first across the continent-第27章

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r　fictitious。　In　their　conduct　towards　us　they　have　been　kind　and　obliging；　and　though　on　one　occasion　they　seemed　willing　to　neglect　us；　yet　we　scarcely　knew　how　to　blame　the　treatment　by　which　we　were　to　suffer；　when　we　recollected　how　few　civilized　chiefs　would　have　hazarded　the　comforts　or　the　subsistence　of　their　people　for　the　sake　of　a　few　strangers。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃As　war　is　the　chief　occupation；　bravery　is　the　first　virtue　among　the　Shoshonees。　　None　can　hope　to　be　distinguished　without　having　given　proofs　of　it；　nor　can　there　be　any　preferment　or　influence　among　the　nation；　without　some　warlike　achievement。　Those　important　events　which　give　reputation　to　a　warrior；　and　entitle　him　to　a　new　name；　are：　　killing　a　white　＇or　grizzly＇　bear；　stealing　individually　the　horses　of　the　enemy；　leading　a　party　who　happen　to　be　successful　either　in　plundering　horses　or　destroying　the　enemy；　and　lastly；　scalping　a　warrior。　These　acts　seem　of　nearly　equal　dignity；　but　the　last；　that　of　taking　an　enemy's　scalp；　is　an　honor　quite　independent　of　the　act　of　vanquishing　him。　　To　kill　your　adversary　is　of　no　importance　unless　the　scalp　is　brought　from　the　field　of　battle；　were　a　warrior　to　slay　any　number　of　his　enemies　in　action；　and　others　were　to　obtain　the　scalps　or　first　touch　the　dead；　they　would　have　all　the　honors；　since　they　have　borne　off　the　trophy。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃The　names　of　these　Indians　vary　in　the　course　of　their　life。　Originally　given　in　childhood；　from　the　mere　necessity　of　distinguishing　objects；　or　from　some　accidental　resemblance　to　external　objects；　the　young　warrior　is　impatient　to　change　it　by　some　achievement　of　his　own。　Any　important　eventthe　stealing　of　horses；　the　scalping　of　an　enemy；　or　the　killing　of　a　brown　bearentitles　him　at　once　to　a　new　name；　which　he　then　selects　for　himself；　and　it　is　confirmed　by　the　nation。　Sometimes　the　two　names　subsist　together；　thus；　the　chief　Cameahwait；　which　means　‘One　Who　Never　Walks；'　has　the　war…name　of　Tooettecone；　or　‘Black　Gun；'　which　he　acquired　when　he　first　signalized　himself。　As　each　new　action　gives　a　warrior　a　right　to　change　his　name；　many　of　them　have　several　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　　To　give　to　a　friend　one's　own　name　is　an　act　of　high　courtesy；　and　a　pledge；　like　that　of　pulling　off　the　moccasin；　of　sincerity　and　hospitality。　The　chief　in　this　way　gave　his　name　to　Captain　Clark　when　he　first　arrived；　and　he　was　afterward　known　among　the　Shoshonees　by　the　name　of　Cameahwait。〃

On　the　thirtieth　of　August；　the　whole　expedition　being　now　reunited；　and　a　sufficient　number　of　horses　having　been　purchased　of　the　Shoshonees；　the　final　start　across　the　mountains　was　begun。　The　journal　says：

〃The　greater　part　of　the　band；　who　had　delayed　their　journey　on　our　account；　were　also　ready　to　depart。　　We　took　leave　of　the　Shoshonees；　who　set　out　on　their　visit　to　the　Missouri　at　the　same　time　that　we；　accompanied　by　the　old　guide；　his　four　sons；　and　another　Indian；　began　the　descent　of　the　Lemhi　River；　along　the　same　road　which　Captain　Clark　had　previously　pursued。　After　riding　twelve　miles　we　camped　on　the　south　bank　of　this　river；　and　as　the　hunters　had　brought　in　three　deer　early　in　the　morning；　we　did　not　feel　the　want　of　provisions。〃

Three　days　later；　all　the　Indians；　except　the　old　guide；　left　them。　They　now　passed　up　Fish　Creek；　and　finding　no　track　leading　over　the　mountains　they　cut　their　way。　　Their　journal　says：

