captain
Lewis slackened his pace, and followed at a sufficient distance to observe them. When they reached the place where Drewyer had thrown out the intestines, they all dismounted in confusion and ran
tumbling over each other like famished dogs; each tore away whatever part he could, and instantly began to eat it; some had the liver, some the kidneys, in short no part on which we are accustomed
to look with disgust escaped them; one of them who had seized about nine feet of the entrails was chewing at one end, while with his hand he was diligently clearing his way by discharging the
contents at the other; yet though suffering with hunger they did not attempt, as they might have done, to take by force the whole deer, but contented themselves with what had been thrown away by
the hunter. Captain Lewis now had the deer skinned, and after reserving a quarter of it gave the rest of the animal to the chief to be divided among the Indians, who immediately devoured nearly the
whole of it without cooking. They now went forward towards the creek where there was some brushwood to make a fire, and found Drewyer, who had killed a second deer; the same struggle for the
entrails was renewed here, and on giving nearly the whole deer to the Indians, they devoured it, even to the soft part of the hoofs. A fire being made, Captain Lewis had his breakfast, during which
Drewyer brought in a third deer; this, too, after reserving one quarter, was given to the Indians, who now seemed completely satisfied and in good humour. At this place they remained about two
hours to let the horses graze, and then continued their journey, and towards evening reached the lower part of the cove, having on the way shot an antelope, the greater part of which was given to
the Indians. As they were now approaching the place where they had been told by Captain Lewis they would see the white men, the chief insisted on halting; they therefore all dismounted, and
Cameahwait, with great ceremony, and as if for ornament, put tippets or skins round the necks of our party, similar to those worn by themselves. As this was obviously intended to disguise the white
men, Captain Lewis, in order to inspire them with more confidence, put his cocked hat and feather on the head of the chief, and as his own over-shirt was in the Indian form, and his skin browned by
the sun, he could not have been distinguished from an Indian; the men followed his example, and the change seemed to be very agreeable to the Indians.

In order to guard, however, against any disappointment, Captain Lewis again explained the possibility of our not having reached the forks in consequence of the difficulty of the navigation, so
that if they should not find us at that spot they might be assured of our not being far below. They again all mounted their horses and rode on rapidly, making one of the Indians carry their flag,
so that we might recognise them as they approached us; but to the mortification and disappointment of both parties, on coming within two miles of the forks no canoes were to be seen. Uneasy lest at
this moment he should be abandoned, and all his hopes of obtaining aid from the Indians be destroyed, Captain Lewis gave the chief his gun, telling him that if the enemies of his nation were in the
bushes he might defend himself with it; that for his own part he was not afraid to die, and that the chief might shoot him as soon as they discovered themselves betrayed. The other three men at the
same time gave their guns to the Indians, who now seemed more easy, but still wavered in their resolutions. As they went on towards the point, Captain Lewis, perceiving how critical his situation
had become, resolved to attempt a stratagem which his present difficulty seemed completely to justify. Recollecting the notes he had left at the point for us, he sent Drewyer for them with an
Indian who witnessed his taking them from the pole. When they were brought, Captain Lewis told Cameahwait that on leaving his brother chief at the place where the river issues from the mountains,
it was agreed that the boats should not be brought higher than the next forks we should meet; but that if the rapid water prevented the boats from coming on as fast as they expected, his brother
chief was to send a note to the first forks above him to let him know where the boats were; that this note had been left this morning at the forks, and mentioned that the canoes were just below the
mountains, and coming slowly up in consequence of the current. Captain Lewis added that he would stay at the forks for his brother chief, but would send a man down the river, and that if Cameahwait
doubted what he said, one of their young men would go with him whilst he and the other two remained at the forks. This story satisfied the chief and the greater part of the Indians, but a few did
not conceal their suspicions, observing that we told different stories, and complaining that the chief exposed them to danger by a mistaken confidence. Captain Lewis now wrote by the light of some
willow brush a note to Captain Clark, which he gave to Drewyer, with an order to use all possible expedition in ascending the river, and engaged an Indian to accompany him by a promise of a knife
and some beads. At bedtime the chief and five others slept round the fire of Captain Lewis, and the rest hid themselves in different parts of the willow brush to avoid the enemy, who they feared
would attack them in the night. Captain Lewis endeavoured to assume a cheerfulness he did not feel, to prevent the despondency of the savages; after conversing gayly with them he retired to his
musquitoe bier, by the side of which the chief now placed himself; he lay down, yet slept but little, being in fact scarcely less uneasy than his Indian companions. He was apprehensive that,
finding the ascent of the river impracticable, Captain Clark might have stopped below the Rattlesnake bluff, and the messenger would not meet him. The consequence of disappointing the Indians at
this moment would most probably be, that they would retire and secrete themselves in the mountains, so as to prevent our having an opportunity of recovering their confidence; they would also spread
a panic through all the neighbouring Indians, and cut us off from the supply of horses so useful and almost so essential to our success.