Survivor: The Autobiography Part 8

17 May Started early to try and get over the snow and down the other side. Had a fearful hard day's toil. Here is about a mile long of pure ice, as clear as crystal; you can see down into it several fathoms, just like looking down into the blue ocean, and no such thing as walking on it. We had to go round several times to where there was a little fresh snow lying on it, to be able to get along. At length made the foot of the saddle, and then we had some climbing to do to get up the mountain, which was covered with frost and snow, at an angle of 75 degrees. I was so weak that I thought I must give in, but I ate plenty of the little s...o...b..rries which grow under the snow. They helped us on a good deal, and we reached the top about 2 p.m. What a sight then met our eyes! Nothing but mountains of snow as far as we could see, in every direction but west. We got down by powerful exertion. At one time Simonin was behind me; I heard him sing out 'Look out', I turned round and he was coming down the snow at a fearful rate, head first, on his back. He held the gun in one hand, but had to let it go, when both he and the gun pa.s.sed me at the rate of a swallow, and did not stop till they reached a little flat about two miles down, with a fall of 1,000 feet. I thought he was killed, but he was all right, with the exception of being a little frightened. We got down to the head of the flat and camped. Such a day I hope never to see again.

18 May Snow and sleet all day. Tried to get away, but had to camp again about six miles down the gorge. Had to camp under a rock, in a foot of snow. No fire, wet clothes, and nothing to eat. Hard times.

19 May Turned out early and started down the gorge, which took us all day. Snow and rain all day. Reached the flat at dark and camped in the bush with two feet of snow. Had a fearful job to light a fire. Fearfully cold night; our feet frostbitten and very sore.

20 May Rain and snow. Could not stir out before the evening, when it turned out fine and we went hunting. Night very cold; snowing hard again and freezing.

21 May Travelled down a large flat and entered into the heaviest and steepest gorge3 I ever saw. Here we were very near losing Farrell. He volunteered to be lowered down by a flax rope on to a rock about 14 feet over the water, and thus pa.s.s our swags across; but when he got halfway down the rope broke and away he went into a fearful boiling eddy in the creek. I looked but could not see him anywhere for over a minute and a half, when I saw him rise just at the top of the precipice and seize at another rock, which he succeeded in catching hold of and getting upon. If he had gone 4 ft farther, he would have been dashed down a precipice 200 ft so that he would never have been seen any more. Camped that night on the bare stones by the side of the creek. Nothing for a bed and nothing to eat. Very cold.

22 May Made a start early. Saw the Plenty Lake. Could not make out where we were till we got near the flat; then could see the Wild Dog River, and knew we were about halfway between the two lakes. Just able to walk, but very weak. Caught two kakapo and two magpies, and had a better supper than we had had for many a day.

23 May Went out early to shoot something for breakfast, but could get nothing. Kept close to the left-hand range, going down towards Poverty Lake.

24 May Kept on down the side of the range, hunting as we went along.

25 May Turned out before daylight to try and shoot some kakas, which were over us in the high trees, as the pine is an immense height; these birds come here to roost at night, and fly away to the mountains at daylight. Could not see them; got to our old camp on Poverty Lake by sundown. Camped and had a good supper. Feel much refreshed but our feet are very sore; all our toes are covered with running sores; Simonin's feet are not bad; I believe mine are far the worst. I do hope we shall get a few days fine weather, so as to enable us to get into the Wakatip once more.

26 May Another change in the weather. Rain again. Cannot get out of the tent. Nothing to eat all day.

27 May Rain again all day. We shall be worse off than ever if this weather continues. We are very weak and no chance of any fish or game here as we are now on an island, on account of the lake rising all round us and running back into the lagoons. Got a little fern root.

28 May Rain in torrents again. I do not know what we shall do. This is the third day again and nothing to eat but a bit of fern root. We cannot get out of the tent; the water is rising slowly but surely.

29 May This is the most miserable day of my existence. We had to turn out last night at 10 o'clock, and the water rose so fast that we could not get anything away but our blankets. Had to wade to the side of the range up to our middles in water. We tied the powder and guns and a few other things up to the ridge pole, afraid to carry them away in case of getting them wet. The night was very dark and before [we rea]ched the hill I got up to my arms in water. [I thought] I should never get across, but we reached the land safe about a quarter of a mile distant. Had to walk up and down all night, the rain still pouring down. If this night does not kill us we shall never die. Daylight broke upon us, each looking for the other and wondering that we are all alive. Got a fire this morning: kept it going all day, but could not get back to our tent, as there is ten feet of water to go through, so we shall have another night, which I hope will be fine or we shall perish.

30 May Fine morning. Did not rain much all night. I cut my blanket in two, to make a tent of one half of it, and slept by the fire very comfortably, considering our situation. Farrell crossed to the tent up to his middle in water this morning, and brought the two guns and some powder, and shot a duck, which came up swimming in the lake. We also shot a little kaka, which we boiled with some fern root, for the first meal we have had in four days.

31 May Whilst in the act of packing up, I saw a rat which the dog had killed in the night. I never picked up a nugget of gold during the last ten years with more satisfaction than I picked him up, put him in the fire, and roasted him just as he was, then cut him in three parts, which we p.r.o.nounced the sweetest bit of meat we ever ate. Proceeded up the side of the range, very weak and tired, and the bush wet. Camped about one-third of the way up the range with clothes wet. Could not get a fire.

