THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE

第6章

Infact，thetradersoftheHudson”sBayCompanyhaveadvantagesoverallcompetitorsinthe

trade

beyondtheRockyMountains。Thathugemonopolycenterswithinitselfnotmerelyitsown

hereditaryandlong-establishedpowerandinfluence；butalsothoseofitsancientrival，butnow

integralpart，thefamousNorthwestCompany。Ithasthusitsracesoftraders，trappers，hunters，

and

voyageurs，bornandbroughtupinitsservice，andinheritingfromprecedinggenerationsa

knowledgeandaptitudeineverythingconnectedwithIndianlife，andIndiantraffic。Inthe

process

ofyears，thiscompanyhasbeenenabledtospreaditsramificationsineverydirection；itssystem

intercourseisfoundeduponalongandintimateknowledgeofthecharacterandnecessitiesofthe

varioustribes；andofallthefastnesses，defiles，andfavorablehuntinggroundsofthecountry。

Their

capital，also，andthemannerinwhichtheirsuppliesaredistributedatvariousposts，orforwarded

byregularcaravans，keeptheirtraderswellsupplied，andenablethemtofurnishtheirgoodsto

the

Indiansatacheaprate。Theirmen，too，beingchieflydrawnfromtheCanadas，wheretheyenjoy

greatinfluenceandcontrol，areengagedatthemosttriflingwages，andsupportedatlittlecost；

the

provisionswhichtheytakewiththembeinglittlemorethanIndiancornandgrease。Theyare

brought

alsointothemostperfectdisciplineandsubordination，especiallywhentheirleadershaveonce

gotthemtotheirsceneofactionintheheartofthewilderness。ThesecircumstancescombinetogivetheleadersoftheHudson”sBayCompanyadecided

advantage

overalltheAmericancompaniesthatcomewithintheirrange，sothatanyclosecompetitionwiththemisalmosthopeless。ShortlyafterCaptainBonneville”sineffectualattempttoparticipateinthetradeofthe

associated

camp，thesuppliesoftheHudson”sBayCompanyarrived；andtheresidenttraderwasenabledtomonopolizethemarket。ItwasnowthebeginningofJuly；inthelatterpartofwhichmonthCaptainBonnevillehad

appointed

arendezvousatHorseCreekinGreenRiverValley，withsomeofthepartieswhichhehad

detachedintheprecedingyear。Henowturnedhisthoughtsinthatdirection，andpreparedforthejourney。TheCottonoiswereanxiousforhimtoproceedatoncetotheircountry；which，theyassured

him，

aboundedinbeaver。ThelandsofthistribelieimmediatelynorthofthoseoftheFlatheadsand

are

opentotheinroadsoftheBlackfeet。Itistrue，thelatterprofessedtobetheirallies；buttheyhad

been

guiltyofsomanyactsofperfidy，thattheCottonoishad，latterly，renouncedtheirhollow

friendship

andattachedthemselvestotheFlatheadsandNezPerces。Thesetheyhadaccompaniedintheir

migrationsratherthanremainaloneathome，exposedtotheoutragesoftheBlackfeet。Theywere

nowapprehensivethatthesemarauderswouldrangetheircountryduringtheirabsenceand

destroy

thebeaver；thiswastheirreasonforurgingCaptainBonnevilletomakeithisautumnalhunting

ground。Thelatter，however，wasnottobetempted；hisengagementsrequiredhispresenceattherendezvousinGreenRiverValley；andhehadalreadyformedhisulteriorplans。Anunexpecteddifficultynowarose。Thefreetrapperssuddenlymadeastand，anddeclined

accompanyhim。Itwasalongandwearyjourney；theroutelaythroughPierre”sHole，andother

mountainpassesinfestedbytheBlackfeet，andrecentlythescenesofsanguinaryconflicts。They

werenotdisposedtoundertakesuchunnecessarytoilsanddangers，whentheyhadgoodand

securetrappinggroundsnearerathand，onthehead-watersofSalmonRiver。Asthesewerefreeandindependentfellows，whosewillandwhimwereapttobelaw——who

hadthe

wholewildernessbeforethem，“wheretochoose，“andthetraderofarivalcompanyathand，

ready

topayfortheirservices——itwasnecessarytobendtotheirwishes。CaptainBonnevillefitted

them

out，therefore，forthehuntinggroundinquestion；appointingMr。Hodgkisstoactastheir

partisan，

orleader，andfixingarendezvouswhereheshouldmeettheminthecourseoftheensuing

winter。

Thebrigadeconsistedoftwenty-onefreetrappersandfourorfivehiredmenascamp-keepers。

This

wasnottheexactarrangementofatrappingparty；whichwhenaccuratelyorganizediscomposed

oftwothirdstrapperswhosedutyleadsthemcontinuallyabroadinpursuitofgame；andone

third

camp-keeperswhocook，pack，andunpack；setupthetents，takecareofthehorsesanddoall

other

dutiesusuallyassignedbytheIndianstotheirwomen。Thispartoftheserviceisapttobe

fulfilledbyFrenchcreolesfromCanadaandthevalleyoftheMississippi。InthemeantimetheassociatedIndianshavingcompletedtheirtradeandreceivedtheir

supplies，

wereallreadytodisperseinvariousdirections。AstherewasaformidablebandofBlackfeetjust

overamountaintothenortheast，bywhichHodgkissandhisfreetrapperswouldhavetopass；

and

asitwasknownthatthosesharp-sightedmaraudershadtheirscoutsoutwatchingevery

movement

oftheencampments，soastocutoffstragglersorweakdetachments，CaptainBonneville

prevailed

upontheNezPercestoaccompanyHodgkissandhispartyuntiltheyshouldbebeyondtherange

oftheenemy。TheCottonoisandthePendsOreillesdeterminedtomovetogetheratthesametime，andto

pass

closeunderthemountaininfestedbytheBlackfeet；whileCaptainBonneville，withhisparty，

was

tostrikeinanoppositedirectiontothesoutheast，bendinghiscourseforPierre”sHole，onhiswaytoGreenRiver。Accordingly，onthe6thofJuly，allthecampswereraisedatthesamemoment；eachparty

