first across the continent- 第60部分

The　explorers；　hungry　for　news　from　home；　would　have　tarried　and　talked　longer　with　their　new…found　friends；　but　they　were　anxious　to　get　down　to　civilization　once　more。　　Their　journal　also　says：　〃The　Indians；　particularly　the　squaws　and　children；　are　weary　of　the　long　journey；　and　we　are　desirous　of　seeing　our　country　and　friends。〃　This　quotation　from　the　journal　gives　us　our　first　intimation　that　any　Indians　accompanied　Big　White　to　the　United　States。　　He　appears　to　have　had　a　small　retinue　of　followers　men；　women；　and　childrenwith　him。

Below　the　mouth　of　the　Platte；　September　12；　Lewis　and　Clark　met　Gravelines；　the　interpreter　who　was　sent　to　Washington　from　Fort　Mandan；　in　1805；　with　despatches；　natural　history　specimens；　and　a　Ricara　chief。　　The　chief　had　unfortunately　died　in　Washington；　and　Gravelines　was　now　on　his　way　to　the　Ricaras　with　a　speech　from　President　Jefferson　and　the　presents　that　had　been　given　to　the　chief。　He　also　had　instructions　to　teach　the　Ricaras　in　agriculture。

It　is　interesting　to　note　how　that　the　explorers；　now　tolerably　well　acquainted　with　the　Indian　character　since　their　long　experience　with　the　red　men；　had　adopted　a　very　different　bearing　from　that　which　they　had　when　coming　up　the　river；　in　1805。　Here　is　an　extract　from　their　journal；　September　14：

〃We　resumed　our　journey。　　This　being　a　part　of　the　river　to　which　the　Kansas　resort；　in　order　to　rob　the　boats　of　traders；　we　held　ourselves　in　readiness　to　fire　upon　any　Indians　who　should　offer　us　the　slightest　indignity；　as　we　no　longer　needed　their　friendship；　and　found　that　a　tone　of　firmness　and　decision　is　the　best　possible　method　of　making　proper　impressions　on　these　freebooters。　　However；　we　did　not　encounter　any　of　them；　but　just　below　the　old　Kansas　village　met　three　trading…boats　from　St。　Louis；　on　their　way　to　the　Yanktons　and　Mahas。〃

Thirty　miles　below　the　island　of　Little　Osage　village；　the　party　met　Captain　McClellan；　formerly　of　the　United　States　army。　He　informed　Captain　Lewis　that　the　party　had　been　given　up　for　lost；　people　generally　believing　that　they　would　never　again　be　heard　from；　but；　according　to　the　journal　of　one　of　the　party；　〃The　President　of　the　U。　States　yet　had　hopes　of　us。〃　The　last　news　received　in　〃the　U。　States〃　from　the　explorers　was　that　sent　from　Fort　Mandan；　by　Gravelines；　in　1805。

Scarcity　of　provisions　once　more　disturbed　the　party；　so　that；　on　the　eighteenth　of　September；　the　journal　sets　forth　the　fact　that　game　was　very　scarce　and　nothing　was　seen　by　the　hunters　but　a　bear　and　three　turkeys；　which　they　were　unable　to　reach。　The　men；　however；　were　perfectly　satisfied；　although　they　were　allowed　only　one　biscuit　per　day。　　An　abundance　of　pawpaws　growing　along　the　banks　sufficed　as　nutritious　food。　The　pawpaw　is　native　to　many　of　the　Western　States　of　the　Republic。　　It　is　a　fruit　three　or　four　inches　long；　growing　on　a　small　tree；　or　bush。　　The　fruit　is　sweet　and　juicy　and　has　several　bean…shaped　seeds　embedded　in　the　pulp。　The　voyagers　now　began　to　see　signs　of　civilization　on　the　banks　of　the　river。　　Near　the　mouth　of　the　Gasconade；　above　St。　Louis；　they　beheld　cows　grazing　in　the　meadows。　　The　journal　says：　〃The　whole　party　almost　involuntarily　raised　a　shout　of　joy　at　seeing　this　image　of　civilization　and　domestic　life。〃　Men　who　have　been　wandering　in　pathless　wildernesses；　remote　from　man；　for　more　than　two　years；　might　well　be　moved　by　the　sights　of　a　homelike　farm　and　a　settled　life。　Soon　after　this　the　party　reached　the　little　French　village　of　La　Charette　which　they　saluted　with　four　guns　and　three　hearty　cheers。　　Then；　according　to　the　journal；　they　landed　and　were　warmly　received　by　the　people；　who　had　long　since　abandoned　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　these　far…voyaging　adventurers　return。　Here　are　the　last　entries　in　the　journal　that　has　been　our　guide　so　long　across　the　continent　and　back　again　to　the　haunts　of　men：