1 June Started early, to try and get over today. Camped about two miles from the saddle. Raining, very weak, and our feet awfully painful.

2 June Got over the saddle through the snow and down to Kakapo Flat,4 where we expected to stop a day or two and get plenty of game; but the flat was covered with snow, and consequently the birds do not come down out of the range at night, but stop under the rocks and in the timber in the warmest place. Caught one kakapo and one Maori hen, which we cooked for supper under a rock, where we camped about 10 o'clock. It rained all the remainder of the day. Went hunting, but the dog would not work, as he had had a bird that morning and eaten it.

3 June Continued on our road (feet getting worse) through the snow up the creek. Crossed over the flat and down to our old camp at the head of Mineral Creek. Caught one Maori hen and cooked it for supper, or rather for thirty-six hours' food for three men. Went to bed very weak and bad.

4 June Continued our course down the creek, made the old camp at the west foot of the dividing range, so tired that we would give all the world to be at the other side of it. Weather likely to be wet. Got three Maori hens, which is indeed a treat. Went to bed in good spirits, hoping we shall have good weather to get over the range, as that is all that troubles us. We know if we were over the divide we can get to the Wakatip if we do not get anything more to eat, as it is all downhill afterwards.

5 June Got down to the edge of the bush, when it commenced raining, with a heavy thick fog on the mountain. We consulted as to whether we should go on or not, the weather looking so bad. Camped. Rained all day. Caught one kakapo; very poor store to carry us over the divide. My feet are in an awful mess, and nothing to put on them but Maori hen fat. I do not think we shall be able to get over; we are three skeletons just alive.

6 June Packed up once more to cross the divide if possible. If we cannot cross, we shall have to follow the creek down to the Awarua River, from thence to the Kakapo Lake, down to the sea, and stop there all the winter if possible. We are now six days coming from Poverty Lake, which I have done in one day before now. Got up to the head of the timber by night, and camped under a rock.

7 June Raining very heavy this morning. This is the worst of all to be caught here, where we cannot get anything to eat. Commenced to snow at noon, and has every appearance of a heavy fall; so we must start. Did not get up a mile when we were up to our knees in soft snow; the higher we ascended the deeper it got, and we could scarcely see each other ten yards off. However we managed it after a long time, and when we got on top the snow was first-rate to walk on just hard enough to keep us up, and down this side was beautiful, till we came within a mile of the bottom, when the snow became very soft, and we were till eight o'clock at night before we got down to our old camp, where we camped on three feet of snow. Our blankets and clothes all wet.

8 June Snowed all night. Made a start down the creek, tumbling and rolling over rocks and stones, sometimes wholly disappearing in the snow, till we got down a few miles. Saw some kakas in a tree; my gun was too wet to be used, so Simonin got one of his barrels in the humour and shot seven of them, which saved our dog, as we had agreed to kill and eat him this afternoon. Still snowing. We here camped and cooked six of them. Had a good dinner and dried our clothes a little. Commenced to rain very hard again.

9 June Rained heavily all day. Cooked our remaining bird. I went up the creek in the afternoon but could not see anything. Our feet are breaking out in fresh places, and are very sore.

10 June Rain again. I wonder if we shall ever reach the Wakatip only two and a half days' tramp even in our state, and yet we cannot get a fine day, or anything to eat. If fasting and praying is of any value to sinners, we ought soon to become saints, for we have had enough of it lately. Cleared up about noon, when we made a start and got down a few miles further to our old camp.

11 June Got nearly to the Dart and in sight of the Wakatip, which was indeed a welcome sight to us. We caught plenty of Maori hens and had a good feast happy once more, even under our circ.u.mstances. Nearly skeletons, and can scarcely put one foot before the other.

12 June Turned out in good spirits, hoping this will be the last day of our hardships. Started down the Dart. Feet bad, and the gravel hurt them very much. Got down to the Island and heard some person shooting; crossed over to see who it was, and found the captain of Mr Rees's yacht and his mate, who were up pigeon shooting. We asked them to send a boat across to the other side of the Dart to fetch us when they returned, as they would be down before we should. They said they would either send a boat for us or come and fetch us themselves. We arrived at the Lake just at sundown; made a fire and commenced firing guns, which were answered from the township. In the course of an hour five of the boys came across for us in Mr Barrett's whale boat. We were invited by Mr Reid, at the station, to come up and stop there for a while till we got better. From thence we went to Frankton Hospital where, with the constant care and attention we receive, we hope to be soon recovered.

American soldiers and explorers. In 1803, Lewis and Clark were appointed co-commanders of the US Corps of Discovery with instructions to explore the continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean a vast unknown territory known as 'Louisiana', recently purchased by the US from France. Their subsequent 'Voyage of Discovery' lasted 28 months, covered 8,000 miles, and was chronicled in Lewis and Clark's expedition journals.

