Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-11-27
LEWIS AND CLARKE's EXPEDITION

| held by men, the Lewis & Clarke party
works its dreary way along from the Man
dan country until we find them at the june
ton of the Missouri and another large
| river, in a quandary as to which of the
/ two streams to follow. On their correct
| decision much of the fate of the expedi-
| ton depended; since, If after ascending to
! the Rocky mountains or beyond them,
| they should find that the river they were
following did not come near the Columbia,
| and they should be obliged to return, they
would not only lose the travelling season,
two months of which had already elapsed,
but probably dishearten the men so much
as to induce them either to abandon the
enterprise, OF become disobedient to the
commanders orderss They therefore de
termined to examine their future course
with great care before deciding Explor-
Ing parties were detached by land and wa
ter to collect definite information of the
country and report at headquarters AT
the mouth OF this newly discovered river,
which they, afterwards named the Mara's
river, Lewis and Clarke ascended the nieh
ground at the fork Of these two rivers and
beheld on every side, a vast plain covered
with Verdure, on which countless herds of
buffalo We're roaming, attended by their
little enemies, the wolves. Some f1ocks
OF elk also were seen, and the solitary an
telopes We're scattered with their young
over the face of the plain The direction
OF the rivers could not be distinguished as
they We're soon lost in the extent of the
plains. In passing along the side of one
of the bluffs Capt. Lewis slipped and but
for happening to save himself by means of
his staff he would have been precipitated
into the river over a precipice of about
hundred feet. He had no more than re-
covered himself when he heard one Of
his men crying for help. Turning quickly
about, he found it was Windsor, who had
lost his foothold about the middle Of the
narrow pass, and had slipped down to the
very verge of the precipice. With his
right arm and leg hanging over the awful
chasm, the frightened man lay on his
stomach Wildly ciutching Tie earth to
keep him from going over. Capt Lewis
kept him re4ssafed until he could rescue
Windsor, which he did with characteristic
rreaance zof mind. i few days after
this adventure this lnaa Windsor
became convinced that luck was not run
ming his way just thea. Near tie camp
''1shite bear" (noW known as grizzly at
tackled him. Nindsor's gun was wet and
consequently refused to do service. He |
made for tree, but was SO close
ly pursued, that as he ascended the tree
he struck old brt1in with his foot. The
bear complaicently waited at the foot of I
the tree for his prisoner to descend. Tie
rest OF the party We're separated from
" Nindsor by Z perpendicular cliff of rocks, /
which they conld not descend ard were
powerless TO render him any assistance
Fortunately, however, the farocious beast
was frightened away BY their shouting
md firing. When the party arrived at
what we call the Teton river they named
I the Tansy on account Of the fact that
arge quantities Of that herb were growing
u its banks.
On the morning Of June Il, 18o4, as the
oarty was proceeding across the plain, the
ears Of Capt. Lewis were saluted with the
lgreeable sound Of 4 fall Of water and as
se advanced, {. spray which seemed driven
y the high south h-West wind arose above
he plain like a column Of smoke and van
ahed in an instant Towards this point
lie directed his steps, and the noise increas-
ng as he approached, soon became too
to be mistaken for anything
ut the Great Falls Of the Missouri. HAY
ag travelled seven miles after first hear I
ng the sound, he reached the falls, enjoy +;
d the sublime spectacle, of this stupen-
Gus object, which since the creation. had {
cen layishirg its magnificence upon the
esert, unknown to civilization, except the {
ardy French explorers in 1i4o. The ac- {
uracy Of the measurements of Lewis and !
larke has been proven by late tests. We
eg leave to give their description of the t
Ills as its grandeur was impressed upon ]
lem. t
"The river Immediately at its cascade is
nee hundred yards wide, and is pressed
/ by perpendicular cliff on the left,
hieh rises to about one hundred feet,
i'd extends up the stream for mile. On !
le right the bluff is also perpendicular !, !,
IL three hundred Yards above the falls.