〃This　we　effected　with　much　difficulty；　the　thickets　of　trees　and　brush　through　which　we　were　obliged　to　cut　our　way　required　great　labor；　the　road　itself　was　over　the　steep　and　rocky　sides　of　the　hills；　where　the　horses　could　not　move　without　danger　of　slipping　down；　while　their　feet　were　bruised　by　the　rocks　and　stumps　of　trees。　Accustomed　as　these　animals　were　to　this　kind　of　life；　they　suffered　severely；　several　of　them　fell　to　some　distance　down　the　sides　of　the　hills；　some　turned　over　with　the　baggage；　one　was　crippled；　and　two　gave　out；　exhausted　with　fatigue。　After　crossing　the　creek　several　times　we　at　last　made　five　miles；　with　great　fatigue　and　labor；　and　camped　on　the　left　side　of　the　creek　in　a　small　stony　low　ground。　　It　was　not；　however；　till　after　dark　that　the　whole　party　was　collected；　and　then；　as　it　rained　and　we　had　killed　nothing；　we　passed　an　uncomfortable　night。　The　party　had　been　too　busily　occupied　with　the　horses　to　make　any　hunting　excursion；　and　though；　as　we　came　along　Fish　Creek；　we　saw　many　beaver…dams；　we　saw　none　of　the　animals　themselves。〃

The　Indian　guide　appears　here　to　have　lost　his　way；　but；　not　dismayed；　he　pushed　on　through　a　trackless　wilderness；　sometimes　travelling　on　the　snow　that　now　covered　the　mountains。　On　the　fourth　of　September；　the　party　came　upon　a　large　encampment　of　Indians；　who　received　them　with　much　ceremony。　The　journal　says：

〃September　5；　we　assembled　the　chiefs　and　warriors；　and　informed　them　who　we　were；　and　the　purpose　for　which　we　had　visited　their　country。　All　this　was；　however；　conveyed　to　them　through　so　many　different　languages；　that　it　was　not　comprehended　without　difficulty。　　We　therefore　proceeded　to　the　more　intelligible　language　of　presents；　and　made　four　chiefs　by　giving　a　medal　and　a　small　quantity　of　tobacco　to　each。　We　received　in　turn　from　the　principal　chief　a　present　consisting　of　the　skins　of　a　blaireau　（badger）；　an　otter；　and　two　antelopes；　and　were　treated　by　the　women　to　some　dried　roots　and　berries。　We　then　began　to　traffic　for　horses；　and　succeeded　in　exchanging　seven　and　purchasing　eleven；　for　which　we　gave　a　few　articles　of　merchandise。

〃This　encampment　consists　of　thirty…three　tents；　in　which　were　about　four　hundred　souls；　among　whom　eighty　were　men。　They　are　called　Ootlashoots；　and　represent　themselves　as　one　band　of　a　nation　called　Tushepaws；　a　numerous　people　of　four　hundred　and　fifty　tents；　residing　on　the　head…waters　of　the　Missouri　and　Columbia　rivers；　and　some　of　them　lower　down　the　latter　river。　In　person　these　Indians　are　stout；　and　their　complexion　lighter　than　that　common　among　Indians。　　The　hair　of　the　men　is　worn　in　queues　of　otter　skin；　falling　in　front　over　the　shoulders。　A　shirt　of　dressed　skin　covers　the　body　to　the　knee；　and　over　this　is　worn　occasionally　a　robe。　　To　these　are　added　leggings　and　moccasins。　The　women　suffer　their　hair　to　fall　in　disorder　over　the　face　and　shoulders；　and　their　chief　article　of　covering　is　a　long　shirt　of　skin；　reaching　down　to　the　ankles；　and　tied　round　the　waist。　In　other　respects；　as　also　in　the　few　ornaments　which　they　possess；　their　appearance　is　similar　to　that　of　the　Shoshonees：　there　is；　however；　a　difference　between　the　languages　of　these　two　people；　which　is　still　farther　increased　by　the　very　extraordinary　pronunciation　of　the　Ootlashoots。　　Their　words　have　all　a　remarkably　guttural　sound；　and　there　is　nothing　which　seems　to　represent　the　tone　of　their　speaking　more　exactly　than　the　clucking　of　a　fowl　or　the　noise　of　a　parrot。　　This　peculiarity　renders　their　voices　scarcely　audible；　except　at　a　short　distance；　and；　when　many　of　them　are　talking；　forms　a　strange　confusion　of　sounds。　The　common　conversation　that　we　overheard　consisted　of　low；　guttural　sounds；　occasionally　broken　by　a　low　word　or　two；　after　which　it　would　relapse；　and　could　scarcely　be　distinguished。　They　seemed　kind　and　friendly；　and　willingly　shared　with　us　berries　and　roots；　which　formed　their　sole　stock　of　provisions。　Their　only　wealth　is　their　horses；　which　are　very　fine；　and　so　numerous　that　this　party　had　with　them　at　least　five　hundred。〃