[Lewis] Monday, 26 August 1805 [Shoshone indian camp, Rocky Mountains] I found it a folly to think of attemp[t]ing to decend this river [the Snake] in canoes and therefore determined to commence the purchase of horses in the morning from the indians in order to carry into execution the design we had formed of pa.s.sing the rocky Mountains. I now informed Cameahwait of my intended expedition overland to the great river which lay in the plains beyond the mountains and told him that I wished to purchase 20 horses of himself and his people to convey our baggage. He observed that the Minnetares had stolen a great number of their horses this spring but hoped his people would spear me the number I wished. I also asked a guide, he observed that he had no doubt but the old man who was with Capt. C. would accompany us if we wished him and that he was better informed of the country than any of them. Matters being thus far arranged I directed the fiddle to be played and the party danced very merily much to the amus.e.m.e.nt and gratification of the natives, though I must confess that the state of my own mind at this moment did not well accord with the prevailing mirth as I somewhat feared that the caprice of the indians might suddenly induce them to withhold their horses from us without which my hopes of prosicuting my voyage to advantage was lost; however I determined to keep the indians in a good humour if possible, and to loose no time in obtaining the necessary number of horses. I directed the hunters to turn out early in the morning and indeavor to obtain some meat. I had nothing but a little parched corn to eat this evening.

[Clark] Thursday, 29 August 1805 I left our baggage in possession of 2 men and proceeded on up to join Capt. Lewis at the upper Village of Snake Indians where I arrived at 1 oClock found him much engaged in Councelling and attempting to purchase a fiew more horses. I Spoke to the Indians on various Subjects endeavoring to impress on theire minds the advantage it would be to them for to sell us horses and expedite the [our] journey the nearest and best way possibly that we might return as soon as possible and winter with them at Some place where there was plenty of buffalow, our wish is to get a horse for each man to carry our baggage and for Some of the men to ride occasionally, The horses are handsom and much acustomed to be changed as to their Parsture, we cannot calculate on their carrying large loads & feed on the Gra.s.s which we may calculate on finding in the Mountain thro' which we may expect to pa.s.s on our rout.

[Clark] Friday, 30 August 1805 finding that we Could purchase no more horse[s] than we had for our goods &c. (and those not a Sufficient number for each of our Party to have one which is our wish) I Gave my Fuzee to one of the men & Sold his musket for a horse which Completed us to 29 total horses, we Purchased pack cords Made Saddles & Set out on our rout down the [Lemhi] river by land guided by my old guide [and] one other who joined him, the old gu[i]de's 3 Sons followed him, before we Set out our hunters killed three Deer proceeded on 12 Miles and encamped on the river South Side.

at the time we Set out from the Indian Camps the greater Part of the Band Set out over to the waters of the Missouri. we had great attention paid to the horses, as they were nearly all Sore Backs, and Several pore, & young Those horses are indifferent, maney Sore backs and others not acustomed to pack, and as we cannot put large loads on them are Compelled to purchase as maney as we can to take our Small proportion of baggage of the Parties, (& Eate if necessary) Proceeded on 12 Miles to day.

[Clark] Monday, 2 September 1805 proceeded on up the Creek, proceded on thro' thickets in which we were obliged to Cut a road, over rockey hill Sides where our horses were in [per]peteal danger of Slipping to their certain distruction & up & Down Steep hills, where Several horses fell, Some turned over, and others Sliped down Steep hill Sides, one horse Crippeled & 2 gave out.

[Clark] Tuesday, 3 September 1805 hills high & rockey on each Side, in the after part of the day the high mountains closed the Creek on each Side and obliged us to take on the Steep Sides of those Mountains, So Steep that the horses Could Scur[ce]ly keep from Slipping down, Several sliped & Injured themselves verry much, with great dificuelty we made [blank s.p.a.ce in MS.] miles & Encamped on a branch of the Creek we a.s.sended after crossing Several Steep points & one mountain, but little to eate The mouintains to the East Covered with Snow. we met with a great misfortune, in haveing our last Th[er]mometer broken, by accident. This day we pa.s.sed over emence hils and Some of the worst roads that ever horses pa.s.sed, our horses frequently fell Snow about 2 inches deep when it began to rain which terminated in a Sleet [storm].

Tuesday, 3 September 1805 N. 25. W. 2 Miles to a Small fork on the left Hilley and thick a.s.sending N. 15. W. 2 miles to a fork on the right a.s.sending N. 22. W. 2 miles to a fork on the left pa.s.sing one on the left Several Spring runs on the right Stoney hills & much falling timber N. 18. E. 2 miles pa.s.sing over Steep points & winding ridges to a high Point pa.s.sed a run on the right N. 32. W. 2 miles to the top of a high hill pa.s.sed 2 runs from the left, pa.s.sing on the Side of a Steep ridge. no road N. 40. W 3.

14 miles leaveing the waters of the Creek to the right & pa.s.sing over a high pine Mountn. o the head of a Drean running to the left

[Clark] Wednesday, 4 September 1805 a verry cold morning every thing wet and frosed, Groun[d] covered with Snow, we a.s.sended a mountain & took a Divideing ridge5 which we kept for Several Miles & fell on the head of a Creek which appeared to run the Course we wished to go prosued our Course down the Creek to the forks about 5 miles where we met a part[y] of the Tushepau nation, of 33 Lodges about 80 men 400 Total and at least 500 horses, those people rec[e]ved us friendly, threw white robes over our Sholders & Smoked in the pipes of peace, we Encamped with them & found them friendly but nothing but berries to eate a part of which they gave us, those Indians are well dressed with Skin shirts & robes, they [are] Stout & light complected more So than Common for Indians, The Chief harangued untill late at night, Smoked in our pipe and appeared Satisfied. I was the first white man who ever wer on the waters of this river.

