Sporting Excursions in the Rocky Mountains, including a Journey to the Columbia River, and a Visit to the Sandwich Islands, Chili, etc

Chapter I

Arrival at St. Louis — Preparations for the journey — Saque Indians — Their appearance, dress, and manners — Squmvs — Commencement of a pedestrian tour — Sandhill cranes — Prairie settlers — Their hospitality — Wild pigeons, golden plovers and prairie hens — Mr. P. and his daughters — An abundant repast — Simplicity of the prairie maidens — A deer and turkey hunt— Loutre Lick hotel — Unwelcome bed-fellows — A coloured Charon — Comfortable quarters- Young men of the west — Reflections on leaving home — Loquacity of the inhabitants — Gray squirrels — Boonville— Parroquets — Embarkation in a steam-boat — Large catfish — Accident on board the boat— VI CONTENTS. Page Arrival at Independence — Description of the town — Procure a supply of horses — Encampment of the Rocky Mountain company — Character of the men — Preparation for departure — Requisites of a leader — Backwoods' familiarity — Milton Sublette and his band — Rev. Jason Lee, the missionary — A letter from home — Mormonites— Military discipline and its consequences. ........ 1

Chapter II

Departure of the caravan — A storm on the prairie — Arrangement of the camp — The cook's desertion — Kanzas Indians — Kanzas river — Indian lodges — Passage of the river — Buffalo canoes — Kanzas chief — Costume of the Indians— Upper Kaw village — Their wigwams — Catfish and ravens— Return of Mr. Sublette — Pawnee trace — Desertion of three men — Difficulties occasioned by losing the trail — Intelligence of Mr. Sublette's party — Escape of the band of horses — Visit of three Otto Indians — Anecdote of Richardson) the chief hunter— His appearance and character — White wolves and antelopes— Buffalo bones — Sublette's deserted camp— Lurkiug wolves. . . . ,33

Chapter III

Arrival at the Platte river — Wolves and antelopes — CONTENTS. VII Page 61 Saline efflorescences — Anxiety of the men to see buf falo — Visit of two spies from the Grand Pawnees — Forced march — A herd of buffalo — Elk — Singular con duct of the horses — Killing a buffalo — Indian mode of procuring buffalo — Great herd — Intentions of the men to desert — Adventure with an Indian in the tent — Circumspection necessary — Indian feat with bow and arrow — Notice of the Pawnee tribes—Disap pearance of the buffalo from the plains of the Platte — A hunting adventure — Killing a buffalo — Butchering a bull— Shameful destruction of the game — Hunter's mode of quenching thirst.

Chapter IV

Change in the face of the country — Unpleasant visitation — Its effects — North fork of the Platte— A day's journey over the hills — Wormwood bushes and poor pasture — Marmots — Rattlesnake and gopher — Naturalist's success and sacrifices — A sand storm — Wild horses — Killing of a doe antelope — Bluffs of the Platte — The chimney — " Zip Koon," the young antelope — Birds — Feelings and cogitations of a naturalist — Arrival at Laramie's fork — Departure of two " free trappers" on a summer " hunt"— Black Hills — Rough travelling — Red butes — Sweet-water river and Rock Independence— Avocets — Wind river mountains — Rocky Mountain sheep — Adventure of one of the CONTENTS. Page 5 9 117 men with a grizzly bear — Rattlesnakes — Toilsome march, and arrival at Sandy river — Suffering of the horses — Anticipated delights of the rendez-vous.

Chapter V

Arrival at the Colorado — The author in difficulty — Loss of a journal, and advice to travelling tyros — The rendezvous — Motley groups infesting it — Rum drinking, swearing, and o'.her accomplishments in vogue — Description of the camp — Trout and grayling — Abundance of game — Cock of the plain — Departure from the rendez-vous — An accession to the band — A renegado Blackfoot chief — Captain Stewart and Mr. Ashworth — Muddy creek — More carousing — Abundance of trout — Bear river — A hard day's march — Volcanic country — White clay pits and " Beer spring" — Rare birds and common birds — Mr Thomas McKay.

