first across the continent- 第15部分

A　curious　adventure　happened　on　the　twenty…eighth；　of　which　the　journal；　next　day；　makes　this　mention：

〃Last　night　we　were　alarmed　by　a　new　sort　of　enemy。　A　buffalo　swam　over　from　the　opposite　side；　and　to　the　spot　where　lay　one　of　our　canoes；　over　which　he　clambered　to　the　shore：　then；　taking　fright；　he　ran　full　speed　up　the　bank　towards　our　fires；　and　passed　within　eighteen　inches　of　the　heads　of　some　of　the　men　before　the　sentinel　could　make　him　change　his　course。　Still　more　alarmed；　he　ran　down　between　four　fires；　and　within　a　few　inches　of　the　heads　of　a　second　row　of　the　men；　and　would　have　broken　into　our　lodge　if　the　barking　of　the　dog　had　not　stopped　him。　　He　suddenly　turned　to　the　right；　and　was　out　of　sight　in　a　moment；　leaving　us　all　in　confusion；　every　one　seizing　his　rifle　and　inquiring　the　cause　of　the　alarm。　On　learning　what　had　happened；　we　had　to　rejoice　at　suffering　no　more　injury　than　some　damage　to　the　guns　that　were　in　the　canoe　which　the　buffalo　crossed。

。。。〃We　passed　an　island　and　two　sand…bars；　and　at　the　distance　of　two　and　a　half　miles　came　to　a　handsome　river；　which　discharges　itself　on　the　South；　and　which　we　ascended　to　the　distance　of　a　mile　and　a　half：　we　called　it　Judith's　River。　　It　rises　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　in　about　the　same　place　with　the　Musselshell；　and　near　the　Yellowstone　River。　　Its　entrance　is　one　hundred　yards　wide　from　one　bank　to　the　other；　the　water　occupying　about　seventy…five　yards；　and　being　in　greater　quantity　than　that　of　the　Musselshell　River。　。　。　。　There　were　great　numbers　of　the　argalea；　or　bighorned　animals；　in　the　high　country　through　which　it　passes；　and　of　beaver　in　its　waters。　Just　above　the　entrance　of　it　we　saw　the　ashes　of　the　fires　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…six　lodges；　which　appeared　to　have　been　deserted　about　twelve　or　fifteen　days。〃

Leaving　Judith's　River；　named　for　a　sweet　Virginia　lass；　the　explorers　sailed；　or　were　towed；　seventeen　miles　up　the　river；　where　they　camped　at　the　mouth　of　a　bold；　running　river　to　which　they　gave　the　name　of　Slaughter　River。　　The　stream　is　now　known　as　the　Arrow；　the　appropriateness　of　the　title　conferred　on　the　stream　by　Lewis　and　Clark　appears　from　the　story　which　they　tell　of　their　experience　just　below　〃Slaughter　River；〃　as　follows：

〃On　the　north　we　passed　a　precipice　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　feet　high；　under　which　lay　scattered　the　fragments　of　at　least　one　hundred　carcasses　of　buffaloes；　although　the　water　which　had　washed　away　the　lower　part　of　the　hill　must　have　carried　off　many　of　the　dead。　These　buffaloes　had　been　chased　down　the　precipice　in　a　way　very　common　on　the　Missouri；　by　which　vast　herds　are　destroyed　in　a　moment。　The　mode　of　hunting　is　to　select　one　of　the　most　active　and　fleet　young　men；　who　is　disguised　by　a　buffalo…skin　round　his　body；　the　skin　of　the　head　with　the　ears　and　horns　being　fastened　on　his　own　head　in　such　a　way　as　to　deceive　the　buffalo。　　Thus　dressed；　he　fixes　himself　at　a　convenient　distance　between　a　herd　of　buffalo　and　any　of　the　river　precipices；　which　sometimes　extend　for　some　miles。　His　companions　in　the　mean　time　get　in　the　rear　and　side　of　the　herd；　and　at　a　given　signal　show　themselves　and　advance　toward　the　buffaloes。　These　instantly　take　the　alarm；　and　finding　the　hunters　beside　them；　they　run　toward　the　disguised　Indian　or　decoy；　who　leads　them　on　at　full　speed　toward　the　river；　when；　suddenly　securing　himself　in　some　crevice　of　the　cliff　which　he　had　previously　fixed　on；　the　herd　is　left　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice。　　It　is　then　in　vain　for　the　foremost　buffaloes　to　retreat　or　even　to　stop；　they　are　pressed　on　by　the　hindmost　rank；　which；　seeing　no　danger　but　from　the　hunters；　goad　on　those　before　them　till　the　whole　are　precipitated；　and　the　shore　is　strewn　with　their　dead　bodies。　Sometimes；　in　this　perilous　seduction；　the　Indian　is　himself　either　trodden　under　foot　by　the　rapid　movements　of　the　buffaloes；　or　missing　his　footing　in　the　cliff　is　urged　down　the　precipice　by　the　falling　herd。　The　Indians　then　select　as　much　meat　as　they　wish；　the　rest　is　abandoned　to　the　wolves；　and　creates　a　most　dreadful　stench。　The　wolves　which　had　been　feasting　on　these　carcasses　were　very　fat；　and　so　gentle　that　one　of　them　was　killed　with　an　espontoon。〃＇1＇