[Clark] Thursday, 5 September 1805 we a.s.sembled the Chiefs & warriers and Spoke to them (with much dificuel[t]y as what we Said had to pa.s.s through Several languages before it got into theirs, which is a gugling kind of language Spoken much thro the throught [throat]) we informed them who we were, where we came from, where bound and for what purpose &c. &c. and requested to purchase & exchange a fiew horses with them, in the Course of the day I purchased 11 horses & exchanged 7 for which we gave a fiew articles of merchendize, those people possess ellegant horses.

[Clark] Friday, 6 September 1805 took a Vocabelary of the language listened our loads & packed up, rained contd. untill 12 oClock all our horses purchased of the flat heads (oote-lash-shutes) we Secured well for fear of their leaveing of us, and Watched them all night for fear of their leaving us or the Indians prosuing & Steeling them.

[Lewis] Monday, 9 September 1805 two of our hunters have arrived, one of them brought with him a redheaded woodp.e.c.k.e.r of the large kind common to the U States. this is the first of the kind I have seen since I left the Illinois. just as we were seting out Drewyer arrived with two deer. we continued our rout down the valley about 4 miles and crossed the river; it is hear a handsome stream about 100 yards wide and affords a considerable quant.i.ty of very clear water, the banks are low and it's bed entirely gravel. the stream appears navigable, but from the circ.u.mstance of their being no sammon in it I believe that there must be a considerable fall in it below. our guide could not inform us where this river6 discharged itself into the columbia river, he informed us that it continues it's course along the mountains to the N as far as he knew it and that not very distant from where we then were it formed a junction with a stream nearly as large as itself which took it's rise in the mountains near the Missouri to the East of us and pa.s.sed through an extensive valley generally open prarie which forms an excellent pa.s.s to the missouri. the point of the Missouri where this Indian pa.s.s intersects it, is about 30 miles above the gates of the rocky mountain, or the place where the valley of the Missouri first widens into an extensive plain after entering the rockey Mountains. the guide informed us that a man might pa.s.s to the Missouri from hence by that rout in four days.

we continued our rout down the W. side of the river about 5 miles further and encamped on a large creek which falls in on the West. as our guide inform[ed] me that we should leave the river at this place and the weather appearing settled and fair I determined to halt the next day rest our horses and take some scelestial Observations. we called this Creek Travellers rest.

[Clark] Wednesday, 11 September 1805 proceeded on up the Travellers rest Creek accompanied by the Flat head Indian about 7 miles our guide tels us a fine large roade pa.s.ses up this river to the Missouri. The loss of 2 of our horses detained us unl. 3 oClock P.M. our Flat head Indian being restless thought proper to leave us and proceed on alone, Sent out the hunters to hunt in advance as usial. (we have Selected 4 of the best hunters to go in advance to hunt for the party. This arrangement has been made long since) Encamped at Some old Indian Lodges, nothing killed this evening hills on the right high & ruged, the mountains on the left high & Covered with Snow. The day Verry worm.

[Clark] Thursday, 12 September 1805 The road through this hilley Countrey is verry bad pa.s.sing over hills & thro' Steep hollows, over falling timber &c. &c. continued on & pa.s.sed Some most intolerable road on the Sides of the Steep Stoney mountains, which might be avoided by keeping up the Creek which is thickly covered with under groth & falling timber, Crossed a Mountain 8 miles with out water & encamped on a hill Side on the Creek after Decending a long Steep mountain, Some of our Party did not get up untill 10 oClock P M.

[Clark] Thursday (Sat.u.r.day), 14 September 1805 a verry high Steep mountain for 9 miles to a large fork from the left which appears to head in the Snow toped mountains we Encamped opposit a Small Island at the mouth of a branch on the right side of the river which is at this place 80 yards wide, Swift and Stoney, here we were compelled to kill a Colt for our men & Selves to eat for the want of meat & we named the South fork Colt killed Creek, and this river we Call Flat head River the flat head name is Koos koos ke The Mountains which we pa.s.sed to day much worst than yesterday the last excessively bad & thickly Strowed with falling timber & Pine Spruce fur Hackmatak & Tamerack, Steep & Stoney our men and horses much fatigued.

[Clark] Wednesday (Sunday), 15 September 1805 Several horses Sliped and roled down Steep hills which hurt them verry much the one which Carried my desk & Small trunk Turned over & roled down a mountain for 40 yards & lodged against a tree, broke the Desk the horse escaped and appeared but little hurt Some others very much hurt, from this point I observed a range of high mountains Covered with Snow from SE to SW with their tops bald or void of timber, after two hours delay we proceeded on up the mountain Steep & ruged as usial, more timber near the top, when we arrived at the top As we Conceved, we could find no water and Concluded to Camp and make use of the Snow we found on the top to cook the remns. of our Colt & make our Supe, evening verry cold and cloudy. Two of our horses gave out, pore and too much hurt to proceed on and left in the rear. nothing killed to day except 2 Phests.

From this mountain I could observe high ruged mountains in every direction as far as I could see. with the greatest exertion we could only make 12 miles up this mountain.