takingits

separateroute。Thescenewaswildandpicturesque；thelonglineoftraders，trappers，and

Indians，

withtheirruggedandfantasticdressesandaccoutrements；theirvariedweapons，their

innumerable

horses，someunderthesaddle，someburdenedwithpackages，othersfollowingindroves；all

stretchinginlengtheningcavalcadesacrossthevastlandscape，makingfordifferentpointsofthe

plainsandmountains。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter19[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter19Precautionsindangerousdefiles——Trappers”modeofdefenceonaprairie——A

mysteriousvisitor——ArrivalinGreen

RiverValley——Adventuresofthedetachments——Theforlornpartisan——Histaleofdisasters。AStherouteofCaptainBonnevillelaythroughwhatwasconsideredthemostperilouspart

ofthis

regionofdangers，hetookallhismeasureswithmilitaryskill，andobservedthestrictest

circumspection。Whenonthemarch，asmallscoutingpartywasthrownintheadvanceto

reconnoitrethecountrythroughwhichtheyweretopass。Theencampmentswereselectedwith

greatcare，andawatchwaskeptupnightandday。Thehorseswerebroughtinandpicketedat

night，andatdaybreakapartywassentouttoscourtheneighborhoodforhalfamileround，

beatingupeverygroveandthicketthatcouldgivesheltertoalurkingfoe。Whenallwasreported

safe，thehorseswerecastlooseandturnedouttograze。Weresuchprecautionsgenerally

observedbytradersandhunters，weshouldnotsooftenhearofpartiesbeingsurprisedbytheIndians。Havingstatedthemilitaryarrangementsofthecaptain，wemayherementionamodeof

defenceontheopenprairie，

whichwehaveheardfromaveteranintheIndiantrade。Whenapartyoftrappersisonajourney

withaconvoyofgoods

orpeltries，everymanhasthreepack-horsesunderhiscare；eachhorseladenwiththreepacks。

Everymanisprovidedwith

apicketwithanironhead，amallet，andhobbles，orleathernfettersforthehorses。Thetrappers

proceedacrosstheprairie

inalongline；orsometimesthreeparallellines，sufficientlydistantfromeachothertoprevent

thepacksfrominterfering。

Atanalarm，whenthereisnocovertathand，thelinewheelssoastobringthefronttotherear

andformacircle。Allthen

dismount，drivetheirpicketsintothegroundinthecentre，fastenthehorsestothem，andhobble

theirforelegs，sothat，

incaseofalarm，theycannotbreakaway。Thentheyunloadthem，anddisposeoftheirpacksas

breastworksonthe

peripheryofthecircle；eachmanhavingninepacksbehindwhichtoshelterhimself。Inthis

promptly-formedfortress，theyawaittheassaultoftheenemy，andareenabledtosetlargebandsofIndiansatdefiance。Thefirstnightofhismarch，CaptainBonnevilleencampeduponHenry”sFork；

anupperbranchofSnakeRiver，calledafterthefirstAmericantraderthaterected

afortbeyondthemountains。Aboutanhourafterallhandshadcometoahaltthe

clatterofhoofswasheard，andasolitaryfemale，oftheNezPercetribe，came

gallopingup。Shewasmountedonamustangorhalfwildhorse，whichshe

managedbyalongropehitchedroundtheunderjawbywayofbridle。

Dismounting，shewalkedsilentlyintothemidstofthecamp，andthereseatedherselfontheground，stillholdingherhorsebythelonghalter。Thesuddenandlonelyapparitionofthiswoman，andhercalmyetresolute

demeanor，awakeneduniversalcuriosity。Thehuntersandtrappersgatheredround，

andgazedonherassomethingmysterious。Sheremainedsilent，butmaintained

herairofcalmnessandself-possession。CaptainBonnevilleapproachedand

interrogatedherastotheobjectofhermysteriousvisit。Heranswerwasbriefbut

earnest——“Ilovethewhites——Iwillgowiththem。”Shewasforthwithinvitedtoa

lodge，ofwhichshereadilytookpossession，andfromthattimeforwardwasconsideredoneofthecamp。Inconsequence，veryprobably，ofthemilitaryprecautionsofCaptain

Bonneville，heconductedhispartyinsafetythroughthishazardousregion。No

accidentofadisastrouskindoccurred，exceptingthelossofahorse，which，in

passingalongthegiddyedgeofaprecipice，calledtheCornice，adangerouspassbetweenJackson”sandPierre”sHole，felloverthebrink，andwasdashedtopieces。Onthe13thofJuly(1833)，CaptainBonnevillearrivedatGreenRiver。Ashe

enteredthevalley，hebehelditstrewedineverydirectionwiththecarcassesof

buffaloes。ItwasevidentthatIndianshadrecentlybeenthere，andingreat

numbers。Alarmedatthissight，hecametoahalt，andassoonasitwasdark，sent

outspiestohisplaceofrendezvousonHorseCreek，wherehehadexpectedto

meetwithhisdetachedpartiesoftrappersonthefollowingday。Earlyinthe

morningthespiesmadetheirappearanceinthecamp，andwiththemcamethree

trappersofoneofhisbands，fromtherendezvous，whotoldhimhispeoplewere

allthereexpectinghim。Astotheslaughteramongthebuffaloes，ithadbeenmade

byafriendlybandofShoshonies，whohadfalleninwithoneofhistrapping

parties，andaccompaniedthemtotherendezvous。Havingimpartedthis

intelligence，thethreeworthiesfromtherendezvousbroachedasmallkegof

“alcohol，“whichtheyhadbroughtwiththem。toenliventhismerrymeeting。The

liquorwentbrisklyround；allabsentfriendsweretoasted，andthepartymovedforwardtotherendezvousinhighspirits。Themeetingofassociatedbands，whohavebeenseparatedfromeachotheron

