Travels in the Interior of North America Part 17

[222] In the Appendix there is an account of this purchase.--MAXIMILIAN. _Comment by Ed._ See our volume xxiv.

[223] The first trading post in this locality (with possible exceptions for the Spanish regime) was that of Crooks and McClellan, who in 1810 built a "wintering establishment" here, which was abandoned the following spring--see Bradbury and Brackenridge (1811).

Shortly after, Manuel Lisa built his well-known Fort Lisa, some sixteen miles above Bellevue, which continued to be the prominent post of the vicinity (see James's _Long's Expedition_, our volume xiv, p.

221), near which the Yellowstone Expedition built Engineer Cantonment for the winter of 1819-20. The Missouri Fur Company, under Joshua Pilcher, who succeeded Lisa as president, removed from Fort Lisa to the site of Bellevue about 1823. It was this post that Fontenelle bought out, and turned over to the American Fur Company when he became their agent. The post was for many years in command of Peter Sarpy.

The Indian agency was officially ent.i.tled "Council Bluffs at Bellevue." In 1849 a postoffice was established here, and the village incorporated in 1854; some of the post buildings remained until 1870.

Bellevue is now a village in Sarpy County, of which it was the capital until 1875.--ED.

[224] Mackinaw boats are strong, open vessels, made of a light wood, in which goods are conveyed on the rivers of the Northern and Western States.--MAXIMILIAN.

[225] See opposite page for ill.u.s.tration of Omaha Indians.--ED.

[226] See our volume xv, pp. 27-33. This woman was the Indian wife of Manuel Lisa. See Chittenden, _Fur-Trade_, i, pp. 133-135. Judge Walter B. Douglas, of St. Louis, furnishes the following facts concerning Lisa's daughter, who was educated among the whites. She married a Baptist minister named Ely, and reared a considerable family, dying recently at Trenton, Illinois, a small town not far from St.

Louis.--ED.

[227] For the Omaha Indians see our volume v, p. 86, note 49.--ED.

[228] Jean Pierre Cabanne was born in Pau, France, in 1773. After receiving good education he came to America--first to New Orleans, later to St. Louis, where he married (1797) Julie Gratiot, whose sister was the wife of Pierre Chouteau. For many years he was member of the firm of Chouteau and Pratte, thus acquiring an interest in the American Fur Company. The family home at St. Louis was the seat of a pleasant hospitality; but like many of the chief fur-traders, Cabanne spent part of each year in the Indian country, where he was head of the department centering near Council Bluffs. He left this post about the time of Maximilian's visit, owing to difficulty with a rival trader, Le Clerc, who had appealed to the courts. Cabanne died in St.

Louis in 1841. His post was nine or ten miles by land above the present site of Omaha.--ED.

[229] See p. 269, for ill.u.s.tration of an Omaha boy.--ED.

[230] Not only these feather caps are pretty similar to those in Brazil, but also the chief instrument of the conjurors, or physicians (medicine men)--schischikue, as it is called--a calabash with a handle, in which there are small stones to rattle. The Omahas, and all the other North American tribes, use it exactly in the same manner as the Brazilians.--MAXIMILIAN.

[231] See p. 269, for ill.u.s.tration of an Omaha war-club.--ED.

[232] See our volume xiv, pp. 288-321; and xv, pp. 11-136.--ED.

[233] For Boyer River, see our volume xiv, p. 221, note 174.

This fort at Council Bluffs was not on the site of the Iowa town of that name, but some miles higher up the river, on the Nebraska bank, near the village now known as Fort Calhoun, in Was.h.i.+ngton County. The name was first applied to the bluffs by Lewis and Clark, who held here (1804) an important council with chiefs of neighboring tribes. The United States post was built by a detachment under Colonel Henry Atkinson, when embarked on the famous Yellowstone expedition of 1819.

The means of transportation proving inadequate, the troops never reached the Yellowstone, but formed at this point Camp Missouri, where during the winter of 1819-20 much sickness prevailed. The fort was finally christened Atkinson, for its founder, and was so known to the government. The local name was Fort Calhoun--whether in honor of the then secretary of war, or for a soldier who was the first to be here buried, is disputed. On the building of Fort Leavenworth, the troops were removed thither. See note 204, _ante_, p. 253.--ED.

[234] For Blackbird, see Bradbury's _Travels_, in our volume v, p. 86; Brackenridge's _Journal_, in our volume vi, pp. 81, 82; and James's _Long's Expedition_, in our volume xiv, pp. 315-320.--ED.