＇1＇　A　short　spear。


The　dryness　and　purity　of　the　air　roused　the　admiration　of　the　explorers；　who　noticed　that　the　woodwork　of　the　cases　of　their　instruments　shrank；　and　the　joints　opened；　although　the　wood　was　old　and　perfectly　seasoned。　A　tablespoonful　of　water；　exposed　to　the　air　in　an　open　saucer；　would　wholly　evaporate　in　thirty…six　hours；　when　the　thermometer　did　not　mark　higher　than　the　〃Temperate〃　point　at　the　warmest　hour　of　the　day。　Contrary　to　their　expectations；　they　had　not　yet　met　with　any　Indians；　although　they　saw　many　signs　of　their　having　recently　been　in　that　vicinity。　The　journal　says：

〃In　the　course　of　the　day　＇May　30＇　we　passed　several　encampments　of　Indians；　the　most　recent　of　which　seemed　to　have　been　evacuated　about　five　weeks　since；　and；　from　the　several　apparent　dates；　we　supposed　that　they　were　formed　by　a　band　of　about　one　hundred　lodges；　who　were　travelling　slowly　up　the　river。　Although　no　part　of　the　Missouri　from　the　Minnetarees　to　this　place　exhibits　signs　of　permanent　settlements；　yet　none　seem　exempt　from　the　transient　visits　of　hunting…parties。　We　know　that　the　Minnetarees　of　the　Missouri　extend　their　excursions　on　the　south　side　of　the　river　as　high　as　the　Yellowstone；　and　the　Assiniboins　visit　the　northern　side；　most　probably　as　high　as　Porcupine　River。　　All　the　lodges　between　that　place　and　the　Rocky　Mountains　we　supposed　to　belong　to　the　Minnetarees　of　Fort　de　Prairie；　who　live　on　the　south　fork　of　the　Saskashawan。〃

The　party　now　entered　upon　some　of　the　natural　wonders　of　the　West；　which　have　since　become　famous。　　Their　journal　says：

〃These　hills　and　river…cliffs　exhibit　a　most　extraordinary　and　romantic　appearance。　　They　rise　in　most　places　nearly　perpendicular　from　the　water；　to　the　height　of　between　two　hundred　and　three　hundred　feet；　and　are　formed　of　very　white　sandstone；　so　soft　as　to　yield　readily　to　the　impression　of　water；　in　the　upper　part　of　which　lie　imbedded　two　or　three　thin　horizontal　strata　of　white　freestone；　insensible　to　the　rain；　on　the　top　is　a　dark　rich　loam；　which　forms　a　gradually　ascending　plain；　from　a　mile　to　a　mile　and　a　half　in　extent；　when　the　hills　again　rise　abruptly　to　the　height　of　about　three　hundred　feet　more。　In　trickling　down　the　cliffs；　the　water　has　worn　the　soft　sandstone　into　a　thousand　grotesque　figures；　among　which；　with　a　little　fancy；　may　be　discerned　elegant　ranges　of　freestone　buildings；　with　columns　variously　sculptured；　and　supporting　long　and　elegant　galleries；　while　the　parapets　are　adorned　with　statuary。　　On　a　nearer　approach　they　represent　every　form　of　elegant　ruinscolumns；　some　with　pedestals　and　capitals　entire；　others　mutilated　and　prostrate；　and　some　rising　pyramidally　over　each　other　till　they　terminate　in　a　sharp　point。　These　are　varied　by　niches；　alcoves；　and　the　customary　appearances　of　desolated　magnificence。　　The　illusion　is　increased　by　the　number　of　martins；　which　have　built　their　globular　nests　in　the　niches；　and　hover　over　these　columns；　as　in　our　country　they　are　accustomed　to　frequent　large　stone　structures。　　As　we　advance　there　seems　no　end　to　the　visionary　enchantment　which　surrounds　us。