[Clark] Sat.u.r.day (Monday), 16 September 1805 began to Snow about 3 hours before Day and continued all day the Snow in the morning 4 inches deep on the old Snow, and by night we found it from 6 to 8 inches deep, I walked in front to keep the road and found great dificuelty in keeping it as in maney places the Snow had entirely filled up the track, and obliged me to hunt Several minits for the track, at 12 oClock we halted on the top of the mountain to worm & dry our Selves a little as well as to let our horses rest and graze a little on Some long gra.s.s which I observed, (on) The (South) k.n.o.bs Steep hill Sides & falling timber Continue to day, and a thickly timbered Countrey of 8 different kinds of pine, which are so covered with Snow, that in pa.s.sing thro' them we are continually covered with Snow.

I have been wet and as cold in every part as I ever was in my life, indeed I was at one time fearfull my feet would freeze in the thin Mockirsons which I wore, after a Short Delay in the middle of the Day, I took one man and proceeded on as fast as I could about 6 miles to a Small branch pa.s.sing to the right, halted and built fires for the party agains[t] their arrival which was at Dusk, verry cold and much fatigued, we Encamped at this Branch in a thickly timbered bottom which was scurcely large enough for us to lie leavil, men all wet cold and hungary. Killed a Second Colt which we all Suped hartily on and thought it fine meat.

[Lewis] Wednesday, 18 September 1805 Cap Clark set out this morning to go a head with six hunters. there being no game in these mountains we concluded it would be better for one of us to take the hunters and hurry on to the leavel country a head and there hunt and provide some provisions while the other remained with and brought on the party. the latter of these was my part; accordingly I directed the horses to be gotten up early being determined to force my march as much as the abilities of our horses would permit.

this morning we finished the remainder of our last coult. we dined & suped on a skant proportion of portable soupe, a few canesters of which, a little bears oil and about 20 lbs of candles form our stock of provision, the only resources being our guns & packhorses. the first is but a poor dependance in our present situation where there is nothing upon earth ex[c]ept ourselves and a few small pheasants, small grey Squirrels, and a blue bird of the vulter kind about the size of a turtle dove or jay bird.

[Clark] Monday (Wednesday), 18 September 1805 I proceeded on in advance with Six hunters to try and find deer or Something to kill.

[Lewis] Thursday, 19 September 1805 Fraziers horse fell from this road in the evening, and roled with his load near a hundred yards into the Creek. we all expected that the horse was killed but to our astonishment when the load was taken off him he arose to his feet & appeared to be but little injured, in 20 minutes he proceeded with his load. this was the most wonderfull escape I ever witnessed, the hill down which he roled was almost perpendicular and broken by large irregular and broken rocks.

we took a small quant.i.ty of portable soup, and retired to rest much fatiegued. several of the men are unwell of the disentary. brakings out, or irruptions of the Skin, have also been common with us for some time.

[Clark] Tuesday (Thursday), 19 September 1805 Set our early proceeded on up the [Hungry] Creek pa.s.sing through a Small glade at 6 miles at which place we found a horse. I derected him killed and hung up for the party after takeing a brackfast off for our Selves which we thought fine.

[Lewis] Friday, 20 September 1805 This morning my attention was called to a species of bird which I had never seen before. It was reather larger than a robbin, tho' much it's form and action. the colours were a blueish brown on the back the wings and tale black, as wa.s.s a stripe above the croop 3 4 of an inch wide in front of the neck, and two others of the same colour pa.s.sed from it's eyes back along the sides of the head. the top of the head, neck brest and belley and b.u.t.ts of the wing were of a fine yellowish brick reed [red]. it was feeding on the buries of a species of shoe-make or ash which grows common in [this] country & which I first observed on 2d. of this month. I have also observed two birds of a blue colour both of which I believe to be of the haulk or vulter kind. the one of a blue shining colour with a very high tuft of feathers on the head a long tale, it feeds on flesh the beak and feet black. it's note is ch-h, ch-h. it is about the size of a pigeon, and in shape and action resembles the jay bird.

Three species of Pheasants, a large black species, with some white feathers irregularly scattered on the brest neck and belley a smaller kind of a dark uniform colour with a red stripe above the eye, and a brown and yellow species that a gooddeel resembles the phesant common to the Atlantic States.

we were detained this morning untill ten oclock in consequence of not being enabled to collect our horses. we had proceeded about 2 Miles when we found the greater part of a horse which Capt. Clark had met with and killed for us. he informed me by note that he should proceed as fast as possible to the leavel country which lay to the SW of us, which we discovered from the heights of the mountains on the 19th there he intended to hunt until our arrival. at one oclock we halted on a small branch runing to the left and made a hearty meal on our horse beef much to the comfort of our hungry stomachs. here I learnt that one of the Packhorses with his load was missing and immediately dispatched Baptiest Lapage who had charge of him, to surch for him. he returned at 3 OC. without the horse. The load of the horse was of considerable value consisting of merchandize and all my stock of winter cloathing. I therefore dispatched two of my best woodsmen in surch of him, and proceeded with the party.

our road was much obstructed by fallen timber particularly in the evening. we encamped on a ridge where ther was but little gra.s.s for our horses, and at a distance from water. however we obtained as much as served our culinary purposes and suped on our beef. the soil as you leave the heights of the mountains becomes gradually more fertile. the land through which we pa.s.sed this evening is of an excellent quality tho' very broken, it is a dark grey soil. a grey free stone appearing in large ma.s.ses above the earth in many places. saw the hucklebury, honeysuckle, and alder common to the Atlantic states, also a kind of honeysuckle which bears a white bury and rises about 4 feet high not common but to the western side of the rockey mountains. a growth which resembles the choke cherry bears a black bury with a single stone of sweetish taste, it rises to the hight of 8 or 10 feet and grows in thick clumps. the Arborvita is also common and grows to an immence size, being from 2 to 6 feet in diameter.