Chapter VI

Rough and arid country — Meeting with Captain BonneviUe's party — Captains Stewart and Wyeth's visit to the lodge of the "bald chief" — Blackfoot river — Adventure with a grizzly bear — Death of "Zip Koon" — Young grizzly bears and buffalo calves — A Blackfoot Indian — Dangerous experiment of McKay — The three " Tetons" — Large trout — Departure of CONTENTS. IX Page our Indian companions — Shoshon^ river — Site of " Fort Hall" — Preparations for a buffalo hunt — De parture of the hunting camp— A false alarm — Black feet Indians — Their ferocity— Requisites of a mountain-man — Good fare and good appetites — An experiment — Grizzly bears 138

Chapter VII

Visit of a Nez Perce1 Indian — Adventure with a grizzly bear — Hunter's anecdotes — Homeward bound— Accident from gunpowder — Arrival at " Fort Hall"— A salute — Emaciation of some of the party from low diet — Mr. McKay's company — Buffalo lodges — Progress of the building — Effects of judicious training — Indian worship — A " Camp Meeting" — Mr. Jason Lee, a favourite — A fatal accident and a burial — Departure of Mr. McKay's party — Captain Stewart, and the missionaries. ...... ICG

Chapter VIII

Debauch at the fort — Departure of the company — Poor provision — Blackfeet hunting ground — A toilsome journey, and sufferings from thirst — Goddin's creek — Antoine Goddin, the trapper — Scarcity of game — A buffalo— Rugged mountains — Comforting reflections of the traveUer — More game — Unusual economy— X CONTENTS. Page 188 212 Habits of the white wolf — " Thornburg's pass" — Difficult travelling— The captain in jeopardy among the snow — A countermarch — Deserted Banneck camp — Toilsome and dangerous passage of the mountain — Mallade river — Beaver dams and beaver. .

Chapter IX

A party of Snake Indians — Scarcity of pasture — Another Banneck camp — " Kamas prairie" — Indian mode of preparing the kamas — Racine blanc, or biscuit root — Travelling over the hills — Loss of horses by fatigue — Bois^e or Big-wood river — Salmon — Choke cherries — A substitute for game, and a luxurious breakfast — Expectations of a repast, and a disappointment — Visit of a Snake chief — His abhorrence of horse meat— A band of Snake Indians — Their chief — Trade with Indians for salmon — Mr. Ashworth's adventure. .

Chapter X

An Indian horse-thief — Visit to the Snake camp— Its filthiness — A Banneck camp — SupercUious conduct of the Indians — Arrival at Snake river — Equipment of a trapping party— Indian mode of catching salmon — Loss of a favourite horse — Powder river— Cut rocks — Recovery of the lost trai! — Grand Ronde — Captain Bonneville— His fondness for a roving life — Kayouse CONTENTS. XI Page and Nez Perce Indians — Their appearance — An Indian beauty — Blue mountains — A feline visit. . 234

Chapter XI

Passage of the Blue Mountains — Sufferings from thirst — Utalla river — A transformation — A novel meal — Walla-walla river — Columbia river and Fort Walla-walla — A dinner with the missionaries — Anecdote of Mr. Lee — A noble repast — Brief notice of the Fort — Departure of the missionaries — Notice of the Walla- Walla Indians — Departure for Fort Vancouver— Wild ducks — Indian graves — Indian horses — Visits from Indians— Opthalmia, a prevalent disease — Rough travelling — A company of Chinook Indians— The Dalies —The party joined by Captain Wyeth — Embarkation in canoes — A heavy gale — Dangerous navigation — Pusillanimous conduct of an Indian helmsman. . .261

Chapter XII

A zealous botanist — Departure of Captain Wyeth with five men — Cascades — A portage— Meeting with the missionaries — Loss of a canoe — A toilsome duty — Arrival at Fort Vancouver — Reflections suggested by it — Dr. John McLaughiin, the chief factor — Domiciliation of the travellers at Fort Vancouver — Fort Vancouver — Agricultural and other improvements — CONTENTS. Page Vancouver "camp" — Approach of the rainy season — Expedition to the WaUammet — The falls — A village of Klikatat Indians — Manner of flattening the head— A flathead infant. . .... SPORTING EXCURSIONS. &c. &c.