These　Indians　were　on　their　way　to　join　the　other　bands　who　were　hunting　buffalo　on　the　Jefferson　River；　across　the　Great　Divide。　　They　set　out　the　next　morning；　and　the　explorers　resumed　their　toilsome　journey；　travelling　generally　in　a　northwesterly　direction　and　looking　for　a　pass　across　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains。　　Very　soon；　all　indications　of　game　disappeared；　and；　September　14；　they　were　forced　to　kill　a　colt；　their　stock　of　animal　food　being　exhausted。　　They　pressed　on；　however；　through　a　savage　wilderness；　having　frequent　need　to　recur　to　horse…flesh。　Here　is　an　entry　under　date　of　September　18；　in　the　journal：　〃We　melted　some　snow；　and　supped　on　a　little　portable　soup；　a　few　canisters　of　which；　with　about　twenty　pounds'　weight　of　bear's　oil；　are　our　only　remaining　means　of　subsistence。　　Our　guns　are　scarcely　of　any　service；　for　there　is　no　living　creature　in　these　mountains；　except　a　few　small　pheasants；　a　small　species　of　gray　squirrel；　and　a　blue　bird　of　the　vulture　kind；　about　the　size　of　a　turtle…dove；　or　jay。　Even　these　are　difficult　to　shoot。〃

〃A　bold　running　creek；〃　up　which　Captain　Clark　passed　on　September　19；　was　appropriately　named　by　him　〃Hungry　Creek；〃　as　at　that　place　they　had　nothing　to　eat。　　But；　at　about　six　miles'　distance　from　the　head　of　the　stream；　〃he　fortunately　found　a　horse；　on　which　he　breakfasted；　and　hung　the　rest　on　a　tree　for　the　party　in　the　rear。〃　　This　was　one　of　the　wild　horses；　strayed　from　Indian　bands；　which　they　found　in　the　wilderness；　too　wild　to　be　caught　and　used；　but　not　too　wild　to　shoot　and　eat。　Later；　on　the　same　day；　this　entry　is　made　in　the　journal：

〃The　road　along　the　creek　is　a　narrow　rocky　path　near　the　borders　of　very　high　precipices；　from　which　a　fall　seems　almost　inevitable　destruction。　One　of　our　horses　slipped　and　rolled　over　with　his　load　down　the　hillside；　which　was　nearly　perpendicular　and　strewed　with　large　irregular　rocks；　nearly　one　hundred　yards；　and　did　not　stop　till　he　fell　into　the　creek。　We　all　expected　he　was　killed；　but　to　our　astonishment；　on　taking　off　his　load　he　rose；　seemed　but　little　injured；　and　in　twenty　minutes　proceeded　with　his　load。　　Having　no　other　provision；　we　took　some　portable　soup；　our　only　refreshment　during　the　day。　This　abstinence；　joined　with　fatigue；　has　a　visible　effect　on　our　health。　The　men　are　growing　weak　and　losing　their　flesh　very　fast；　several　are　afflicted　with　dysentery；　and　eruptions　of　the　skin　are　very　common。〃

Next　day；　the　party　descended　the　last　of　the　Bitter　Root　range　and　reached　level　country。　　They　were　at　last　over　the　Great　Divide。　　Three　Indian　boys　were　discovered　hiding　in　the　grass；　in　great　alarm。　　Captain　Clark　at　once　dismounted　from　his　horse；　and；　making　signs　of　amity；　went　after　the　boys。　He　calmed　their　terrors；　and；　giving　them　some　bits　of　ribbon；　sent　them　home。

〃Soon　after　the　boys　reached　home；　a　man　came　out　to　meet　the　party；　with　great　caution；　but　he　conducted　them　to　a　large　tent　in　the　village；　and　all　the　inhabitants　gathered　round　to　view　with　a　mixture　of　fear　and　pleasure　these　wonderful　strangers。　The　conductor　now　informed　Captain　Clark；　by　signs；　that　the　spacious　tent　was　the　residence　of　the　great　chief；　who　had　set　out　three　days　ago　with　all　the　warriors　to　attack　some　of　their　enemies　toward　the　southwest；　that　he　would　not　return　before　fifteen　or　eighteen　days；　and　that　in　the　mean　time　there　were　only　a　few　men　left　to　guard　the　women　and　children。　They　now　set　before　them　a　small　piece　of　buffalo…meat；　some　dried　salmon；　berries；　and　several　kinds　of　roots。　Among　these　last　is　one　which　is　round；　much　like　an　onion　in　appearance；　and　sweet　to　the　taste。　　It　is　called　quamash；　and　is　eaten　either　in　its　natural　sta