[Clark] Wednesday (Friday), 20 September 1805 I set out early and proceeded on through a Countrey as ruged as usial at 12 miles decended the mountain to a level pine Countrey proceeded on through a butifull Countrey for three miles to a Small Plain in which I found maney Indian lodges,7 a man Came out to meet me, & Conducted me to a large s.p.a.cious Lodge which he told me (by Signs) was the Lodge of his great Chief who had Set out 3 days previous with all the Warriers of the nation to war on a South West derection & would return in 15 or 18 days. the fiew men that were left in the Village and great numbers of women geathered around me with much apparent signs of fear, and apr. pleased they those people gave us a Small piece of Buffalow meat, Some dried Salmon beries & roots in different States, Some round and much like an onion which they call Pas she co [quamash. the Bread or Cake is called Pas-shi-co] Sweet, of this they make bread & Supe they also gave us, the bread made of this root all of which we eate hartily, I gave them a fiew Small articles as preasents, and proceeded on with a Chief to his Village 2 miles in the Same Plain, where we were treated kindly in their way and continued with them all night Those two Villages consist of about 30 double lodges, but fiew men a number of women & children, they call themselves Cho pun-nish or Pierced noses8 Their diolect appears verry different from the flat heads, [Tushapaws], altho origineally the Same people.

Emence quant.i.ty of the [quawmash or] Pas-shi-co root gathered & in piles about the plain, those roots grow much like an onion in marshey places the seed are in triangular Sh.e.l.ls, on the Stalk. they sweat them in the following manner i.e. dig a large hole 3 feet deep, cover the bottom with Split wood on the top of which they lay Small Stones of about 3 or 4 Inches thick, a Second layer of Splited wood & Set the whole on fire which heats the Stones, after the fire is extinguished they lay gra.s.s & mud mixed on the Stones, on that dry gra.s.s which Supports the Pash-shi-co root a thin Coat of the Same gra.s.s is laid on the top, a Small fire is kept when necessary in the Center of the kill &c.

I find myself verry unwell all the evening from eateing the fish & roots too freely Sent out hunters they killed nothing.

[Lewis] Sat.u.r.day, 21 September 1805 we killed a few Pheasants, and I killed a prarie woolf which together with the ballance of our horse beef and some crawfish which we obtained in the creek enabled us to make one more hearty meal, not knowing where the next was to be found.

the Arborvita increases in quant.i.ty and size. I saw several sticks today large enough to form eligant perogues of at least 45 feet in length. I find myself growing weak for the want of food and most of the men complain of a similar deficiency, and have fallen off very much.

[Clark] Thursday (Sat.u.r.day), 21 September 1805 A fine Morning Sent out all the hunters in different directions to hunt deer, I my self delayed with the Chief to prevent Susp.i.s.sion and to Collect by Signs as much information as possible about the river and Countrey in advance. The Chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me that a greater Chief than himself was fishing at the river half a days march from his Village called the twisted hare [hair], and that the river forked a little below his Camp and at a long distance below & below 2 large forks one from the left & the other from the right the river pa.s.sed thro' the mountains at which place was a great fall of the Water pa.s.sing through the rocks, at those falls white people lived from whome they precured the white Beeds & Bra.s.s &c. which the womin wore.

I am verry sick to day and puke which relive me.

[Lewis] Sunday, 2 September 1805 Notwithstanding my positive directions to hubble the horses last evening one of the men neglected to comply. he plead[ed] ignorance of the order. this neglect however detained us untill after eleven OCk. at which time we renewed our march, our course being about west. We had proceeded about two and a half miles when we met Reubin Fields one of our hunters, whom Capt. Clark had dispatched to meet us with some dryed fish and roots that he had procured from a band of Indians, whose lodges were about eight miles in advance. I ordered the party to halt for the purpose of taking some refreshment. I divided the fish roots and buries, and was happy to find a sufficiency to satisfy compleatly all our appet.i.tes. the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the rockey Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile country where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence for myself and party can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less pleasing. on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with their children, a circ.u.mstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive. the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us at a short distance from their lodges unarmed.

[Clark] Friday (Sunday), 22 September 1805 Set out with the Chief & his Son on a young horse for the Village at which place I expected to meet Capt Lewis this young horse in fright threw himself & me 3 times on the Side of a Steep hill & hurt my hip much, Cought a Coalt which we found on the roade & I rode it for Several miles untill we saw the Chiefs horses, he Cought one & we arrived at his Village at Sunset, & himself and mys[el]f walked upto the 2d Village where I found Capt Lewis & the party Encamped, much fatigued, & hungery, much rejoiced to find something to eate of which they appeared to partake plentifully I cautioned them of the Consequences of eateing too much &c.

