Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-05-25
70 them Il this place, ~ Two yeups lndi:

/.
Q If it is possible 70 pass these falls 10
high water, which is doubtful thing, 7
must Be done on the eastern side. about'3o
yards from the, shore where the fall i
formed BY three layers Of rocks. one below
/ The o.her-thes pitch at none OF which ap.
/ peara higher than feet.
sss.1 Above the falls, for 40 or SO miles, the
navigation is much imprdsd by shoals and
rapids and would be considered impraet.
licablc by persons not determlnsd g pro-
ceed for the men must wade, and push
/ The boat along, agrea. portion OF the dls'
tancc. Below Crow river, they Killed an
animal unknown 70 MIR. Pike, called = blai.
rcau.
8. Elk, bear, racoons. pheasanss, geese
and prairie hsns, were frequently, 81 e
with
.,On the Slh Of October they passed Sc
verai old Sioux encampmen:s, all OF which
were fortified !; they found fvesiissers on
which the sick, OF wounded, had been car.
ried. A hard battle had been foGgh. here
between the Sioux and Ssnteurs, insthe
present year. Onllhe next day when hunt.
Ing, Mr.. Pike found small red capos hurg
on tree: this the interpreter said was an
Offering to the Bon Disu.
son the morning OF the 1oththeyreach-
ed the place where Mr.. Rienylile and
| Monsr. Perlier wiptered 10 i797. Above
ii is cluster Of more than 20 Islands ia
the course Of 4 miles, which they named
the Beaver Islands from the greatsigns Of
those animals. which were exhibited, there
being dams on every island. androads from
them every two e5 three rods. in the
evening they arrived at the grand rapids.
These falls are dangerous and difficult 10
pass. fton, the Inc quality in the depth OF
the water, and number Of. rocks. The
boats mus, be lifted over rocks not covered
by one foot OF water, while the nexs step
ptunges the boa.man over his head. The
the boats frequently swing on these rocks,
to The great hazard of their bllging.
. Five miles higher than the rapids they
found their large boat to leak so fast, as 10
render ii necessary to unload her. Near
war encampmsnt, a. this place, was q
painted buckskin and piece OF scarlet
cloth suspended on the limb Of a tree, sup
posed 10 be Matcho Manilou, TO render
their enterprise successful, less supeFsslti.
Gus than the Indians, Mr.. Pike converted
this donation to the evil spirit. to his own
use.
IS Ga the 18th they passed a handsome
little river called clear river; which enters
the Mississippi from the east. Here, on
he only ,imbsred land they had seen above
the falls fist Aa'hony was discovered the
FIRST signs of BufIaloe
$ Before traviog The river CoTbeau Mr..
Pike had determined 70 sgss an elk, the
signs Of which were numerous. For this
purpose he went down The river about IL
miles 10 prairie On the east side, accom-
panied by one of his detachment. They
fellin with large drove ef elk, and fol.
lowed them, until they were weary with
out killing any they shot at andwound..
ed deer which they could not afterwards
track, and closed their first day /" hungry,
cold and fatigued - Kesuming their chase
Of the elk with the morning, they attempt
cd to drive them into the wood. bur the
leader Of the drove breaking past them,
the others followed him fearlessiy 10 the
same track. Their FIRE on the passing
drove produced ne eject. Thus disap-
pointed they attempted TO reach the river,
BY pursuing a south course. i carried
them TO elk lake, whichis abou. five miles
fopg and two miles wide, q. the close Of
the second day. Ga bosh,iss banks they
observed droves Of elk !. aud about san.
set TWO bucks Of a drove, which was cross
ing the prairie, came near them. One OF
them was killed and, as il fulfilled the
promise which Mr.. Pike had made when
he left The s,ation-,he death of this elk
recomPenced him for The fatigue Of two
Gays spent without food inlhe suis!-.
Whilst carrying one half 10 their FIRE. al