CHAPTER L.
Rough Wintry Travelling - Hills and Plains.- Snow and Ice.- Disappearance of Game.- A
Vast Dreary Plain.- A. Second Halt for the Winter.- Another Wigwam.- New Year's
Feast.- Buffalo Humps, Tongues, and Marrow-Bones.- Return of Spring.- Launch of
Canoes. - Bad Navigation. - Pedestrian March. - Vast Prairies. - Deserted Camps.-
Pawnee Squaws.- An Otto Indian.- News of War.- Voyage Down the Platte and the
Missouri.- Reception at Fort Osage. - Arrival at St. Louis.
THE interval of comfort and repose which the party had enjoyed in their wigwam,
rendered the renewal of their fatigues intolerable for the first two or three days. The
snow lay deep, and was slightly frozen on the surface, but not sufficiently to bear their
weight. Their feet became sore by breaking through the crust, and their limbs weary by
floundering on without firm foothold. So exhausted and dispirited were they, that they
began to think it would be better to remain and run the risk of being killed by the
Indians, than to drag on thus painfully, with the probability of perishing by the way.
Their miserable horse fared no better than themselves, having for the first day or two
no other fodder than the ends of willow twigs, and the bark of the cotton-wood tree.
They all, however, appeared to gain patience and hardihood as they proceeded, and
for fourteen days kept steadily on, making a distance of about three hundred and thirty
miles. For some days, the range of mountains which had been near to their wigwam
kept parallel to the river at no great distance, but at length subsided into hills.
Sometimes they found the river bordered with alluvial bottoms, and groves with cotton-wood and willows; sometimes the adjacent country was naked and barren. In one place
it ran for a considerable distance between rocky hills and promontories covered with
cedar and pitch pines, and peopled with the bighorn and the mountain deer; at other
places it wandered through prairies well stocked with buffaloes and antelopes. As they
descended the course of the river, they began to perceive the ash and white oak here
and there among the cotton-wood and willow; and at length caught a sight of some wild
horses on the distant prairies.
The weather was various; at one time the snow lay deep; then they had a genial day or
two, with the mildness and serenity of autumn; then, again, the frost was so severe that
the river was sufficiently frozen to bear them upon the ice.
During the last three days of their fortnight's travel, however, the face of the country
changed. The timber gradually diminished, until they could scarcely find fuel sufficient
for culinary purposes. The game grew more and more scanty, and, finally, none were to
be seen but a few miserable broken-down buffalo bulls, not worth killing. The snow lay
fifteen inches deep, and made the travelling grievously painful and toilsome. At length
they came to an immense plain, where no vestige of timber was to be seen; nor a
single quadruped to enliven the desolate landscape. Here, then, their hearts failed
them, and they held another consultation. The width of the river, which was upwards of
a mile, its extreme shallowness, the frequency of quicksands, and various other
characteristics, had at length made them sensible of their errors with respect to it, and
they now came to the correct conclusion, that they were on the banks of the Platte or
Shallow River. What were they to do? Pursue its course to the Missouri? To go on at
this season of the year seemed dangerous in the extreme. There was no prospect of
obtaining either food or firing. The country was destitute of trees, and though there
might be drift-wood along the river, it lay too deep beneath the snow for them to find it.
The weather was threatening a change, and a snowstorm on these boundless wastes
might prove as fatal as a whirlwind of sand on an Arabian desert. After much dreary
deliberation, it was at length determined to retrace their three last days' journey of
seventy-seven miles, to a place which they had remarked where there was a sheltering
growth of forest trees, and a country abundant in game. Here they would once more set
up their winter quarters, and await the opening of the navigation to launch themselves
in canoes.
Accordingly, on the 27th of December, they faced about, retraced their steps, and on
the 30th, regained the part of the river in question. Here the alluvial bottom was from
one to two miles wide, and thickly covered with a forest of cotton-wood trees; while
herds of buffalo were scattered about the neighboring prairie, several of which soon fell
beneath their rifles.
