Add To These,
Mr. Milton Sublette, Who Went As Passenger, And We Have The Crew
Of The Little Bull Boat Complete.
It certainly was a slight armament with which to run the gauntlet
through countries swarming with hostile hordes, and
A slight bark
to navigate these endless rivers, tossing and pitching down
rapids, running on snags and bumping on sand-bars; such, however,
are the cockle-shells with which these hardy rovers of the
wilderness will attempt the wildest streams; and it is surprising
what rough shocks and thumps these boats will endure, and what
vicissitudes they will live through. Their duration, however, is
but limited; they require frequently to be hauled out of the
water and dried, to prevent the hides from becoming water-soaked;
and they eventually rot and go to pieces.
The course of the river was a little to the north of east; it ran
about five miles an hour, over a gravelly bottom. The banks were
generally alluvial, and thickly grown with cottonwood trees,
intermingled occasionally with ash and plum trees. Now and then
limestone cliffs and promontories advanced upon the river, making
picturesque headlands. Beyond the woody borders rose ranges of
naked hills.
Milton Sublette was the Pelorus of this adventurous bark; being
somewhat experienced in this wild kind of navigation. It required
all his attention and skill, however, to pilot her clear of
sand-bars and snags of sunken trees. There was often, too, a
perplexity of choice, where the river branched into various
channels, among clusters of islands; and occasionally the
voyagers found themselves aground and had to turn back.
It was necessary, also, to keep a wary eye upon the land, for
they were passing through the heart of the Crow country, and were
continually in reach of any ambush that might be lurking on
shore. The most formidable foes that they saw, however, were
three grizzly bears, quietly promenading along the bank, who
seemed to gaze at them with surprise as they glided by. Herds of
buffalo, also, were moving about, or lying on the ground, like
cattle in a pasture; excepting such inhabitants as these, a
perfect solitude reigned over the land. There was no sign of
human habitation; for the Crows, as we have already shown, are a
wandering people, a race of hunters and warriors, who live in
tents and on horseback, and are continually on the move.
At night they landed, hauled up their boat to dry, pitched their
tent, and made a rousing fire. Then, as it was the first evening
of their voyage, they indulged in a regale, relishing their
buffalo beef with inspiring alcohol; after which, they slept
soundly, without dreaming of Crows or Blackfeet. Early in the
morning, they again launched the boat and committed themselves to
the stream.
In this way they voyaged for two days without any material
occurrence, excepting a severe thunder storm, which compelled
them to put to shore, and wait until it was passed. On the third
morning they descried some persons at a distance on the river
bank.
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