Chapter I

Arrival at St. Louis — Preparations for the journey — Saque Indians — Their appearance, dress and manners — Squaws — Commencement of a pedestrian tour — Sandhill cranes- Prairie settlers — Their hospitably — Wild pigeons, golden plovers and Prairie hens — Mr. P. and his daughters — An abundant repast — Simplicity of the prairie maidens — A deer and turkey hunt — Loutre Lick hotel— Unwelcome bed-fellows — A coloured Charon — Comfortable quarters — Young men of the west — Reflections on leaving home — Loquacity of the inhabitants — Gray squirrels — Boonville — Parroquets — Embarkation in a steam-boat — Large catfish —Accident on board the boat — Arrival at Independence — Description of the town — Procure a supply of horses — Encampment of the Rocky Mountain company — Character of the men— Preparation for departure — Requisites of a leader — Backwoods' familiarity— Milton Sublette and his band — Rev. Jason Lee, the missionary — A letter from home — Mormonites — Military discipline and its consequences.

On the evening of the 24th of March, 1834, VOL. I. B ARRIVAL AT ST. LOUIS. Mr. Nuttall and myself arrived at St. Louis, in the steam-boat Boston, from Pittsburg. On landing, we had the satisfaction to learn that Captain Wyeth was already there, and on the afternoon of the next day we called upon him, and consulted him in reference to the outfit which it would be necessary to purchase for the journey. He accompanied us to a store in the town, and selected a number of articles for us, among which were several pairs of leathern pantaloons, enormous overcoats, made of green blankets, and white wool hats, with round crowns, fitting tightly to the head, brim five inches wide, and almost hard enough to resist a rifle ball. The day following we saw about one hun dred Indians of the Saque tribe, who had left their native forests for the purpose of treating for the sale of some land at the Jefferson bar racks.

They were dressed and decorated in the true primitive style ; their heads shaved closely, and painted with alternate stripes of fiery red and deep black, leaving only the long scalp ing tuft, in which was interwoven a quantity of elk hair and eagle's feathers. Each man was SAQUE INDIANS. furnished with a good blanket, and some had an under dress of calico, but the greater number were entirely naked to the waist. The faces and bodies of the men were, almost without an exception fantastically painted, the predomi nant colour being deep red, with occasionally a few stripes of dull clay white around the eyes and mouth. I observed one whose body was smeared with light coloured clay, interspersed with black streaks. They were unarmed, with the exception of tomahawks and knives. The chief of the band, (who is said to be Black Hawk's father-in-law,) was a large digni fied looking man, of perhaps fifty-five years of age, distinguished from the rest, by his richer habiliments, a more profuse display of trinkets in his ears, (which were cut and gashed in a frightful manner to receive them,) and above all, by a huge necklace made of the claws of the grizzly bear.

The squaws, of whom there were about twenty, were dressed very much like the men, and at a little distance could scarcely be distinguished from them. Among them was an old, superannuated crone, who, soon after b SAQUE INDIANS. her arrival, had been presented with a broken umbrella. The only use that she made of it was to wrench the plated ends from the whale bones, string them on a piece of wire, take her knife from her belt, with which she deliber ately cut a slit of an inch in length along the upper rim of her ear, and insert them in it. I saw her soon after this operation had been per formed ; her cheeks were covered with blood, and she was standing with a vast deal of as sumed dignity among her tawny sisters, who evidently envied her the possession of the worthless baubles. 2ith. — Mr. N. and myself propose starting to-morrow on foot towards the upper settlements, a distance of about three hundred miles.

We intend to pursue our journey leisurely, as we have plenty of time before us, and if we become tired, we can enter the stage, which will probably overtake us. 29th. — This morning our Indians returned from the barracks, where I understand they transacted their business satisfactorily. I went on board the boat again to see them. I feel INDIANS IN A STEAM-BOAT. 5 very much interested in them, as they are the first Indians I have ever seen, who appear to be in a state of uncultivated nature, and who retain the savage garb and manners of their people. They had engaged the entire covered deck for their especial use, and were lolling about in groups, wrapped in their blankets. Some were occupied in conversation, others seemed more contemplative, and appeared to be thinking deeply, probable of the business which brought them amongst us.