The planes appeared covered with Spectators viewing the white men and the articles which we had, our party weakened and much reduced in flesh as well as Strength.

I got the Twisted hare to draw the river from his Camp down which he did with great Cherfullness on a white Elk skin, from the 1st. fork which is few miles below, to the large fork on which the So So ne or Snake Indians fish, is South 2 Sleeps; to a large river which falls in on the NW Side and into which The Clarks river empties itself is 5 Sleeps from the mouth of that river to the falls is 5 Sleeps at the falls he places Establishments of white people &c. and informs that the great numbers of Indians reside on all those fo[r]ks as well as the main river; one other Indian gave me a like account of the Countrey. Some few drops of rain this evening. I precured maps of the Countrey & river with the Situation of Indians, Towns from Several men of note Separately which varied verry little.

[Clark] Sat.u.r.day (Monday), 23 September 1805 gave a Shirt to the Twisted hare & a knife & Handkerchief with a Small pece of Tobacco to each. Finding that those people gave no provisions to day we deturmined to purchase with our Small articles of Merchindize, accord[ingly] we purchased all we could, Such as roots dried, in bread, & in their raw State, Berries of red Haws & Fish.

Capt. Lewis & 2 men Verry Sick this evening, my hip Verry Painfull, the men trade a few old tin Canisters for dressed Elk Skin to make themselves Shirts. at dark a hard wind from the SW accompanied with rain which lasted half an hour. The twisted hare envited Capt. Lewis & myself to his lodge which was nothin[g] more than Pine bushes & bark, and gave us Some broiled dried Salmon to eate, great numbers about us all night. at this village the women were busily employed in gathering and drying the Pas-she-co root of which they had great quant.i.ties dug in piles.

[Clark] Sunday (Tuesday), 24 September 1805 despatched J. Colter back to hunt the horses lost in the mountains & bring up Some Shot left behind, and at 10 oClock we all Set out for the river and proceeded on by the Same rout I had previously traveled, and at Sunset we arrived at the Island on which I found the Twisted hare, and formed a Camp on a large Island a little below, Capt. Lewis scercely able to ride on a jentle horse which was furnished by the Chief, Several men So unwell that they were Compelled to lie on the Side of the road for Some time others obliged to be put on horses. I gave rushes Pills to the Sick this evening. Several Indians follow us.

[Clark] Monday (Wednesday), 25 September 1805 I Set out early with the Chief and 2 young men to hunt Some trees Calculated to build Canoes, as we had previously deturmined to proceed on by water, I was furnished with a horse and we proceeded on down the river Pa.s.sed down on the N side of the river to a fork from the North we halted about an hour, one of the young men took his guig and killed 6 fine Salmon two of them were roasted and we eate, I Saw fine timber for Canoes.

[Clark] Tuesday (Thursday), 26 September 1805 I had the axes distributed and handled and men apotned. [apportioned] ready to commence building canoes on tomorrow, our axes are Small & badly calculated to build Canoes of the large Pine, Capt Lewis Still very unwell, Several men taken Sick on the way down, I administered Salts Pils Galip, [jalap] Tarter emetic &c. I feel unwell this evening, two Chiefs & their families follow us and encamp near us, they have great numbers of horses. This day proved verry hot, we purchase fresh Salmon of the Indians.

[Clark] Thursday (Sat.u.r.day), 28 September 1805 Our men nearly all Complaining of their bowels, a heaviness at the Stomach & Lax, Some of those taken first getting better, a had one of the other Canoes unloaded & with the a.s.sistance of our Small Canoe and one Indian Canoe took out every thing & toed the empty Canoe on Sh.o.r.e.

[Clark] Wednesday, 9 October 1805 at Dark we were informed that our old guide & his son had left us and had been Seen running up the river Several miles above, we could not account for the cause of his leaveing us at this time, without receiving his pay for the services he had rendered us, or letting us know anything of his intention.

we requested the Chief to Send a horseman after our old guide to come back and receive his pay &c. which he advised us not to do as his nation would take his things from him before he pa.s.sed their camps. The Indians and our party were verry mery this after noon a woman faind madness &c. &c. Singular acts of this woman in giveing in small po[r]tions all she had & if they were not received She would Scarrify her self in a horid manner &c. Capt Lewis recovering fast.

[Clark] Wednesday (Thursday), 10 October pa.s.sed 2 Islands and two bad rapids at 3 miles lower pa.s.sed a Creek on the Lard. with wide cotton willow bottoms we arrived at the heade of a verry bad riffle at which place we landed near 8 Lodges of Indians after viewg. this riffle two Canoes were taken over verry well; the third stuck on a rock which took us an hour to get her off which was effected without her receiving a greater injurey than a Small Split in her Side which was repaired in a Short time, we purchased fish & dogs of those people, dined and proceeded on. here we met with an Indian from the falls at which place he Sais he saw white people, and expressed an inclination to accompany us, we pa.s.sed a few miles above this riffle 2 Lodges and an Indian batheing in a hot bath made by hot stones thrown into a pon[d] of water. at five miles lower and Sixty miles below the forks arived at a large southerly fork which is the one we were on with the Snake or So-So-nee nation (haveing pa.s.sed 5 rapids) This South fork or number of Indians about us gazeing This day proved verry worm and Sultery, nothing killed men complaining of their diat of fish & roots. all that is able working at the Canoes.