[235] For Big Elk, see our volume v, p. 90, note 52; also xv, p. 320.

Dr. John D. G.o.dman (1794-1830) was a Marylander who in 1814 partic.i.p.ated in the defense of Fort McHenry. Later studying medicine, he was a professor of anatomy at several colleges, retiring finally to Germantown, Pennsylvania, where he devoted himself to scientific pursuits. His best known work was _American Natural History_ (Philadelphia, 1828).

By Horn River our author intends Elkhorn, for which see our volume xiv, p. 240, note 182.--ED.

[236] For Floyd, see our volume v, p. 91, note 56; also _Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition_, i, p. 114.--ED.

[237] For the Big Sioux River, see our volume vi, p. 85, note 30. This branch of the Dakota (or Sioux), mentioned by Maximilian, is known as the Wahpekute, one of the two components of the Santee band of the Sioux. Together with the Mdewakantonwan or Spirit Lake band, they were the Sioux first known to Europeans, being designated by Hennepin as Issati. Their habitat was the upper waters of the Mississippi, and the St. Peter's (Minnesota) River. They wandered toward the Big Sioux River, which was made the boundary by the treaty of 1825 at Prairie du Chien--William Clark and Lewis Ca.s.s, commissioners. In this treaty the Big Sioux River is designated as the Calumet, probably because of the proximity of its source to the red pipestone quarries of southwestern Minnesota.--ED.

[238] Iowa Creek, a small stream running nearly parallel to the Missouri in Dixon County, Nebraska. Lewis and Clark speak of the peculiar appearance of the bluff at this place, calling the creek "Rologe."--ED.

[239] Wigwam is the name given to the Indian huts. The word comes from the Ojibua language, in which uikiuam signifies hut. This word has been corrupted, and applied by the whites to the habitations of all the Indian tribes.--MAXIMILIAN.

[240] The James (or Dakota) River rises just south of Devil's Lake in Wells and Fargo counties, North Dakota, and flows nearly south into the Missouri. Its French name was Riviere a Jacques. Calumet Bluff is just above its mouth, nearly opposite Yankton, South Dakota. The term "Sego Island" does not occur in the Lewis and Clark text, nor has the name been preserved to the present day. They named White Bear Cliff for an animal of that kind killed in one of its holes. It was on the north bank, three or four miles above Yankton.--ED.

[241] For Bernard Pratte, sr., see our volume xv, p. 193, note 71. In addition, these facts of his life may be stated. Born at Ste.

Genevieve in 1772, he went to St. Louis when twenty-one years of age, and entered the fur-trade, marrying (1794) Emilie Labbadie, niece of Pierre Chouteau, sr. During the War of 1812-15, he was in command of an expedition which proceeded against Fort Madison; later was appointed territorial judge, and in Monroe's administration receiver of public moneys at St. Louis. He died April 1, 1836, respected by the entire community.

Bernard Pratte, jr., was born in upper Louisiana, December 17, 1803.

He was sent to Kentucky to be educated, and upon his return embarked in the fur-trade with his father. Being particularly interested in navigation, he went on the "Yellowstone's" early voyages, in this instance taking command of the "a.s.siniboine;" see his recollections in J. T. Scharf, _History of St. Louis_ (Philadelphia, 1883), i, p. 675.

He was a member of the Missouri a.s.sembly in 1838, and mayor of St.

Louis for two terms (1844-46). In 1850 he retired to a farm near Jonesboro', Montgomery County, where he died in 1887.--ED.

[242] This name signifies "the smoker." The French Canadians generally call this chief Le Boucan, because smoke has that name among them.--MAXIMILIAN.

_Comment by Ed._ This Indian was also painted by Catlin. See Smithsonian Inst.i.tution _Report_, 1885, ii, p. 64.

[243] The word Pa.s.sitopa signifies the number "four." This brother of the chief is known from the circ.u.mstance of his having shot an Indian, who sought the life of a white man, who was his friend. Mr. Bodmer drew the portraits of the two brothers, which are very like. He has succeeded particularly in that of Shudegacheh.--MAXIMILIAN.

[244] For this portrait which Maximilian calls "a good resemblance"

see Plate 40, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv.--ED.

[245] For the Ponca, and their present numbers, see our volume v, p.

96, note 63.--ED.

[246] Now known as Bazile Creek, in Knox County, Nebraska. It flows into the Missouri just east of Niobrara. Lewis and Clark called it White Paint Creek.--ED.

[247] See Plate 11, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv.--ED.

