The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-11-25
From the Southern Literary Messenger.
HUGH GLASS,
A HUNTER OF THE MISSOURI.

Those pioneers, who, sixty years ago,
as an advanced guard, fought the battles
OF civilization for the very love of fighting,
may be now recognized in the class OF the
hero Of my sketch, who, 1000 miles be-
yond the last wave of the troublous tide OF
emigration, seek their pleasures in the
hunt of a Blackfoot Of the Rocky Noun
tains, grizzly bear or buffalo. 1t must
be difficult to give even faintidea of the
tolls and risks of set of men so conslltu-
ted as to love mode Of life only for these
attendants who exist but in the excite
ment Of narrow escapes-of dangers avoi-
ded or overcome; who often, such is their
passionate devotion to rowing, choose 1t,
and in preference TO comfortable circum-
stances within the pale of civilization.
Little has been reaped from this field, so
fertile in novel incident, that lis real life
throws incident into the shade.
The class Of people above mentioned,
excluded from choice, from all intercourse
with the world of white men, are a, differ
ent periods very differently occupied at
times as lrappers; at others they live with
Indians, conforming in every respect to
their mode of life; and often they are
found entirely alone, depending upon a
riae, knife, and few traps for defence,
subsistence and employment.
A trapping expedition arrived on the
hunting grounds is divided into parties OF
Cow ,,r & 40 ,,an ,,,l,;oh oro conoratn1 FIR
long periods of time; and as the beaver
is mostly in the country Of hostile Indians,
in and beyond the Rocky Mountains, it is
an employment of much hazard, aad the
parties are under great pains for conceal
ment. Trappcrs, and others who remain
in these regions, subsist Tor years wholly
upon game. They never taste bread, nor
can they even procarc salt, Indispensable
as it may be in civilized life.
TO take the beaver requires practice and
skill. The trap is set, and then sunk IN
the stream to certain depth, (whcn the
water is too deep for il 10 rest on the bot
tom, by means Of floats attached, and a
chain confines it to something fixed, or
very heavy at the bottom. This depth
must be such that the animal, in swimming
over it, is caught by the leg. The bait
consists Of some strong scent, proceeding
from substance placed directly opposite
upon the shore an oil taken from the
body fthe animal is generally used. The
greatest care is necessary to destroy al
traces of the presence of the ,rapper when
making his arrangements, which, if dis
covered by the most sensible instinct o
the ANIMAL it carefully avoids the place.
they therefore wade or use canoe in set
ting the trap.
The solitary hunter is found occasional
ly thus employed, for the sake Of the trade
with those who visit the country solely
for tina, purpose: getting for his skins thu
few necessaries of his situation, blankets
powder, lead, &c.
In the summer of 1928, Immediately
after the destruction and connagralion o
the Arickara village, consequent upon il
attack by the Sixth Regiment United
States Infantry, a party OF eighty men
under the direction Of Major Henry, (tha
had volunteered in that engagement lei
this point of the Missouri River, intending
to gain the head waters of the yellow
Stone, TO make fall hunt for beaver
The party had journeyed four days in tn
prairie, on the fifth, we would introduce on
hero (who has been rather backward) t
the attention of the reade,-if, indeed,
has not been already lost in the rugge
field prepared for his reception.
On the fifth day, Glass, (who was al
engage in the expedi,ion,) left the mali
body, accompanied by two others, to max
one of the usual hunts, by which, Will
subsistence is acquired, the party is nc
detained Having, aear night, succeede
in killing buffalo, they were diiectin
their common course to a point, nea
which, they knew, must be the positlo
of the camp for the night; it was on
small stream, and as They passed ne;
one of its curves, Glass Secamo some
what detached from the othe,s, intendn
= TO drink of It's waters; at tits momen
his progress was. arrested by nc sight
grizzly bear issuing from beaeath Il
bank opposite TO him. His COMPANION
overawed by their fears, hich 10 obi
CATION to share with him his unavoAab
danger could resist, proiited by their no
favorable situation to attempt to escape
flight, leaving him to his destiny.
A contest with a grizzly bear, mC
tenacious of life than buffalo, is alws
dangerous to ensure a probability OF $
cess and safslylall the energies must ar