Here and there, two might be seen playing a Spanish game with cards, and some were busily em ployed in rendering themselves more hideous with paint. To perform this operation, the dry paint is folded in a thin muslin or gauze cloth, tied tightly, and beaten against the face, and a small looking-glass is held in the other hand to direct them were to apply it. Two middle-aged squaws were frying beef, which they distributed around to the company in wooden bowls, and several half loaves of bread were circulating rapidly amongst them, by being tossed from one to another, each SAQUE INDIANS. taking a huge bite of it. There were among the company, several younger females, but they were all so hard favoured that I could not feel much sympathy with them, and was, therefore, not anxious to cultivate their acquaintance.

There was another circumstance, too, that was not a very attractive one ; I allude to the cus tom so universal amongst Indians, of seeking for vermin in each others' heads, and then eating them. The fair damsels were engaged in this way during most of the time that I remained on board, only suspending their delec table occupation to take their bites of bread as it passed them in rotation. The effect upon my person was what an Irishman would call the attraction of repulsion, as I found myself almost unconsciously edging away until I halted at a most respectable distance from the scene of slaughter. At noon, Mr. N. and myself started on our pedestrian tour, Captain Wyeth offering to accompany us a few miles on the way. We proceeded over a road generally good, a low dry prairie, mostly heavily timbered, the soil FLOCKS OF CRANES. underlaid with horizontal strata of limestone, abounding in organic remains, shells, coralines, &c, and arrived in the evening at Fiorisant, where we spent the night.

The next day, Captain Wyeth left us for St. Louis, and my companion and myself proceeded on our route. We observed great numbers of the brown or sandhill crane, (Grus canadensis,) flying over us, some flocks were so high as to be entirely beyond the reach of vision, while their harsh, grating voices were very distinctly heard. We saw several flocks of the same cranes while ascending the Mississippi, several days since, At about noon, we crossed the river on a boat worked by horses, and stopped at a little town called St. Charles. We find it necessary, both for our comfort and convenience, to travel very slowly, as our feet are already becoming tender, and that we may have an opportunity of observing the country, and collecting interesting specimens. Un fortunately for the pursuits of my companion, the plants (of which he finds a number that are rare and curious) are not yet in flower, and PRAIRIE SETTLERS. therefore of little use to him.

The birds are in considerable numbers, among the principal of which is the large pileated woodpecker, (Picus pileatus.) Mr. N. and myself are both in high spirits. We travel slowly, and without much fatigue, and when we arrive at a house, stop and rest, take a drink of milk, and chat with those we see. We have been uniformly well treated ; the Hving is good, and very cheap, and at any house at which we stop, the inhabitants are sure to welcome us to their hospitality and good cheer. They five comfortably, and with out much labour ; possess a fruitful and easily tilled soil, for which they pay the trifling sum of one dollar and a quarter per acre; they raise an abundance of good Indian corn, potatoes and other vegetables ; have excellent beef and pork, and, in short, every thing necessary for good, wholesome living. 31s/. — The road to-day was muddy and slip pery, rendered so by a heavy rain which fell last night.

This morning, we observed large flocks of wild pigeons passing over, and on the PRAIRIE PLOVERS AND GROUSE. 9 bare prairies were thousands of golden plovers ; the ground was often literally covered with them for acres. I killed a considerable number. They were very fat, and we made an excellent meal of them in the evening. The prairie hen, or pinnated grouse, is also very numerous, but in these situations is shy, and difficult to be procured. Towards evening we were overtaken by a bluff, jolly looking man, on horseback, who, as is usual, stopped, and entered into conversation with us. I saw immediately that he was su perior to those we had been accustomed to meet. He did not ply us with questions so eagerly as most, and when he heard that we were naturalists, and were travelling in that capacity, he seemed to take considerable inte rest in us.

He invited us to stop at his house, which was only a mile beyond, and as night was almost upon us, we accepted the invitation with cheerfulness. Upon arriving at his man sion, our good host threw wide his hospitable doors, and with a formal, and rather ultra-dignified politeness, making us a low bow, said, b3 PRAIRIE MAIDENS. " Gentlemen, my name is P., and I am very happy of your company." We seated our selves in a large, and well-furnished parlour. Mr. P. excused himself for a few minutes, and soon returned, bringing in three fine looking girls, whom he introduced as his daughters. I took a particular fancy to one of them, from a strong resemblance which she bore to one of my female friends at home. These girls were certainly very superior to most of those I had seen in Missouri, although somewhat touched with the awkward bashfulness and prudery wliich generally characterizes the prairie maidens.