〃In　the　midst　of　this　fantastic　scenery　are　vast　ranges　of　walls；　which　seem　the　productions　of　art；　so　regular　is　the　workmanship。　They　rise　perpendicularly　from　the　river；　sometimes　to　the　height　of　one　hundred　feet；　varying　in　thickness　from　one　to　twelve　feet；　being　as　broad　at　the　top　as　below。　　The　stones　of　which　they　are　formed　are　black；　thick；　durable；　and　composed　of　a　large　portion　of　earth；　intermixed　and　cemented　with　a　small　quantity　of　sand　and　a　considerable　proportion　of　talk　＇talc＇　or　quartz。　These　stones　are　almost　invariably　regular　parallelopipeds　of　unequal　sizes　in　the　wall；　but　equally　deep　and　laid　regularly　in　ranges　over　each　other　like　bricks；　each　breaking　and　covering　the　interstice　of　the　two　on　which　it　rests；　but　though　the　perpendicular　interstice　be　destroyed；　the　horizontal　one　extends　entirely　through　the　whole　work。　The　stones　are　proportioned　to　the　thickness　of　the　wall　in　which　they　are　employed；　being　largest　in　the　thickest　walls。　The　thinner　walls　are　composed　of　a　single　depth　of　the　parallelopiped；　while　the　thicker　ones　consist　of　two　or　more　depths。　These　walls　pass　the　river　at　several　places；　rising　from　the　water's　edge　much　above　the　sandstone　bluffs；　which　they　seem　to　penetrate；　thence　they　cross　in　a　straight　line；　on　either　side　of　the　river；　the　plains；　over　which　they　tower　to　the　height　of　from　ten　to　seventy　feet；　until　they　lose　themselves　in　the　second　range　of　hills。　Sometimes　they　run　parallel　in　several　ranges　near　to　each　other；　sometimes　intersect　each　other　at　right　angles；　and　have　the　appearance　of　walls　of　ancient　houses　or　gardens。〃

The　wall…like；　canyon　formations　were　charted　by　Lewis　and　Clark　as　〃The　Stone　Walls。〃　　Their　fantastic　outlines　have　been　admired　and　described　by　modern　tourists；　and　some　of　them　have　been　named　〃Cathedral　Rocks；〃　〃Citadel　Rock；〃　〃Hole　in　the　Wall；〃　and　so　on。

Passing　out　of　this　wonderful　region；　the　expedition　entered　upon　a　more　level　country；　here　and　there　broken　by　bluffy　formations　which　extended　along　the　river；　occasionally　interspersed　with　low　hills。　Their　journal　says：

〃In　the　plains　near　the　river　are　the　choke…cherry；　yellow　and　red　currant　bushes；　as　well　as　the　wild　rose　and　prickly　pear；　both　of　which　are　now　in　bloom。　　From　the　tops　of　the　river…hills；　which　are　lower　than　usual；　we　enjoyed　a　delightful　view　of　the　rich；　fertile　plains　on　both　sides；　in　many　places　extending　from　the　river…cliffs　to　a　great　distance　back。　In　these　plains　we　meet；　occasionally；　large　banks　of　pure　sand；　which　were　driven　apparently　by　the　southwest　winds　and　there　deposited。　The　plains　are　more　fertile　some　distance　from　the　river　than　near　its　banks；　where　the　surface　of　the　earth　is　very　generally　strewed　with　small　pebbles；　which　appear　to　be　smoothed　and　worn　by　the　agitation　of　the　waters　with　which　the