[Clark] Friday (Sat.u.r.day) 5 October 1805 had all our horses 38 in number Collected and branded Cut off their fore top and delivered them to the 2 brothers and one son of one of the Chiefs who intends to accompany us down the river to each of those men I gave a Knife & Some Small articles &c. they promised to be attentive to our horses untill we Should return.

Nothing to eate except dried fish & roots. Capt Lewis & myself eate a Supper of roots boiled, which Swelled us in Such a manner that we were Scercely able to breath for Several hours. finished and lanced (launched) 2 of our canoes this evening which proved to be verry good our hunters with every diligence Could kill nothing. The hills high and ruged and woods too dry to hunt the deer which is the only game in our neighbourhood. Several Squars Came with fish and roots which we purchased of them for Beeds, which they were fond of. Capt Lewis not So well to day as yesterday.

[Clark] Monday, 7 October 1805 I continue verry unwell but obliged to attend every thing all the Canoes put into the water and loaded, fixed our Canoes as well as possible and Set out as we were about to Set out we missd. both of the Chiefs who promised to accompany us, I also missed my Pipe Tomahawk which could not be found.

The after part of the day cloudy proceded on pa.s.sed 10 rapids which wer dangerous the Canoe in which I was Struck a rock and Sprung a leak in the 3rd rapid, we proceeded on.

After descending the Snake and Columbia rivers, the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific on 15 November 1805. They wintered on the south bank of the Columbia, before making the return journey, reaching their jump-off point of St Louis on 23 September 1806, having long been given up for dead by everyone except the Voyage's instigator, President Thomas Jefferson.

South African soldier, explorer and philosopher. He served with the British army during the Second World War, rising to the rank of colonel. With the cessation of hostilities he was employed by the British government to explore remote parts of Africa, including Mount Mlanje (the setting for Rider Haggard's The People of the Mist). While on the mountain a 'chiperone', or rainstorm, blew up.

Vance now said he knew an easy way down off the mountain which led to a large tea estate at the bottom. Quillan said he knew it too, it was the old timber carriers' track. It was steep, but cut out in the side of the Great Ruo gorge and clearly defined. We could not go wrong. Only it meant abandoning the last part of the trip and that, he thought, would be a pity for me. I said firmly, 'Abandon.' Vance then decided to go ahead to the tea estate and get a truck to take us round by road to Likabula. With luck, he said, we could all be back on the mountain at Chambe that evening.

With our last eggs I made him a quick omelette for breakfast, and sent him off in the rain. Quillan and I followed slowly with the carriers.

We set out at eight but the rain was so thick and violent that there was only a dim, first-light around us. We went slowly. The track was steep and highly dangerous. On the left of us, only a yard or so away, was that deep cleft down to the Great Ruo gorge. The bearers too had great difficulty with their loads. They had to lower themselves down from one level to another by cedar roots and help one another down perilous mud precipices.

As we went down, the noise of falling water all round us became deafening. Whenever there was a slight lift of the rain and mist, the half-light, the mepacrine gloom on the mountain would be suddenly illuminated by a broad, vivid flash of foaming white water leaping down the face of smooth black cliffs, thousands of feet high. We had to shout in places to make ourselves heard.

Moreover the mountain itself, the very stones on which we trod, the mud wherein we slid, seemed to begin to vibrate and tremble under this terrible pounding of water. At moments when we rested, the ground shook like a greaser's platform in the engine-room of a great ship. This movement underfoot, combined with the movement of the flashing, leaping, foaming water in our eyes, and driving rain and swirling mists, gave to our world a devastating sense of instability. The farther down we went, the more p.r.o.nounced it became, until I began to fear that the whole track would suddenly slither like a crocodile from underneath my feet and leave me falling for ever under the rain and Mlanje's cataclysmic water. It needed a conscious effort of will to keep me upright, and I found this all the more difficult because of a new complication that was arising. I began to feel as if my very senses were abandoning their moorings inside myself.

Luckily this stage of the journey did not last too long. Two and a quarter hours later our track suddenly became easier and broader.

Quillan said, 'We'll soon be off it now.'

We came round a bend in the track and there, to our surprise, was Vance. He was sitting at the side of a fast stream of water which was pouring over the track and had evidently held him up. He was joining some lengths of creeper, of monkey rope, together.

'I didn't want to cross this stream without a rope,' he said. 'I have been up and down this stream as far as possible and this is the best place to try it. It doesn't look difficult. Do you think this will do?'

He handed me his rope of creepers.

'No! Certainly not,' I said, and looked at the stream.

Its beginnings, above us, were lost in the mist and rain. Then it suddenly appeared out of the gloom about a hundred yards above, charging down at us at a steep angle, and finally, just before it reached us, smashing itself up behind a tremendous rock, deeply embedded on the side of the gorge. Somewhere behind the rock it rea.s.sembled its shattered self and emerged from behind it flowing smoothly. For about twenty yards it looked a quiet, well-behaved stream but, on our left at the track's edge, it resumed its headlong fall into the terrible main Ruo gorge below us. I now went to this edge and looked over, but the falling water vanished quickly in the gloom and told me nothing. Only the ground shook with the movement as my eyes and head ached with the noise.