thesehazardousenterprises，isalwaysinteresting；eachhavingitstalesofperils

andadventurestorelate。Suchwasthecasewiththevariousdetachmentsof

CaptainBonneville”scompany，thusbroughttogetheronHorseCreek。Herewas

thedetachmentoffiftymenwhichhehadsentfromSalmonRiver，inthe

precedingmonthofNovember，towinteronSnakeRiver。Theyhadmetwith

manycrossesandlossesinthecourseoftheirspringhunt，notsomuchfrom

Indiansasfromwhitemen。Theyhadcomeincompetitionwithrivaltrapping

parties，particularlyonebelongingtotheRockyMountainFurCompany；andthey

hadlongstoriestorelateoftheirmanoeuvrestoforestallordistresseachother。In

fact，inthesevirulentandsordidcompetitions，thetrappersofeachpartywere

moreintentuponinjuringtheirrivals，thanbenefittingthemselves；breakingeach

other”straps，tramplingandtearingtopiecesthebeaverlodges，anddoingevery

thingintheirpowertomarthesuccessofthehunt。Weforbeartodetailthesepitifulcontentions。Themostlamentabletaleofdisasters，however，thatCaptainBonnevillehadto

hear，wasfromapartisan，whomhehaddetachedintheprecedingyear，with

twentymen，tohuntthroughtheoutskirtsoftheCrowcountry，andonthetributarystreamsof

theYellowstone；whencehewastoproceedandjoinhiminhis

winterquartersonSalmonRiver。Thispartisanappearedattherendezvous

withouthisparty，andasorrowfultaleofdisastershadhetorelate。Inhuntingthe

Crowcountry，hefellinwithavillageofthattribe；notoriousrogues，jockeys，

andhorsestealers，anderrantscamperersofthemountains。Thesedecoyedmostof

hismentodesert，andcarryoffhorses，traps，andaccoutrements。Whenhe

attemptedtoretakethedeserters，theCrowwarriorsruffleduptohimanddeclared

thedesertersweretheirgoodfriends，haddeterminedtoremainamongthem，and

shouldnotbemolested。Thepoorpartisan，therefore，wasfaintoleavehis

vagabondsamongthesebirdsoftheirownfeather，andbeingtooweakinnumbers

toattemptthedangerouspassacrossthemountainstomeetCaptainBonnevilleon

SalmonRiver，hemade，withthefewthatremainedfaithfultohim，forthe

neighborhoodofTullock”sFort，ontheYellowstone，undertheprotectionofwhichhewentintowinterquarters。Hesoonfoundoutthattheneighborhoodofthefortwasnearlyasbadasthe

neighborhoodoftheCrows。Hismenwerecontinuallystealingawaythither，with

whateverbeaverskinstheycouldsecreteorlaytheirhandson。Thesetheywould

exchangewiththehangers-onofthefortforwhiskey，andthenrevelindrunkenessanddebauchery。Theunluckypartisanmadeanothermove。Associatingwithhispartyafewfree

trappers，whomhemetwithinthisneighborhood，hestartedoffearlyinthespring

totrapontheheadwatersofPowderRiver。Inthecourseofthejourney，his

horsesweresomuchjadedintraversingasteepmountain，thathewasinducedto

turnthemloosetograzeduringthenight。Theplacewaslonely；thepathwas

rugged；therewasnotthesignofanIndianintheneighborhood；notabladeof

grassthathadbeenturnedbyafootstep。Butwhocancalculateonsecurityinthe

midstoftheIndiancountry，wherethefoelurksinsilenceandsecrecy，andseems

tocomeandgoonthewingsofthewind？Thehorseshadscarcebeenturned

loose，whenacoupleofArickara(orRickaree)warriorsenteredthecamp。They

affectedafrankandfriendlydemeanor；buttheirappearanceandmovements

awakenedthesuspicionsofsomeoftheveterantrappers，wellversedinIndian

wiles。Convincedthattheywerespiessentonsomesinistererrand，theytookthem

incustody，andsettoworktodriveinthehorses。Itwastoolate——thehorseswere

alreadygone。Infact，awarpartyofArickarashadbeenhoveringontheirtrailfor

severaldays，watchingwiththepatienceandperseveranceofIndians，forsome

momentofnegligenceandfanciedsecurity，tomakeasuccessfulswoop。Thetwo

spieshadevidentlybeensentintothecamptocreateadiversion，whiletheirconfederatescarriedoffthespoil。Theunluckypartisan，thusrobbedofhishorses，turnedfuriouslyonhis

prisoners，orderedthemtobeboundhandandfoot，andsworetoputthemtodeath

unlesshispropertywererestored。Therobbers，whosoonfoundthattheirspies

wereincaptivity，nowmadetheirappearanceonhorseback，andheldaparley。The

sightofthem，mountedontheveryhorsestheyhadstolen，setthebloodofthe

mountaineersinaferment；butitwasuselesstoattackthem，astheywouldhave

buttoturntheirsteedsandscamperoutofthereachofpedestrians。Anegotiation

wasnowattempted。TheArickarasofferedwhattheyconsideredfairterms；to

barteronehorse，oreventwohorses，foraprisoner。Themountaineersspurnedat

theiroffer，anddeclaredthat，unlessallthehorseswererelinquished，theprisoners

shouldbeburnttodeath。Togiveforcetotheirthreat，apyreoflogsandfagotswasheapedupandkindledintoablaze。Theparleycontinued；theArickarasreleasedonehorseandthenanother，in

earnestoftheirproposition；finding，however，thatnothingshortofthe

relinquishmentofalltheirspoilswouldpurchasethelivesofthecaptives，they

abandonedthemtotheirfate，movingoffwithmanypartingwordsandlamentable

howlings。Theprisonersseeingthemdepart，andknowingthehorriblefatethat

awaitedthem，madeadesperateefforttoescape。Theypartiallysucceeded，but

wereseverelywoundedandretaken；thendraggedtotheblazingpyre，andburnttodeathinthesightoftheirretreatingcomrades。Sucharethesavagecrueltiesthatwhitemenlearntopractise，whominglein

savagelife；andsucharetheactsthatleadtoterriblerecriminationonthepartof

theIndians。ShouldwehearofanyatrocitiescommittedbytheArickarasupon

captivewhitemen，letthissignalandrecentprovocationbeborneinmind。

Individualcasesofthekinddwellintherecollectionsofwholetribes；anditisapointofhonorandconsciencetorevengethem。Thelossofhishorsescompletedtheruinoftheunluckypartisan。Itwasoutof