They had lost their mother when young, and having no companions out of the domestic circle, and consequently no opportu nity of aping the manners of the world, were perfect children of nature. Their father, how ever, had given them a good, plain education, and they had made some proficiency in needle v, ork, as was evinced by numerous neatly work ed samplers hanging in wooden frames around the room. Anon, supper was brought in. It consisted of pork chops, ham, eggs, Indian HOSPITALITY. bread and butter, tea, coffee, milk, potatoes, preserved ginger, and though last, certainly not least in value, an enormous tin dish of plo vers, (the contents of my game-bag,) fricaseed. Here was certainly a most abundant repast, and we did ample justice to it. I endeavoured to do the agreeable to the fair ones in the evening, and Mr. N. was mo nopolized by the father, who took a great inte rest in plants, and was evidently much gratified by the information my companion gave him on the subject.

The next morning when we rose, it was raining, and much had evidently fallen during the night, making the roads wet and muddy, and there fore unpleasant for pedestrians. I confess I was not sorry for this, for I felt myself very comfortably situated, and had no wish to take to the road. Mr. P. urged the propriety of our stopping at least another day, and the motion being seconded by his fair daughter, (my favorite,) it was irresistible. On the following morning the sun was shining brightly, the air was fresh and elastic, and the DEER HUNTING. roads tolerably dry, so that there was no longer any excuse for tarrying, and we prepared for our departure. Our good host, grasping our hands, said that he had been much pleased with our visit, and hoped to see us again; and when I bade good bye to the pretty Miss P., I told her that if I ever visited Missouri again, I would go many miles out of my way to see her and her sisters.

Her reply was unsophisticated enough. " Do come again, and come in May or June, for then there are plenty of prairie hens, and you can shoot as many as you want, and you must stay a long while with us, and we'll have nice times; good bye; I'm so sor ry you're going." April 4th. — I rose this morning at daybreak, and in company with a long, lanky boy, (a son of the poor widow, our hostess.) set to mould ing bullets in an old iron spoon, and preparing for deer hunting. The boy shouldered a rusty rifle, that looked almost antediluvian, and off we plodded to a thicket, two miles from the house. We soon saw about a dozen fine deer, and the boy, clapping his old fire-lock to his WILD TURKIES. 13 shoulder, brought down a beautiful doe at the distance of a full hundred yards. Away sprang the rest of the herd, and I crept round the thicket to meet them.

They soon came up, and I fired my piece at a large buck, and wounded the poor creature in the leg ; he went limping away, unable to overtake his companions ; I felt very sorry, but consoled myself with the reflection that he would soon get well again. We then gave up the pursuit, and turned our attention to. the turkies, which were rather numerous in the thicket. They were shy, as usual, and, when started from their lurking places, ran away like deer, and hid themselves in the underwood. Occasionally, however, they would perch on the high limbs of the trees, and then we had some shots at them. In the course of an hour we killed four, and returned to the house, where, as I expected, Mr. N. was in a fever at my absence, and after a late, and very good breakfast, we proceeded on our journey. We find in this part of the country less timber in the same space than we have yet LOUTRE LICK HOTEL. seen, and when a small belt appears, it is a great relief, as the monotony of a bare prairie becomes tiresome.

Towards evening we arrived at Loutre Lick. Here there is a place called an Hotel. An Hotel, forsooth ! a pig-stye would be a more appro priate name. Every thing about it was most exceedingly filthy and disagreeable, but no better lodging was to be had, for it might not be proper to apply for accommodation at a private house in the immediate vicinity of a public one. They gave us a wretched supper, not half so good as we had been accustomed to, and we were fain to spend the evening in a comfortless, unfurnished, nasty bar-room, that smelt intolerably of rum and whiskey; to listen to the profane conversation of three or four uncouth individuals, (among whom were the host and his brother ;) and to hear long and disagreeably minute discussions upon horse racing, gambling, and other vices equally un pleasant to us.

