The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-07-23
DAILY DISPATCH.
.. ~ "'DHi ohNiN",..........,..JULS q. 1857.
r. aaH~ -
An Arctic wtnter--Upper Missouri
TIfe

Tue T. 3 steamer d. II. Morton arrived at 81.
honis' 'nhe 18th, from ten months trip TO Fort
tierfe' on the Upper Missouri The Morton left
~ Louis September 10th, 1850 and December 3nth
the boat was frozen fast at Yankton Village, or
what Is better known rs "smuttv Bears Camp -
NJ miles below Port Randall and l. $50 miles above
81 louis During the trip to this point the wind
bic" a gale nearly every day, aud the weather be-
came intensely cold. When ice bound. the chim.
heys were taken down, aud everything made .nuc
~ possible for winter quarters. What TINT winter
proved to be- may be judged by the following ac.
count from the 81. Louis Republican:
on the 18th of December, twenty Iodg.s of yspL
ton sioux Indians came into Smutty Bears Cann
from hunting excursion. and w. H. oanip o".,p
iafnished condition. They crowded .rourd tbo
boat and picked up the corn and drcsvsJ ,n,a,aa.
thS' had bctn scattered around. The snow, Vas SO
deep that their usual supply Of game wa. crt oT
and the wolves aud foxes were too scarc. 20 s,,ni
their wants " PP''
"n ih" 10TH OF January, the roy1ge0rs experenc.
ed tremendous gale, during which the cabin WA,
shifted about four inches, notwithstandip,, ,b.v
had taken the precaution 10 secure the piot bouse
and texas with guys. 10 the shore and ice and
10 rig extra iron rods, connecting the frat To tho
boiler deck. The swaying Of the cabin to and FRO
seemed 10 cause the hull TO open, many OF the
seams above the light water mark showing day
light
ou the 81 Of February they experienced another
heavy gale and more Of the fankton Sioux came
in from hunting, not overloaded with ga.le They
reported great scarcity Of buffalo and elk, many Of
them having taken no more than enough to supply
their immediate wants. Extreme cold had caused
them much suffering, and loss Of many of their
animals, and some of the band had been frozen TO
death. They made such constant appeals for bread
that they were annoying, there was no means of
supplying them They were obliged to subsist entire
ly on corn which had been cached in the vicinity du
ring the fall They informed the officers that this
would not last them until the new corn came ill.,
and that in the meantime they must suhsi-t Oh
roots and What game they might chance to get.
On the 9TH Of February they were visited by de-
tIdedly the most severe storm of the season, and
looked every moment to their cabin swept of
flashing upon laShing," no doubt saved il. The
night Was speut in watching the issue. preparing
tn neet the worst. On the following morning the
gale abat"d snmew hat its fury. and the were
sent to the island below for fuel. The wind soon
rpr" again. however and the crew on their return
lost their way in the binding snow storm. They
were going in All opposite direction and would not
have found the boat again, had it not been for the
assistance Of a friendly Indian, who heard their
outCres, and acted their guide. Some of the
party returned with their feet badly frost bitten.
The snow at this time level with the guards
Of the boat clear tha river Ia order to chop
down the trers for fael, the men were Obliged to
stand waist deep in the snow, At the period Of which
We speak IN consequence ot the scarcity Of proyi-
sion-. only ono ration Il day served. This WAS
entirely insufficient to satisfy the keen appetite
geHdered by the peculiarites Of the climate. They
remained thus hbernated, and suffering many vi
Cissitudes and priyatious from cufd and hunger
until the 22dof March when the ice broke and they
Were again at1Oat. The precautionary measure had
b""n taken of erecting crib" around the boat
yet, when the ice started the, steamer in imIn-
nent danger being wrecked every moment. The
vessel however. Was Rescued from this new peril,
ana after enCOuntern9 many obstacles from iCe and
storms, they reached Fort Raudell on the lst of
May. Fort Pierre on the 1lth of the month.
On the Eth of MAy they were "homeward bound"
and arrived at St Louis We have stated last sat
urday. Notwithstanding the many perils and hard
chips Of this trip, the men, generally, preserved
excellent health and spirits, and with the excep-
ton ct their Drowned and weather beaten counte-
nanccs, looked n0he the worse for the wear