hispowertoprosecutehishunting，ortomaintainhisparty；theonlythoughtnow

washowtogetbacktocivilizedlife。Atthefirstwater-course，hismenbuilt

canoes，andcommittedthemselvestothestream。Someengagedthemselvesat

varioustradingestablishmentsatwhichtheytouched，othersgotbacktothe

settlements。Astothepartisan，hefoundanopportunitytomakehiswaytothe

rendezvousatGreenRiverValley；whichhereachedintimetorendertoCaptain

Bonnevillethisforlornaccountofhismisadventures。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter20[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter20GatheringinGreenRivervalley——Visitingsandfeastingsofleaders——Roughwassailing

amongthetrappers——Wildbladesofthemountains——Indianbelles——Potencyofbright

beadsandredblankets——Arrivalofsupplies——Revelryandextravagance——Mad

wolves——ThelostIndianTHEGREENRIVERVALLEYwasatthistimethesceneofoneofthosegeneral

gatheringsoftraders，trappers，andIndians，thatwehavealreadymentioned。Thethree

rivalcompanies，which，forayearpasthadbeenendeavoringtoout-trade，out-trapand

out-witeachother，werehereencampedincloseproximity，awaitingtheirannual

supplies。AboutfourmilesfromtherendezvousofCaptainBonnevillewasthatofthe

AmericanFurCompany，hardbywhich，wasthatalsooftheRockyMountainFurCompany。Aftertheeagerrivalryandalmosthostilitydisplayedbythesecompaniesintheirlate

campaigns，itmightbeexpectedthat，whenthusbroughtinjuxtaposition，theywould

holdthemselveswarilyandsternlyalooffromeachother，and，shouldtheyhappentocomeincontact，brawlandbloodshedwouldensue。Nosuchthing！Neverdidrivallawyers，afterawrangleatthebar，meetwithmoresocial

goodhumoratacircuitdinner。Thehuntingseasonover，allpasttricksandmaneuvres

areforgotten，allfeudsandbickeringsburiedinoblivion。FromthemiddleofJunetothe

middleofSeptember，alltrappingissuspended；forthebeaversarethensheddingtheir

fursandtheirskinsareoflittlevalue。This，then，isthetrapper”sholiday，whenheisallforfunandfrolic，andreadyforasaturnaliaamongthemountains。Atthepresentseason，too，allpartieswereingoodhumor。Theyearhadbeen

productive。Competition，bythreateningtolessentheirprofits，hadquickenedtheirwits，

rousedtheirenergies，andmadethemturneveryfavorablechancetothebest

advantage；sothat，onassemblingattheirrespectiveplacesofrendezvous，eachcompanyfounditselfinpossessionofarichstockofpeltries。Theleadersofthedifferentcompanies，therefore，mingledontermsofperfectgood

fellowship；interchangingvisits，andregalingeachotherinthebeststyletheir

respectivecampsafforded。Buttherichtreatfortheworthycaptainwastoseethe

“chivalry“ofthevariousencampments，engagedincontestsofskillatrunning，jumping，

wrestling，shootingwiththerifle，andrunninghorses。Andthentheirroughhunters”

feastingsandcarousels。Theydranktogether，theysang，theylaughed，theywhooped；

theytriedtoout-bragandout-lieeachotherinstoriesoftheiradventuresand

achievements。Herethefreetrapperswereinalltheirglory；theyconsidered

themselvesthe“cocksofthewalk，“andalwayscarriedthehighestcrests。Nowand

thenfamiliaritywaspushedtoofar，andwouldeffervesceintoabrawl，anda“roughandtumble“fight；butitallendedincordialreconciliationandmaudlinendearment。ThepresenceoftheShoshonietribecontributedoccasionallytocausetemporary

jealousiesandfeuds。TheShoshoniebeautiesbecameobjectsofrivalryamongsome

oftheamorousmountaineers。Happywasthetrapperwhocouldmusterupared

blanket，astringofgaybeads，orapaperofpreciousvermilion，withwhichtowinthesmilesofaShoshoniefairone。Thecaravansofsuppliesarrivedatthevalleyjustatthisperiodofgallantryandgood

fellowship。Nowcommencedasceneofeagercompetitionandwildprodigalityatthe

differentencampments。Baleswerehastilyrippedopen，andtheirmotleycontents

pouredforth。Amaniaforpurchasingspreaditselfthroughouttheseveral

bands——munitionsforwar，forhunting，forgallantry，wereseizeduponwithequal

avidity——rifles，huntingknives，traps，scarletcloth，redblankets，garishbeads，and

glitteringtrinkets，wereboughtatanyprice，andscoresrunupwithoutanythoughthow

theywereevertoberubbedoff。Thefreetrappers，especially，wereextravagantintheir

purchases。Forafreemountaineertopauseatapaltryconsiderationofdollarsand

cents，intheattainmentofanyobjectthatmightstrikehisfancy，wouldstamphimwith

themarkofthebeastintheestimationofhiscomrades。Foratradertorefuseoneof

thesefreeandflourishingbladesacredit，whateverunpaidscoresmightstarehimintheface，wouldbeaflagrantaffrontscarcelytobeforgiven。Nowsucceededanotheroutbreakofrevelryandextravagance。Thetrapperswere

newlyfittedoutandarrayed，anddashedaboutwiththeirhorsescaparisonedinIndian

style。TheShoshoniebeautiesalsoflauntedaboutinallthecolorsoftherainbow。

Everyfreakofprodigalitywasindulgedtoitsfullestextent，andinalittlewhilemostof

thetrappers，havingsquanderedawayalltheirwages，andperhapsrunknee-deepindebt，werereadyforanotherhardcampaigninthewilderness。Duringthisseasonoffollyandfrolic，therewasanalarmofmadwolvesinthetwolower

camps。Oneormoreoftheseanimalsenteredthecampsforthreenightssuccessively，andbitseveralofthepeople。CaptainBonnevillerelatesthecaseofanIndian，whowasauniversalfavoriteinthe

lowercamp。Hehadbeenbittenbyoneoftheseanimals。Beingoutwithapartyshortly

afterwards，hegrewsilentandgloomy，andlaggedbehindtherestasifhewishedto

leavethem。Theyhaltedandurgedhimtomovefaster，butheentreatedthemnotto

approachhim，and，leapingfromhishorse，begantorollfranticallyontheearth，

gnashinghisteethandfoamingatthemouth。Stillheretainedhissenses，andwarned

hiscompanionsnottocomenearhim，asheshouldnotbeabletorestrainhimselffrom

bitingthem。Theyhurriedofftoobtainrelief；butontheirreturnhewasnowheretobe

found。Hishorseandhisaccoutrementsremaineduponthespot。Threeorfourdays

afterwardsasolitaryIndian，believedtobethesame，wasobservedcrossingavalley，

andpursued；buthedartedawayintothefastnessesofthemountains，andwasseennomore。Anotherinstancewehavefromadifferentpersonwhowaspresentintheencampment。