The host's brother had been to the Rocky Mountains, and soon learning our destination, UNWELCOME BED-FELLOWS. 15 gave us much unsought for advice regarding our method of journeying ; painted in strong colours the many dangers and difficulties which we must encounter, and concluded by advising us to give up the expedition. My fast ebbing patience was completely exhausted. I told him that nothing that he could say would discou rage us, — that we went to that house in order to seek repose, and it was unfair to intrude conversation upon us unasked. The ruffian made some grumbling reply, and left us in quiet and undisturbed possession of our bench. We had a miserable time that night. The only spare bed in the house was so intolerably filthy that we dared not undress, and we had hardly closed our eyes before we were assailed by swarms of a vile insect, (the very name of which is offensive,) whose effluvia we had plain ly perceived immediately as we entered the room.

It is almost needless to say, that very early on the following morning, after paying our reckoning, and refusing the landlord's polite invitation to " liquorize," we marched COMFORTABLE QUARTERS. from the house, shook the dust from our feet, and went elsewhere to seek a breakfast. Soon after leaving, we came to a deep and wide creek, and strained our lungs for half an hour in vain endeavours to waken a negro boy who lived in a hut on the opposite bank, and who, we were told, would ferry us over. He came out of his den at last, haff naked, and rubbing his eyes to see who had disturbed his slumbers so early in the morning. We told him to hurry over, or we would endeavour to assist him, and he came at last, with a miserable leaky little skiff that wet our feet com pletely. We gave him a pickayune for his trouble, and went on.

We soon came to a neat little secluded cottage in the very heart of a thick forest, where we found a fine looking young man, with an interesting wife, and a very pretty child about six months old. Upon being told that we wanted some breakfast, the woman tucked up her sleeves, gave the child to her husband, and went to work in good earnest. In a very short time a capital meal MOTHE rt WIT. was smoking on the board, and while we were partaking of the good cheer, we found our vexation rapidly evaporating. We compli mented the handsome young hostess, patted the chubby cheeks of the child, and were in a good humour with every body. 6th.— Soon after we started this morning, we were overtaken by a stage which was going to Fulton, seven miles distant, and as the roads were somewhat heavy, we resolved to make use of this convenience.

The only pas sengers were three young men from the far west, who had been to the eastward purchasing goods, and were then travelling homeward. Two of them evidently possessed a large share of what is called mother wit, and so we had jokes without number. Some of them were not very refined, and perhaps did not suit the day very well, (it being the Sabbath,) yet none of them were really offensive, but seemed to proceed entirely from an exuberance of animal spirits. In about an hour and a half we arrived at THE LAST CHURCH BELL. Fulton, a pretty little town, and saw the vil lagers in their holiday clothes parading along to church. The bell at that moment sounded, and the peal gave rise to many reflections. It might be long ere I should hear the sound of the " church-going bell " again. I was on my way to a far, far country, and I did not know that I should ever be permitted to re visit my own.

I felt that I was leaving the scenes of my childhood; the spot which had witnessed all the happiness I ever knew, the home where all my affections were centred. I was entering a land of strangers, and would be compelled hereafter to mingle with those who might look upon me with indifference, or treat me with neglect. These reflections were soon checked, how ever. We took a light lunch at the tavern where we stopped. I shouldered my gun, Mr. N. his stick and bundle, and off we trudged again, westward ho ! We soon lost sight of the prairie entirely, and our way lay through a country thickly covered with heavy timber, WESTWARD HO ! 19 the roads very rough and stony, and we had frequently to ford the creeks on our route, the late freshets having carried away tbe bridges. Our accommodation at the farm houses has generally been good and comfortable, and the inhabitants obliging, and anxious to please.

They are, however, exceedingly inquisitive, pro pounding question after question, in such quick succession as scarcely to allow you breathing time between them. This kind of catechising was at first very annoying to us, but we have now become accustomed to it, and have hit upon an expedient to avoid it in a measure. The first question generally asked, is, " where do you come from, gentlemen ?" We frame our answer somewhat in the style of Dr. Franklin. " We come from Pennsylvania ; our names, Nuttall and Townsend ; we are travelling to Independence on foot, for the purpose of see ing the country to advantage, and we intend to proceed from thence across the mountains to the Pacific. Have you any mules to sell ?" The last clause generally changes the conver- SQUIRREL HUNT. sation, and saves us trouble.