〃Sunday；　September　21st；　we　proceeded；　and　as　several　settlements　have　been　made　during　our　absence；　we　were　refreshed　with　the　sight　of　men　and　cattle　along　the　banks。　We　also　passed　twelve　canoes　of　Kickapoo　Indians；　going　on　a　hunting…excursion。　At　length；　after　coming　forty…eight　miles；　we　saluted；　with　heartfelt　satisfaction；　the　village　of　St。　Charles；　and　on　landing　were　treated　with　the　greatest　hospitality　and　kindness　by　all　the　inhabitants　of　that　place。　Their　civility　detained　us　till　ten　o'clock　the　next　morning；

〃September　22d；　when　the　rain　having　ceased；　we　set　out　for　Coldwater　Creek；　about　three　miles　from　the　mouth　of　the　Missouri；　where　we　found　a　cantonment　of　troops　of　the　United　States；　with　whom　we　passed　the　day；　and　then；

〃September　23d；　descended　to　the　Mississippi；　and　round　to　St。　Louis；　where　we　arrived　at　twelve　o'clock；　and　having　fired　a　salute；　went　on　shore　and　received　the　heartiest　and　most　hospitable　welcome　from　the　whole　village。〃

The　two　captains　were　very　busily　employed；　as　soon　as　they　arrived　in　St。　Louis；　with　writing　letters　to　their　friends　and　to　the　officers　of　the　government　who　were　concerned　to　know　of　their　safe　return　to　civilization。　　Captain　Lewis'　letter　to　the　President　of　the　United　States；　announcing　his　arrival；　was　dated　Sept。　23；　1806。　President　Jefferson's　reply　was　dated　October　20　of　that　year。　In　his　letter　the　President　expressed　his　〃unspeakable　joy〃　at　the　safe　return　of　the　expedition。　　He　said　that　the　unknown　scenes　in　which　they　had　been　engaged　and　the　length　of　time　during　which　no　tidings　had　been　received　from　them　〃had　begun　to　be　felt　awfully。〃　It　may　seem　strange　to　modern　readers　familiar　with　the　means　for　rapid　travel　and　communication　that　no　news　from　the　explorers；　later　than　that　which　they　sent　from　the　Mandan　country；　was　received　in　the　United　States　until　their　return；　two　years　and　four　months　later。　But　mail　facilities　were　very　scanty　in　those　far…off　days；　even　in　the　settled　portions　of　the　Mississippi　Valley；　and　few　traders　had　then　penetrated　to　those　portions　of　the　Lower　Missouri　that　had　just　been　travelled　by　Lewis　and　Clark。　　As　we　have　seen；　white　men　were　regarded　with　awe　and　curiosity　by　the　natives　of　the　regions　which　the　explorers　traversed　in　their　long　absence。　The　first　post…office　in　what　is　now　the　great　city　of　St。　Louis　was　not　established　until　1808；　mails　between　the　Atlantic　seaboard　and　that　〃village〃　required　six　weeks　to　pass　either　way。

The　two　captains　went　to　Washington　early　in　the　year　following　their　arrival　in　St。　Louis。　　There　is　extant　a　letter　from　Captain　Lewis；　dated　at　Washington；　Feb。　11；　1807。　　Congress　was　then　in　session；　and；　agreeably　to　the　promises　that　had　been　held　out　to　the　explorers；　the　Secretary　of　War　（General　Henry　Dearborn）；　secured　from　that　body　the　passage　of　an　act　granting　to　each　member　of　the　expedition　a　considerable　tract　of　land　from　the　public　domain。　　To　each　private　and　non…commissioned　officer　was　given　three　hundred　acres；　to　Captain　Clark；　one　thousand　acres；　and　to　Captain　Lewis　fifteen　hundred　acres。　　In　addition　to　this；　the　two　officers　were　given　double　pay　for　their　services　during　the　time　of　their　absence。　Captain　Lewis　magnanimously　objected　to　receiving　more　land　for　his　services　than　that　given　to　Captain　Clark。