[248] In the portrait referred to in note 242, _ante_, the chief wears this medal on his breast. Similar medals were carried by Lewis and Clark; see Townsend's _Narrative_, in our volume xxi, p. 363, note 133.--ED.

[249] See p. 269 for ill.u.s.tration of Ponca war-club.--ED.

[250] Probably Charles Primeau, a fur-trader in the employ of the American Fur Company--later (1845), setting up in opposition to the company. Consult _Larpenteur's Journal_, i, p. 227.--ED.

[251] See opposite page for ill.u.s.tration of Ponca Indians in buffalo robes.--ED.

[252] The children of the North Americans resemble, in all respects, those of the Brazilians; I have mentioned the same circ.u.mstance of the Tapuyas of eastern Brazil, in the account of my travels in that country.--MAXIMILIAN.

[253] For Manuel Lisa, see our volume v, p. 97, note 64. This creek, now called Emanuel, is in Bonhomme County, South Dakota, just above Springfield.--ED.

CHAPTER XII

VOYAGE FROM L'EAU QUI COURT TO FORT PIERRE, ON THE TETON RIVER (THE LITTLE MISSOURI), AND STAY THERE, FROM MAY 13TH TO JUNE 4TH

Running-water River (l'eau qui court)--Punca Creek--Remarkable Mountains--Cedar Island--Delay caused by the insufficient Depth of the Water--First Sight of Buffaloes and Antelopes--Burning Mountain--Black Strata of bituminous Coal--Bijoux Hills--Prairie Dogs--Shannon, or Dry River--White River--Ruins of Cedar Fort--Fort Look-out (Sioux Agency)--Visit to it--The Dacotas of the Branch of the Yanktons--Wahktageli--Big Bend, or Grand Detour--Medicine Hills--Teton River--Fort Pierre--Stay there--The Tetons, a branch of the Dacotas or Sioux.

On the morning of the 13th of May, the Yellow Stone pa.s.sed the mouth of the Running-water River (l'eau qui court),[254] when the thermometer was at 55. The a.s.siniboin was before us. We reached the mouth of Punca Creek, which runs along the chain of hills obliquely to the Missouri. At the time when the Puncas separated from the Omahas, they built a kind of fort of earth, some miles up this river, which, however, they no longer occupy. There are said to be hot springs in the neighbourhood, such as are known to exist in several places on the banks of the Missouri.[255] Springs of any kind are, however, very rare in these dry prairies. In this neighbourhood are many villages of the prairie dogs (_Arctomys ludoviciana_, Ord.), in the abandoned burrows of which, rattlesnakes abound. It has been affirmed that these two species of animals live peaceably together in these burrows; but observers of nature have proved that the snakes take possession of abandoned burrows only, which is in the usual course of things. Deep [pg. 142] gullies traverse the summits of the banks, above which the turkey buzzards were hovering. On a sudden, three Punca Indians appeared and hailed us; they were wrapped in their buffalo skins, and carried their bows and arrows on their shoulders. One of them had a very singular appearance, having bound up the hair of his head, so that it stood quite upright. Though they made signs to us to take them on board, we did not stop, but renounced the pleasure of more closely observing these interesting people. The trees on the edge of the prairie, by which we pa.s.sed, were old, thick, and low, with their summits depressed and cramped. They were the resort of the Carolina pigeon, which is found all along the banks of the river. The red cedars, in particular, were stunted and crippled, often thicker than a man's body in the trunk, and very frequently wholly withered. The swallows' nests--numbers of which were built against the steep banks--were not yet inhabited. We were unable, on account of the shallowness, to reach a fine grove of poplars on the right bank, and proceeded along the hills of the left bank, which were seventy or eighty feet in height, where the red cedar abounded, and we stopped to fell a number of these trees. A wild lateral ravine here opened to the Missouri, up the steep sides of which our wood-cutters climbed, and cut down the cedars, which were loaded with their black berries. The wood of this tree emits a very aromatic scent, and it is much used by the steam-boats for fuel, because it supplies a great deal of steam, and the berries, as we were told, are eaten by the Indians for certain medicinal purposes. At the bottom of the narrow ravine, there was a thicket of elm, cedar, bird-cherry, clematis, celtis, celastrus, vine, and other shrubs; and the neighbouring lofty verdant hills of the prairie produced many beautiful plants, among which was _Stanleya pinnatifida_, with its splendid long bunches of yellow flowers.

Returning to our vessel, when the bell gave the signal for departure, we found one of the three Punca Indians whom we had seen in the morning. He had taken advantage of our slow progress to overtake us.