They encamped on the margin of the river, in a grove where there were trees large
enough for canoes. Here they put up a shed for immediate shelter, and immediately
proceeded to erect a hut. New Year's day dawned when, as yet, but one wall of their
cabin was completed; the genial and jovial day, however, was not permitted to pass
uncelebrated, even by this weatherbeaten crew of wanderers. All work was suspended,
except that of roasting and boiling. The choicest of the buffalo meat, with tongues, and
humps, and marrow-bones, were devoured in quantities that would astonish any one
that has not lived among hunters or Indians; and as an extra regale, having no tobacco
left, they cut up an old tobacco pouch, still redolent with the potent herb, and smoked it
in honor of the day. Thus for a time, in present revelry, however uncouth, they forgot all
past troubles and all anxieties about the future, and their forlorn wigwam echoed to the
sound of gayety.
The next day they resumed their labors, and by the 6th of the month it was complete.
They soon killed abundance of buffalo, and again laid in a stock of winter provisions.
The party were more fortunate in this, their second cantonment. The winter passed
away without any Indian visitors, and the game continued to be plenty in the
neighborhood. They felled two large trees, and shaped them into canoes; and, as the
spring opened, and a thaw of several days' continuance melted the ice in the river, they
made every preparation for embarking. On the 8th of March they launched forth in their
canoes, but soon found that the river had not depth sufficient even for such slender
barks. It expanded into a wide but extremely shallow stream, with many sand-bars, and
occasionally various channels. They got one of their canoes a few miles down it, with
extreme difficulty, sometimes wading and dragging it over the shoals; at length they
had to abandon the attempt, and to resume their journey on foot, aided by their faithful
old pack-horse, who had recruited strength during the repose of the winter.
The weather delayed them for a few days, having suddenly become more rigorous than
it had been at any time during the winter; but on the 20th of March they were again on
their journey.
In two days they arrived at the vast naked prairie, the wintry aspect of which had
caused them, in December, to pause and turn back. It was now clothed in the early
verdure of spring, and plentifully stocked with game. Still, when obliged to bivouac on
its bare surface, without any shelter, and by a scanty fire of dry buffalo dung, they
found the night blasts piercing cold. On one occasion, a herd of buffalo straying near
their evening camp, they killed three of them merely for their hides, wherewith to make
a shelter for the night.
They continued on for upwards of a hundred miles; with vast prairies extending before
them as they advanced; sometimes diversified by undulating hills, but destitute of trees.
In one place they saw a gang of sixty-five wild horses, but as to the buffaloes, they
seemed absolutely to cover the country. Wild geese abounded, and they passed
extensive swamps that were alive with innumerable flocks of water-fowl, among which
were a few swans, but an endless variety of ducks.
The river continued a winding course to the east-north-east, nearly a mile in width, but
too shallow to float even an empty canoe. The country spread out into a vast level
plain, bounded by the horizon alone, excepting to the north, where a line of hills
seemed like a long promontory stretching into the bosom of the ocean. The dreary
sameness of the prairie wastes began to grow extremely irksome. The travellers longed
for the sight of a forest, or grove, or single tree, to break the level uniformity, and began
to notice every object that gave reason to hope they were drawing towards the end of
this weary wilderness. Thus the occurrence of a particular kind of grass was hailed as a
proof that they could not be far from the bottoms of the Missouri; and they were rejoiced
at putting up several prairie hens, a kind of grouse seldom found far in the interior. In
picking up driftwood for fuel, also, they found on some pieces the mark of an axe, which
caused much speculation as to the time when and the persons by whom the trees had
been felled. Thus they went on, like sailors at sea, who perceive in every floating weed
and wandering bird, harbingers of the wished-for land.
By the close of the month the weather became very mild, and, heavily burdened as they
were, they found the noontide temperature uncomfortably warm. On the 30th, they
came to three deserted hunting camps, either of Pawnees or Ottoes, about which were
buffalo skulls in all directions; and the frames on which the hides had been stretched
and cured. They had apparently been occupied the preceding autumn.
