Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-12-11
LEWIS AND CIARKE,s EXPEDITION

In this vicinity Lewis and Clarke par
ticularly note the presence of herds of
countless butfaloes, antelope, elk and other
wild game, besides the less welcome and
far more troublesome grizzly bear. Their
| lives were in constant peril from the latter.
None of the party dared to be without
their rifles for a moment. They had CON
siderable difficulty i'll making the portage
at the point which has ever since been
known as Portage Coulee, situated eight
cen miles below this town, "down north"
for here the Missouri takes generally
northern course. They made cache at
the mouth of Portage creek, in which
were deposited some of their baggage,
ammunition, provisions, books, specimens
of plants and minerals, ana draught of
the river from its entrance to Ft Mandan.
Near the Great Falls, Capt Clarke. his
servant. Chabonean, the Interpreter and
the latters wife narrowly escaped from
the floods with their lives. On their ar
rival there Capt. Clarke observed very
dark cloud rising III the west, which
threatened rain, and he accordingly looked
about for shelter At length, about Il
quarter OF mile above the falls, he found
deep ravine. where there We're some
shelving rocks, under which they took re-
fuge. They We're on the upper side Of
the ravine perfectly safe from the rain,
and therefore laid down their guns, COM
pass and other articles which they had
carried with them. The shower was at
first moderate, then increased to heavy
rain. Soon after, torrent OF hail and
rain descended. The rain seemed to fall
in solid mass and instantly collecting in
the ravine, came pouring down In torrents,
carrying with it masses Of mud and rocks.
Capt. Clarke fortunately saw it a moment
before it reached them and springing up
with his gun and shot-pouch i'll his left
hand, with his right clambored up the
steep bluff, pushing OH the Indian woman
with her child in her arms; her husband
too had seized her hand. but he was SO
terrified at the danger. that but for Capt. |
Clarke, they would all have been lost. So
before Capt. Clarke had reached his gun
and begun to ascend the bank, the water /
was up to his waist, and he could scarcely
get up faster than it rose. til it reached /
height of fifteen taet with |
q furious current. Had they waited |
a moment longer they would have been
swept over the falls. The Capt. lost his
compass and umbrella, Chaboneau left
his gun. shot-pouch and tomahawk, and t
the Sndianwoman had just time to grasp her
child. Several members of the other branch
ofthe expedition were knocked down on the
plains and considerably bruised by hail
stones. They improyised wooden carts to
make the portage around the series of
falls to a point just above where Ira
Myers mill is now situated, a distance of
seventeen and three-Quarters miles. Their
report records the fact that ~ lille in the
vicinity of the falls they repeatedly heard
strange noise coming from the mountains
It was heard at different periods of the
lay and night, sometimes when the air
vas perfectly still and without cloud,
md consisting Of one stroke only, or OF
i've or six discharges in quick succession.
t was loud, resembling the discharge of
annon. The solution Of the mystery as
,iven by the 'watermen' Of the party was
hat it was occasioned by the bursting OF
he rich mines of silver confined within
he bosom of the mountain They thus
escribe Square butte: ssThere is noun 8
lin, which from its appearance we shall ]
all Fort mountain. 1t is situated in the |
evei plain, and forms nearly a square, 1
ach side of which is a mile In extent. !
hese sides, which are composed of yell
wv clay, with no mixture of rock OF
one whatever, rise perpendieularly TO
le height of three hundred feet. where
le top becomes level plain 1t has
le appearance Of being perfectly inacces-
ble.
-o---
Religious Notes. G
Last Sunday night the Rev. J. M. Lar i
INT preached on .The New Covenant
an Fattentive audience. Next Sunday a
e Rev. John Reid will preach in Sand L
,nIea in tho morn;nr and hnra ~ ,,;.h+ p