OneofthemenoftheRockyMountainFurCompanyhadbeenbitten。Hesetout

shortlyafterwardsincompanywithtwowhitemenonhisreturntothesettlements。In

thecourseofafewdaysheshowedsymptomsofhydrophobia，andbecameraving

towardnight。Atlength，breakingawayfromhiscompanions，herushedintoathicketof

willows，wheretheylefthimtohisfate！[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter21[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter21SchemesofCaptainBonneville——TheGreatSaltLake——Expeditiontoexplore

it——PreparationsforajourneytotheBighornCAPTAINBONNEVILLEnowfoundhimselfattheheadofahardy，well-seasonedand

well-appointedcompanyoftrappers，allbenefitedbyatleastoneyear”sexperience

amongthemountains，andcapableofprotectingthemselvesfromIndianwilesand

stratagems，andofprovidingfortheirsubsistencewherevergamewastobefound。He

had，also，anexcellenttroopofhorses，inprimecondition，andfitforhardservice。He

determined，therefore，tostrikeoutintosomeofthebolderpartsofhisscheme。Oneof

thesewastocarryhisexpeditionsintosomeoftheunknowntractsoftheFarWest，

beyondwhatisgenerallytermedthebuffalorange。Thiswouldhavesomethingofthe

meritandcharmofdiscovery，sodeartoeverybraveandadventurousspirit。Another

favoriteprojectwastoestablishatradingpostonthelowerpartoftheColumbiaRiver，

neartheMultnomahvalley，andtoendeavortoretrieveforhiscountrysomeofthelosttradeofAstoria。Thefirstoftheabovementionedviewswas，atpresent，uppermostinhismind——the

exploringofunknownregions。Amongthegrandfeaturesofthewildernessaboutwhich

hewasroaming，onehadmadeavividimpressiononhismind，andbeenclothedbyhis

imaginationwithvagueandidealcharms。Thisisagreatlakeofsaltwater，lavingthe

feetofthemountains，butextendingfartothewest-southwest，intooneofthosevastandelevatedplateausofland，whichrangehighabovethelevelofthePacific。CaptainBonnevillegivesastrikingaccountofthelakewhenseenfromtheland。As

youascendthemountainsaboutitsshores，sayshe，youbeholdthisimmensebodyof

waterspreadingitselfbeforeyou，andstretchingfurtherandfurther，inonewideand

far-reachingexpanse，untiltheeye，weariedwithcontinuedandstrainedattention，

restsinthebluedimnessofdistance，uponloftyrangesofmountains，confidently

assertedtorisefromthebosomofthewaters。Nearertoyou，thesmoothandunruffled

surfaceisstuddedwithlittleislands，wherethemountainsheeproaminconsiderable

numbers。Whatextentoflowlandmaybeencompassedbythehighpeaksbeyond，

mustremainforthepresentmatterofmereconjecturethoughfromtheformofthe

summits，andthebreakswhichmaybediscoveredamongthem，therecanbelittle

doubtthattheyarethesourcesofstreamscalculatedtowaterlargetracts，whichare

probablyconcealedfromviewbytherotundityofthelake”ssurface。Atsomefutureday，

inallprobability，therichharvestofbeaverfur，whichmaybereasonablyanticipatedin

suchaspot，willtemptadventurerstoreduceallthisdoubtfulregiontothepalpable

certaintyofabeatentrack。Atpresent，however，destituteofthemeansofmaking

boats，thetrapperstandsupontheshore，andgazesuponapromisedlandwhichhisfeetarenevertotread。SuchisthesomewhatfancifulviewwhichCaptainBonnevillegivestothisgreatbodyof

water。Hehasevidentlytakenpartofhisideasconcerningitfromtherepresentationsof

others，whohavesomewhatexaggerateditsfeatures。Itisreportedtobeaboutone

hundredandfiftymileslong，andfiftymilesbroad。Therangesofmountainpeakswhich

CaptainBonnevillespeaksof，asrisingfromitsbosom，areprobablythesummitsof

mountainsbeyondit，whichmaybevisibleatavastdistance，whenviewedfroman

eminence，inthetransparentatmosphereoftheseloftyregions。Severallargeislands

certainlyexistinthelake；oneofwhichissaidtobemountainous，butnotbyanymeanstotheextentrequiredtofurnishtheseriesofpeaksabovementioned。CaptainSublette，inoneofhisearlyexpeditionsacrossthemountains，issaidtohave

sentfourmeninaskincanoe，toexplorethelake，whoprofessedtohavenavigatedall

roundit；buttohavesufferedexcessivelyfromthirst，thewaterofthelakebeingextremelysalt，andtherebeingnofreshstreamsrunningintoit。CaptainBonnevilledoubtsthisreport，orthatthemenaccomplishedthe

circumnavigation，because，hesays，thelakereceivesseverallargestreamsfromthe

mountainswhichboundittotheeast。Inthespring，whenthestreamsareswollenby

rainandbythemeltingofthesnows，thelakerisesseveralfeetaboveitsordinarylevel

duringthesummer，itgraduallysubsidesagain，leavingasparklingzoneofthefinestsaltuponitsshores。Theelevationofthevastplateauonwhichthislakeissituated，isestimatedbyCaptain