Captain　Lewis　resigned　from　the　army；　March　2；　1807；　having　been　nominated　to　be　Governor　of　Louisiana　Territory　a　few　days　before。　His　commission　as　Governor　was　dated　March　3　of　that　year。　He　was　thus　made　the　Governor　of　all　the　territory　of　the　United　States　west　of　the　Mississippi　River。　　About　the　same　time；　Captain　Clark　was　appointed　a　general　of　the　territorial　militia　and　Indian　agent　for　that　department。

Originally；　the　territory　acquired　from　France　was　divided　into　the　District　of　New　Orleans　and　the　District　of　Louisiana；　the　first…named　being　the　lower　portion　of　the　territory　and　bounded　on　the　north　by　a　line　which　now　represents　the　northern　boundary　of　the　State　of　Louisiana；　and　all　above　that　line　was　known　as　the　District　of　Louisiana。　　In　1812；　the　upper　part；　or　Louisiana；　was　named　the　Territory　of　Missouri；　and　Captain　Clark　（otherwise　General）；　was　appointed　Governor　of　the　Territory；　July　1；　1813；　his　old　friend　and　comrade　having　died　a　few　years　earlier。

The　end　of　Captain　（otherwise　Governor）　Lewis　was　tragical　and　was　shadowed　by　a　cloud。　　Official　business　calling　him　to　Washington；　he　left　St。　Louis　early　in　September；　1809；　and　prosecuted　his　journey　eastward　through　Tennessee；　by　the　way　of　Chickasaw　Bluffs；　now　Memphis；　of　that　State。　　There　is　a　mystery　around　his　last　days。　On　the　eleventh　of　October；　he　stopped　at　a　wayside　log…inn；　and　that　night　he　died　a　violent　death；　whether　by　his　own　hand　or　by　that　of　a　murderer；　no　living　man　knows。　There　were　many　contradictory　stories　about　the　sad　affair；　some　persons　holding　to　the　one　theory　and　some　to　the　other。　He　was　buried　where　he　died；　in　the　centre　of　what　is　now　Lewis　County；　Tennessee。　　In　1848；　the　State　of　Tennessee　erected　over　the　last　resting…place　of　Lewis　a　handsome　monument；　the　inscriptions　on　which　duly　set　forth　his　many　virtues　and　his　distinguished　services　to　his　country。

The　story　of　the　expedition　of　Lewis　and　Clark　is　the　foundation　of　the　history　of　the　great　Northwest　and　the　Missouri　Valley。　　These　men　and　their　devoted　band　of　followers　were　the　first　to　break　into　the　world…old　solitudes　of　the　heart　of　the　continent　and　to　explore　the　mountain　fastnesses　in　which　the　mighty　Columbia　has　its　birth。　Following　in　their　footsteps；　the　hardy　American　emigrant；　trader；　adventurer；　and　home…seeker　penetrated　the　wilderness；　and；　building　better　than　they　knew；　laid　the　foundations　of　populous　and　thriving　States。　　Peaceful　farms　and　noble　cities；　towns　and　villages；　thrilling　with　the　hum　of　modern　industry　and　activity；　are　spread　over　the　vast　spaces　through　which　the　explorers　threaded　their　toilsome　trail；　amid　incredible　privations　and　hardships；　showing　the　way　westward　across　the　boundless　continent　which　is　ours。　Let　the　names　of　those　two　men　long　be　held　in　grateful　honor　by　the　American　people！



Index　｛RAW　OCR　OUTPUT　BELOW：｝

A

Alkali；　natural　deposits　of；　60。　　Antelope；　first　seen；　29；　how　hunted；　69。　　Assiniboins；　at　war　with　Siou