Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-01-20
Correspondent CO Of the Sioux City Register.
UP THE YELLOWSTONE.
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The peculiar institution" OF the extreme
Northwest is the "cordel,' mode Of trav
cling that combines the peculiarities Of a
sai-vessel and canal boat.
An ordinary mackinaw boat is supplied
= little forward Of midships, with a stout
mast thirty or forty feet high, rope from
two to three hundred feet long, called the
'cordel,' is made fast to the foot Of the
mast, passes through block at the top,
and from thence to the bow Of the boat,
passing through another block, which is
worked BY means Of "bridle,' SO as to
bring this block At any required distance
from the bow; the rope is then passed
ashore and leng.hened out or shortened as
circumstances may require.
From twenty to Fifty men at the end of
the rope constitute the motive power, assis-
ted occasionally by lodge skin set as sail.
These men follow this business as pro-
fessiop, and are known % roydgeurs or
co-dellers. They are generally Canadian
French, with a sprinkling of all the ma.
tions Of Europe pe-seldom that IN Ameri-
can born citizen is found among them.
On the evening Of the 9th Of July two
bosts thus rugged out we're lying At the
mouth of the Yellowstone. The one con
tanned the United States annuity goods
for the Grow nation Of Indians, the other
the trading supplies Of the American Fur
Company, also destined for the same
point.
Besides those connected with the gov.
ernment and the company, we're two Lu-
theran missionaries to the Crows, an art.
ist, several pleasure seekers and one young
gentleman from "Old England"
Many Of the voyageurs we're "raw
hands, and we're looking forward to their
initiation with anxiety. while al took more
than an ordinary interss. in the coming
morrow. The favored few slept beneath
the lodge skins on board, while the ma
jori,y as well enjoyed natures sweet re.
storer' wrapped in their robes around the
camp fires on shore.
Early in the morning (very near the
middle Of the night all we're aroused by
the orders Of the Captain, given in French,
to raise camp and be moving. Soon, all
hands, missionaries and pleasure seekers
included, were stretched out alang the
cord. The novelty ceased after the frs.
five minutes, and al after was indeed .
stern reality.
Some idea Of the current Of the Yellow.
stone at its mouth may be formed from
the fact that we would be stationary FIVE
minutes At time. 1t has by far the most
rapid current Of any Of the tributaries Of
the Missouri. At times the men would be
sixty feet from The edge Of the bank, and
again close to the edge, breaking . pas
sage through willows and bullberries, over
logs sad around trees. One Or two los,
their hats, all were wet through from the
heavy dew Of the bushes, some had their
clothes torn, and all were tired in IN hours
time.
One OF the "raw hands" tha. hailed
from Erin's Green Isle,' and Of course
wen, by the name Of "Pat," getting tired
Of pulling on one side changed to the 9th
er-the wrong side, between the line and
the riyer-when just 1t that time the rest
let 90 the /" bite OF the line--the line
Strengthened out and .Pst" was suspend.
ed ten or SvesvS 1lnea abovssoo water, fas.
tened TO the line OF Lis "bridle,' contrl'
vance be had 70 tighten his lsbors, and
which IN this instance saved hia life .--