V.

Encounter with the Sioux-Manuel Lisa and his Schemes-Buffalo PlainsAntelopes-Aricaras and Cheyennes-Difficulties of the March-William Cannon and the Grizzly Bear-The Pilot Knobs-Pierre Dorion's SquawHer patient Endurance and Courage-Arrival at Astoria-New Expeditions Planned.

THR

'HREE hardy hunters were now picked up in the woods, and induced to join the expedition; and very opportune was this meeting for our travellers, for soon afterwards a large war party of the dreaded Sioux was encountered, numbering about six hundred warriors. These ranged themselves at a point of the river somewhat above the boats, and were evidently determined to dispute the passage. Mr. Hunt, on his part, was not disposed to turn back, and prepared for a fight. On seeing this, the savages held a parley; and in the end the calumet of peace was smoked, and the opposition of the Sioux was overcome by a judicious present of tobacco and corn.

The ingenious Mr. Manuel Lisa, who had already made overtures for a junction of the two expeditions for purposes of mutual defence, now came up with his party; and a sort of alliance, though by no means a cordial one, was made. It soon appeared, however, that Lisa was endeavouring to detach some of Mr. Hunt's men from their allegiance. An attempt made to tamper with the redoubtable Pierre Dorion put that worthy personage into a fury, an allusion having been indiscreetly made to that ancient grievance the whiskey debt; a quarrel occurred which almost led to bloodshed, and McClellan openly declared that he would shoot Lisa dead on the least appearance of treachery.

All confidence between the two sides being now at an end, the rival parties coasted on opposite sides of the river, Mr. Hunt taking especial care to keep slightly in advance, that Lisa might not get the start of him, and work upon the Indians to his prejudice. And now they entered the pathless wastes in which the great herds of buffalo, the chief source of support to some of the Indian tribes, were roaming in unchecked freedom. We are told, "At one place the shores seemed absolutely lined with buffaloes; many were making their way across the stream, snorting, and blowing, and floundering. Numbers, in spite of every effort, were borne by the rapid current within shot of the boat, and several were killed. At another place a number were

F

*

descried on the beach of a small island, under the shade of the trees, or standing in the water like cattle, to avoid the flies and the heat of the day. * * Besides the buffaloes, we saw abundance of deer, and frequent gangs of stately elks, together with light troops of sprightly antelopes, the fleetest and most beautiful inhabitants of the prairies.”

There are two kinds of antelopes in these regions: one nearly the size of the common deer, the other not much larger than a goat. Their colour is a light grey, or rather dun, spotted with white, and they have small horns, like those of a deer, which they never shed. Nothing can surpass the delicate and elegant finish of their limbs, in which lightness, elasticity, and strength are wonderfully combined. All the attitudes and movements of this beautiful animal are graceful and picturesque; and it is altogether a fit subject for the fanciful uses of the poet, as the oft-sung gazelle of the East. John Day, the hunter, was very successful in shooting these beautiful animals. He used to attract them by fastening a handkerchief to the end of a ramrod, and waving it in the air, while he lay concealed among the long grass; the antelopes, coming up to inspect the novel sight, were shot down as they came within the range of the marksman.

At a village of the Aricara Indians, the travellers had an opportunity of seeing the excellent horsemanship of the Indians. They seemed almost to live on horseback, and even the smallest children were fastened on the backs of shaggy ponies. Their skill in horse-breaking and horse-stealing was remarkable. The Cheyenne Indians rival the Aricaras in their skill as riders.

The march across the prairies towards the west was far more toilsome and harassing than the navigation of the river. Sometimes the travellers were in great straits for provisions, at others they were menaced with Indian attacks. It was very difficult to procure horses for the transport of the baggage and goods; and it was amid difficulty of every kind that they slowly made their way westward towards the Rocky Mountains. Some alarm was created more than once in the camp by the discovery of tracks of the grizzly bear. William Cannon, one of the hunters attached to the expedition, had a narrow escape from one of these formidable animals. Cannon had been bantered somewhat freely by his companions on his ill-success in hunting, and his inaccuracy as a marksman. He one day sallied forth alone, determined to bring home game of some kind. He was fortunate enough to shoot a buffalo, and we are told, “As he was at a considerable distance