Bonnevilleatoneandthree-fourthsofamileabovetheleveloftheocean。The

admirablepurityandtransparencyoftheatmosphereinthisregion，allowingobjectsto

beseen，andthereportoffirearmstobeheard，atanastonishingdistance；andits

extremedryness，causingthewheelsofwagonstofallinpieces，asinstancedinformer

passagesofthiswork，areproofsofthegreataltitudeoftheRockyMountainplains。

Thatabodyofsaltwatershouldexistatsuchaheightiscitedasasingular

phenomenonbyCaptainBonneville，thoughthesaltlakeofMexicoisnotmuchinferiorinelevation。Tohavethislakeproperlyexplored，andallitssecretsrevealed，wasthegrandscheme

ofthecaptainforthepresentyear；andwhileitwasoneinwhichhisimagination

evidentlytookaleadingpart，hebelieveditwouldbeattendedwithgreatprofit，fromthenumerousbeaverstreamswithwhichthelakemustbefringed。Thismomentousundertakingheconfidedtohislieutenant，Mr。Walker，inwhose

experienceandabilityhehadgreatconfidence。Heinstructedhimtokeepalongthe

shoresofthelake，andtrapinallthestreamsonhisroute；alsotokeepajournal，and

minutelytorecordtheeventsofhisjourney，andeverythingcuriousorinteresting，makingmapsorchartsofhisroute，andofthesurroundingcountry。Nopainsnorexpenseweresparedinfittingouttheparty，offortymen，whichhewasto

command。Theyhadcompletesuppliesforayear，andweretomeetCaptainBonneville

intheensuingsummer，inthevalleyofBearRiver，thelargesttributaryoftheSaltLake，whichwastobehispointofgeneralrendezvous。ThenextcareofCaptainBonnevillewastoarrangeforthesafetransportationofthe

peltrieswhichhehadcollectedtotheAtlanticStates。Mr。RobertCampbell，thepartner

ofSublette，wasatthistimeintherendezvousoftheRockyMountainFurCompany，

havingbroughtuptheirsupplies。Hewasabouttosetoffonhisreturn，withthepeltries

collectedduringtheyear，andintendedtoproceedthroughtheCrowcountry，tothe

headofnavigationontheBighornRiver，andtodescendinboatsdownthatriver，theMissouri，andtheYellowstone，toSt。Louis。CaptainBonnevilledeterminedtoforwardhispeltriesbythesameroute，underthe

especialcareofMr。Cerre。Bywayofescort，hewouldaccompanyCerretothepointof

embarkation，andthenmakeanautumnalhuntintheCrowcountry。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter22[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter22TheCrowcountry——ACrowparadise——HabitsoftheCrows——AnecdotesofRose，the

renegadewhiteman——HisfightswiththeBlackfeet——Hiselevation——His

death——Arapooish，theCrowchief——Hiseagle——AdventureofRobertCampbell——Honor

amongCrowsBEFOREWEACCOMPANYCaptainBonnevilleintotheCrowcountry，wewillimparta

fewfactsaboutthiswildregion，andthewildpeoplewhoinhabitit。Wearenotawareof

thepreciseboundaries，ifthereareany，ofthecountryclaimedbytheCrows；it

appearstoextendfromtheBlackHillstotheRockyMountains，includingapartoftheir

loftyranges，andembracingmanyoftheplainsandvalleyswateredbytheWindRiver，

theYellowstone，thePowderRiver，theLittleMissouri，andtheNebraska。Thecountry

variesinsoilandclimate；therearevastplainsofsandandclay，studdedwithlargered

sand-hills；otherpartsaremountainousandpicturesque；itpossesseswarmsprings，andcoalmines，andaboundswithgame。ButletusgivetheaccountofthecountryasrenderedbyArapooish，aCrowchief，toMr。RobertCampbell，oftheRockyMountainFurCompany。“TheCrowcountry，“saidhe，“isagoodcountry。TheGreatSpirithasputitexactlyin

therightplace；whileyou-areinityoufarewell；wheneveryougooutofit，whicheverwayyoutravel，youfareworse。“Ifyougotothesouth，youhavetowanderovergreatbarrenplainsjthewateriswarmandbad，andyoumeetthefeverandague。“Tothenorthitiscold；thewintersarelongandbitter，withnograssjyoucannotkeephorsesthere，butmusttravelwithdogs。Whatisacountrywithouthorses？“OntheColumbiatheyarepooranddirty，paddleaboutincanoes，andeatfish。Their

teetharewornout；theyarealwaystakingfish-bonesoutoftheirmouths。Fishispoorfood。“Totheeast，theydwellinvillages；theylivewell；buttheydrinkthemuddywateroftheMissouri——thatisbad。ACrow”sdogwouldnotdrinksuchwater。“AbouttheforksoftheMissouriisafinecountry；goodwater；goodgrass；plentyof

buffalo。Insummer，itisalmostasgoodastheCrowcountry；butinwinteritiscold；thegrassisgone；andthereisnosaltweedforthehorses。“TheCrowcountryisexactlyintherightplace。Ithassnowymountainsandsunny

plains；allkindsofclimatesandgoodthingsforeveryseason。Whenthesummerheats

scorchtheprairies，youcandrawupunderthemountains，wheretheairissweetand

cool，thegrassfresh，andthebrightstreamscometumblingoutofthesnow-banks。

Thereyoucanhunttheelk，thedeer，andtheantelope，whentheirskinsarefitfordressing；thereyouwillfindplentyofwhitebearsandmountainsheep。“Intheautumn，whenyourhorsesarefatandstrongfromthemountainpastures，you

cangodownintotheplainsandhuntthebuffalo，ortrapbeaveronthestreams。And

whenwintercomeson，youcantakeshelterinthewoodybottomsalongtherivers；

thereyouwillfindbuffalomeatforyourselves，andcotton-woodbarkforyourhorses：oryoumaywinterintheWindRivervalley，wherethereissaltweedinabundance。“TheCrowcountryisexactlyintherightplace。Everythinggoodistobefoundthere。

ThereisnocountryliketheCrowcountry。”

SuchistheeulogiumonhiscountrybyArapooish。Wehavehadrepeatedoccasionstospeakoftherestlessandpredatoryhabitsofthe