For several days they kept patiently on, watching every sign that might give them an
idea as to where they were, and how near to the banks of the Missouri.
Though there were numerous traces of hunting parties and encampments, they were
not of recent date. The country seemed deserted. The only human beings they met with
were three Pawnee squaws, in a hut in the midst of a deserted camp. Their people had
all gone to the south, in pursuit of the buffalo, and had left these poor women behind,
being too sick and infirm to travel.
It is a common practice with the Pawnees, and probably with other roving tribes, when
departing on a distant expedition, which will not admit of incumbrance or delay, to leave
their aged and infirm with a supply of provisions sufficient for a temporary subsistence.
When this is exhausted, they must perish; though sometimes their sufferings are
abridged by hostile prowlers who may visit the deserted camp.
The poor squaws in question expected some such fate at the hands of the white
strangers, and though the latter accosted them in the kindest manner, and made them
presents of dried buffalo meat, it was impossible to soothe their alarm, or get any
information from them.
The first landmark by which the travellers were enabled to conjecture their position with
any degree of confidence, was an island about seventy miles in length, which they
presumed to be Grand Isle. If so, they were within one hundred and forty miles of the
Missouri. They kept on, therefore, With renewed spirit, and at the end of three days met
with an Otto Indian, by whom they were confirmed in their conjecture. They learnt at the
same time another piece of information, of an uncomfortable nature. According to his
account, there was war between the United States and England, and in fact it had
existed for a whole year, during which time they had been beyond the reach of all
knowledge of the affairs of the civilized world.
The Otto conducted the travellers to his village, situated a short distance from the
banks of the Platte. Here they were delighted to meet with two white men, Messrs.
Dornin and Roi, Indian traders recently from St. Louis. Of these they had a thousand
inquiries to make concerning all affairs, foreign and domestic, during their year of
sepulture in the wilderness; and especially about the events of the existing war.
They now prepared to abandon their weary travel by land, and to embark upon the
water. A bargain was made with Mr. Dornin, who engaged to furnish them with a canoe
and provisions for the voyage, in exchange for their venerable and well-tried fellow
traveller, the old Snake horse.
Accordingly, in a couple of days, the Indians employed by that gentleman constructed
for them a canoe twenty feet long, four feet wide, and eighteen inches deep. The frame
was of poles and willow twigs, on which were stretched five elk and buffalo hides,
sewed together with sinews, and the seams payed with unctuous mud. In this they
embarked at an early hour on the 16th of April, and drifted down ten miles with the
stream, when the wind being high they encamped, and set to work to make oars, which
they had not been able to procure at the Indian village.
Once more afloat, they went merrily down the stream, and after making thirty-five miles,
emerged into the broad turbid current of the Missouri. Here they were borne along
briskly by the rapid stream; though, by the time their fragile bark had floated a couple of
hundred miles, its frame began to show the effects of the voyage. Luckily they came to
the deserted wintering place of some hunting party, where they found two old wooden
canoes. Taking possession of the largest, they again committed themselves to the
current, and after dropping down fifty-five miles further, arrived safely at Fort Osage.
Here they found Lieutenant Brownson still in command; the officer who had given the
expedition a hospitable reception on its way up the river, eighteen months previously.
He received this remnant of the party with a cordial welcome, and endeavored in every
way to promote their comfort and enjoyment during their sojourn at the fort. The
greatest luxury they met with on their return to the abode of civilized man, was bread,
not having tasted any for nearly a year.
Their stay at Fort Osage was but short. On re-embarking they were furnished with an
ample supply of provisions by the kindness of Lieutenant Brownson, and performed the
rest of their voyage without adverse circumstance. On the 30th of April they arrived in
perfect health and fine spirits at St. Louis, having been ten months in performing this
perilous expedition from Astoria. Their return caused quite a sensation at the place,
bringing the first intelligence of the fortune of Mr. Hunt and his party in their
adventurous route across the Rocky Mountains, and of the new establishment on the
shores of the Pacific.