from the camp, he cut out the tongue and some of the choice bits, made them into a parcel, and slinging them on his shoulders by a strap passed round his forehead, as the voyageurs carry packages of goods, set out all glorious for the camp, anticipating a triumph over his brother hunters." But poor Cannon had not calculated on the bad company he might meet by the way. In a narrow ravine a grizzly bear came trotting after him. Cannon dropped the buffalo meat, and ran for his life. The grizzly did not seem to care for eating buffalo when there was a chance of eating hunter; he passed the place where the meat lay without even stopping to sniff at it, and kept steadily on after the affrighted hunter. Cannon, almost breathless with haste and fright, managed to reach a tree, into which he scrambled. Bruin established a blockade at the foot of the tree, and waited with a methodical patience extremely irksome to the hunter until night came on, and Cannon was left to conjecture whether the bear had abandoned his post or was still "on duty." The morning dawn, however, showed that he had betaken himself away; and the baffled hunter was glad to make his way back to the camp, without thinking it worth while, under the circumstances, to make any search for his dropped parcel of buffalo meat.

An important point in the journey was reached when the travellers came near to the Pilot Knobs, three peaks of the Rocky Mountains which serve as landmarks to companies crossing the range. In the desert region they had to traverse on the western side of the range they suffered terribly from hunger, thirst, and cold. It was necessary to leave almost all the goods behind in pits, or, as they are called by the backwoodsmen, "caches," made to receive them. Mr. Crooks and some of the party who were unable to proceed with the rest were left behind in the wilderness; and the gloomiest apprehensions for the future took possession of nearly all the wanderers. Through danger, toil, and hardship, the poor squaw, the wife of Pierre Dorion, trudged uncomplainingly on. She became the mother of a poor little papoose,

which lived but a short time after its birth. Even this event did not hinder her from keeping up with the rest, and the poor woman's example was of infinite service in restraining the petulance of the voyageurs, who, however much disposed they might be to lament their fate, could not well give way to despondency while a woman was so patiently enduring hardship and want in their company.

At length after trials and sufferings innumerable, after losing several of their number, and more than once almost despairing of their

own chance of safety, the adventurers reached the settlement of Astoria on the 15th of February, 1812. They had traversed a distance of

3,500 miles from St. Louis, and considering the difficulties and dangers of their route, their preservation seems little short of miraculous.

With the return of spring the Indian tribes who had abandoned the coast in the autumn reappeared to commence their fishing. When the mild season had fairly set in, various expeditions were sent out from the settlement. One was to carry a supply of goods to Mr. Stuart's post on the Oakinagan; another to search for Mr. Crooks and John Day, who had been perforce left behind in the wilderness when they could proceed no farther; thirdly, it was requisite that the "cache" or hiding-pit in which a great quantity of goods had been concealed should be visited, and the goods, if they still remained in safety, carried away. One of these objects, at least, was successfully accomplished. Mr. Crooks and John Day were discovered in the last extremity of misery and destitution. They had fallen into the hands of marauding Indians, who had literally stripped them naked, and taken from them all they possessed, not leaving them so much as a flint and steel wherewith to kindle a fire. John Day afterwards became insane, and put an end to his own life. The hardships of that dreadful time had unsettled the poor hunter's brain. The cache was found plundered of its contents. The most important expedition was to proceed overland to New York, carrying despatches to Mr. Astor. The leader of this party was a clerk, Mr. John Reed, who unfortunately chose to inclose the valuable papers in a shining tin case, an object especially likely to attract the notice and raise the cupidity of the Indians, who could scarcely fail to covet the glittering box as a "great medicine." In the sequel the tin case was carried off by Indians, and almost caused the death of many of the travellers.

VI.

Mr. Astor's Plans-The Beaver Fitted Out and Despatched-War between Great Britain and the United States-Mr. Macdougal's Marriage with the Daughter of Comcomly-His Equivocal Conduct-Arrival of Mr. Hunt at AstoriaMacdougal Sells the Settlement to the British North-American Fur Company -Surprise and Regret of Mr. Astor-The British Take Possession of Astoria -Macdougal Joins the Fur Company-Renewed Efforts of Mr. Astor-His Further Career-Conclusion.

MEANWHILE Mr. Astor, whose master mind had planned the enter

prise, was determined to carry out his project of establishing a trade with the Russian settlements for peltries, which should be carried to China for sale. The Beaver, a fine ship of nearly 500 tons, was despatched by Mr. Astor, who made an arrangement with the Russian