Crows。Theycanmusterfifteenhundredfightingmen，buttheirincessantwarswiththeBlackfeet，andtheirvagabond，predatoryhabits，aregraduallywearingthemout。Inarecentwork，werelatedthecircumstanceofawhitemannamedRose，anoutlaw，

andadesigningvagabond，whoactedasguideandinterpretertoMr。Huntandhis

party，ontheirjourneyacrossthemountainstoAstoria，whocamenearbetrayingthem

intothehandsoftheCrows，andwhoremainedamongthetribe，marryingoneoftheir

women，andadoptingtheircongenialhabits。Afewanecdotesofthesubsequent

fortunesofthatrenegademaynotbeuninteresting，especiallyastheyareconnectedwiththefortunesofthetribe。Rosewaspowerfulinframeandfearlessinspirit；andsoonbyhisdaringdeedstook

hisrankamongthefirstbravesofthetribe。Heaspiredtocommand，andknewitwas

onlytobeattainedbydesperateexploits。Hedistinguishedhimselfinrepeatedactions

withBlackfeet。Ononeoccasion，abandofthosesavageshadfortifiedthemselves

withinabreastwork，andcouldnotbeharmed。Roseproposedtostormthework。“Who

willtakethelead？“wasthedemand。“I！“criedhe；andputtinghimselfattheirhead，

rushedforward。ThefirstBlackfootthatopposedhimheshotdownwithhisrifle，and，

snatchingupthewar-clubofhisvictim，killedfourotherswithinthefort。Thevictorywas

complete，andRosereturnedtotheCrowvillagecoveredwithglory，andbearingfive

Blackfootscalps，tobeerectedasatrophybeforehislodge。Fromthistime，hewas

knownamongtheCrowsbythenameofChe-ku-kaats，or“themanwhokilledfive。”He

becamechiefofthevillage，orratherband，andforatimewasthepopularidol。His

popularitysoonawakenedenvyamongthenativebraves；hewasastranger，an

intruder，awhiteman。Apartysecededfromhiscommand。Feudsandcivilwars

succeededthatlastedfortwoorthreeyears，untilRose，havingcontrivedtosethis

adoptedbrethrenbytheears，leftthem，andwentdowntheMissouriin1823。Herehe

fellinwithoneoftheearliesttrappingexpeditionssentbyGeneralAshleyacrossthe

mountains。ItwasconductedbySmith，Fitzpatrick，andSublette。Roseenlistedwith

themasguideandinterpreter。WhenhegotthemamongtheCrows，hewas

exceedinglygenerouswiththeirgoods；makingpresentstothebravesofhisadoptedtribe，asbecameahigh-mindedchief。This，doubtless，helpedtorevivehispopularity。Inthatexpedition，SmithandFitzpatrick

wererobbedoftheirhorsesinGreenRivervalley；theplacewheretherobberytook

placestillbearsthenameofHorseCreek。Wearenotinformedwhetherthehorses

werestolenthroughtheinstigationandmanagementofRose；itisnotimprobable，for

suchwastheperfidyhehadintendedtopracticeonaformeroccasiontowardMr。Huntandhisparty。ThelastanecdotewehaveofRoseisfromanIndiantrader。WhenGeneralAtkinson

madehismilitaryexpeditionuptheMissouri，in1825，toprotectthefurtrade，hehelda

conferencewiththeCrownation，atwhichRosefiguredasIndiandignitaryandCrow

interpreter。Themilitarywerestationedatsomelittledistancefromthesceneofthe“big

talk“；whilethegeneralandthechiefsweresmokingpipesandmakingspeeches，the

officers，supposingallwasfriendly，leftthetroops，anddrewnearthesceneof

ceremonial。SomeofthemoreknowingCrows，perceivingthis，stolequietlytothe

camp，and，unobserved，contrivedtostopthetouch-holesofthefield-pieceswithdirt。

Shortlyafter，amisunderstandingoccurredintheconference：someoftheIndians，

knowingthecannontobeuseless，becameinsolent。Atumultarose。Intheconfusion，

ColonelO”Fallansnappedapistolinthefaceofabrave，andknockedhimdownwith

thebuttend。TheCrowswereallinafury。Achance-medleyfightwasonthepointof

takingplace，whenRose，hisnaturalsympathiesasawhitemansuddenlyrecurring，

brokethestockofhisfuseeovertheheadofaCrowwarrior，andlaidsovigorously

abouthimwiththebarrel，thathesoonputthewholethrongtoflight。Luckily，asno

liveshadbeenlost，thissturdyribroastingcalmedthefuryoftheCrows，andthetumultendedwithoutseriousconsequences。Whatwastheultimatefateofthisvagabondheroisnotdistinctlyknown。Somereport

himtohavefallenavictimtodisease，broughtonbyhislicentiouslife；othersassert

thathewasmurderedinafeudamongtheCrows。Afterall，hisresidenceamongthese

savages，andtheinfluenceheacquiredoverthem，had，foratime，somebeneficial

effects。Heissaid，notmerelytohaverenderedthemmoreformidabletotheBlackfeet，

buttohaveopenedtheireyestothepolicyofcultivatingthefriendshipofthewhitemen。AfterRose”sdeath，hispolicycontinuedtobecultivated，withindifferentsuccess，by

Arapooish，thechiefalreadymentioned，whohadbeenhisgreatfriend，andwhose

characterhehadcontributedtodevelope。Thissagaciouschiefendeavored，onevery

occasion，torestrainthepredatorypropensitiesofhistribewhendirectedagainstthe

whitemen。“Ifwekeepfriendswiththem，“saidhe，“wehavenothingtofearfromthe

Blackfeet，andcanrulethemountains。”Arapooishpretendedtobeagreat“medicine

man“，acharacteramongtheIndianswhichisacompoundofpriest，doctor，prophet，

andconjurer。Hecarriedaboutwithhimatameeagle，ashis“medicine“orfamiliar。

Withthewhitemen，heacknowledgedthatthiswasallcharlatanism，butsaiditwasnecessary，togivehimweightandinfluenceamonghispeople。Mr。RobertCampbell，fromwhomwehavemostofthesefacts，inthecourseofoneof

histrappingexpeditions，wasquarteredinthevillageofArapooish，andaguestinthe

lodgeofthechieftain。Hehadcollectedalargequantityoffurs，and，fearfulofbeing

plundered，depositedbutapartinthelodgeofthechief；therestheburiedinacache。

Onenight，Arapooishcameintothelodgewithacloudybrow，andseatedhimselffora

timewithoutsayingaword。Atlength，turningtoCampbell，“Youhavemorefurswith

you，“saidhe，“thanyouhavebroughtintomylodge？“

“Ihave，“repliedCampbell。

“Wherearethey？“CampbellknewtheuselessnessofanyprevaricationwithanIndian；andthe

importanceofcompletefrankness。Hedescribedtheexactplacewherehehadconcealedhispeltries。“”Tiswell，“repliedArapooish；“youspeakstraight。Itisjustasyousay。Butyourcachehasbeenrobbed。Goandseehowmanyskinshavebeentakenfromit。”Campbellexaminedthecache，andestimatedhislosstobeaboutonehundredandfiftybeaverskins。Arapooishnowsummonedameetingofthevillage。Hebitterlyreproachedhispeople

forrobbingastrangerwhohadconfidedtotheirhonor；andcommandedthatwhoever

hadtakentheskins，shouldbringthemback：declaringthat，asCampbellwashisguestandinmateofhislodge，hewouldnoteatnordrinkuntileveryskinwasrestoredtohim。Themeetingbrokeup，andeveryonedispersed。ArapooishnowchargedCampbellto

giveneitherrewardnorthankstoanyonewhoshouldbringinthebeaverskins，buttokeepcountastheyweredelivered。Inalittlewhile，theskinsbegantomaketheirappearance，afewatatime；theywere

laiddowninthelodge，andthosewhobroughtthemdepartedwithoutsayingaword。

Thedaypassedaway。Arapooishsatinonecornerofhislodge，wrappedupinhis

robe，scarcelymovingamuscleofhiscountenance。Whennightarrived，hedemanded

ifalltheskinshadbeenbroughtin。Aboveahundredhadbeengivenup，andCampbell

expressedhimselfcontented。NotsotheCrowchieftain。Hefastedallthatnight，nor

tastedadropofwater。Inthemorning，somemoreskinswerebroughtin，andcontinued

tocome，oneandtwoatatime，throughouttheday，untilbutafewwerewantingto

makethenumbercomplete。Campbellwasnowanxioustoputanendtothisfastingof

theoldchief，andagaindeclaredthathewasperfectlysatisfied。Arapooishdemanded

whatnumberofskinswereyetwanting。Onbeingtold，hewhisperedtosomeofhis

people，whodisappeared。Afteratimethenumberwerebroughtin，thoughitwas

evidenttheywerenotanyoftheskinsthathadbeenstolen，butothersgleanedinthe

village。

“Isallrightnow？“demandedArapooish。

“Allisright，“repliedCampbell。

“Good！Nowbringmemeatanddrink！“

Whentheywerealonetogether，Arapooishhadaconversationwithhisguest。“WhenyoucomeanothertimeamongtheCrows，“saidhe，“don”thideyourgoods：trust

tothemandtheywillnotwrongyou。Putyourgoodsinthelodgeofachief，andthey

aresacred；hidetheminacache，andanyonewhofindswillstealthem。Mypeople

havenowgivenupyourgoodsformysake；buttherearesomefoolishyoungmenin

thevillage，whomaybedisposedtobetroublesome。Don”tlinger，therefore，butpackyourhorsesandbeoff。”Campbelltookhisadvice，andmadehiswaysafelyoutoftheCrowcountry。Hehas

eversincemaintainedthattheCrowsarenotsoblackastheyarepainted。“Trustto

theirhonor，“sayshe，“andyouaresafe：trusttotheirhonesty，andtheywillstealthehairoffyourhead。”Havinggiventhesefewpreliminaryparticulars，wewillresumethecourseofour

narrative。[ReturntoContents]Irving”sBonneville-Chapter23[ReturntoContents]WashingtonIrving”sTheAdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleChapter23DeparturefromGreenRivervalley——PopoAgie——Itscourse——Theriversintowhichit

runs——SceneryoftheBluffs——thegreatTarSpring——VolcanictractsintheCrow

country——BurningMountainofPowderRiver——Sulphursprings——Hiddenfires——Colter”s

Hell——WindRiver——Campbell”sparty——Fitzpatrickandhistrappers——CaptainStewart，an

amateurtraveller——NathanielWyeth——AnecdotesofhisexpeditiontotheFar

West——DisasterofCampbell”sparty——Aunionofbands——TheBadPass——The

rapids——DepartureofFitzpatrick——Embarkationofpeltries——Wyethandhisbull

boat——AdventuresofCaptainBonnevilleintheBighornMountains——Adventuresinthe

plain——TracesofIndians——Travellingprecautions——Dangersofmakingasmoke——The

rendezvousONTHE25THofJuly，CaptainBonnevillestruckhistents，andsetoutonhisroutefor

theBighorn，attheheadofapartyoffifty-sixmen，includingthosewhoweretoembark

withCerre。CrossingtheGreenRivervalley，heproceededalongthesouthpointofthe

WindRiverrangeofmountains，andsoonfelluponthetrackofMr。RobertCampbell”s

party，whichhadprecededhimbyaday。Thishepursued，untilheperceivedthatitled

downthebanksoftheSweetWatertothesoutheast。Asthiswasdifferentfromhis

proposeddirection，heleftit；andturningtothenortheast，sooncameuponthewaters

ofthePopoAgie。ThisstreamtakesitsriseintheWindRiverMountains。Itsname，like

mostIndiannames，ischaracteristic。Popo，intheCrowlanguage，signifieshead；andAgie，river。Itistheheadofalongriver，extendingfromthesouthendoftheWind

River

Mountainsinanortheastdirection，untilitfallsintotheYellowstone。Itscourseis

generallythroughplains，butistwicecrossedbychainsofmountains；thefirstcalledthe

Littlehorn；thesecond，theBighorn。Afterithasforceditswaythroughthefirstchain，it

iscalledtheHornRiver；afterthesecondchain，itiscalledtheBighornRiver。Its

passagethroughthislastchainisroughandviolent；makingrepeatedfalls，andrushing

downlongandfuriousrapids，whichthreatendestructiontothenavigator；thougha

hardytrapperissaidtohaveshotdowntheminacanoe。Atthefootoftheserapids，is

theheadofnavigation；whereitwastheintentionofthepartiestoconstructboats，andembark。