New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-30
PIXIES EXPLORATIONS.
A NEW EDITION OF A FAMOUS BOOK.

spain During the Years 1861 New Edition
Nov Is ar'1 wth Copous Critical commentary
Memoir Of Pike. New Map and Other Ilustr 4
Pr vi sS7-s55 Vol III. PIP s'7-sSS Francis r.
Harper.
Tn all externals these volumes are the counter
part OF those In which appeared the records of
the explorations of Lewis and Clark. There was
almost no limit to the possibilities OF improving
the form in which Pike presented his narrative
10 the public. The editor has. indeed, no OBSCURE
copyst to condemn. Nobody interviewed between
Pike and his printer Later efforts to improve the
ARRANGEMENT of the book only showed how useiuI
10 1t a complete overhauling would be- Inc
ancient tumble Of main text and appendices mas
now been replaced with methodical DIVISION INTO
chapters where most of the miscellaneous rag
ments are relegated TO their place In the journal
and the documents which cannot be SO placed are
set down by themselves In chronological ordeT,
Thus the eccentricitles Of the author are almost
wholly done away with. 10 the despair OF any VINO
might wish to make study OF literary dlsoruer
that could not have been altogether due 10 accl-
sent For such the only recourse will be a search
for the first edition in which both Pike ana MS
printer Joined. not without touch of pride IN
announcing the difficulties under when they
labored
book is doubtful. His education was meagre ana
defec,ive and he was fully as odd by nature as the
great soldier Wolfe whom he revered as his
model in arms The OF an officer. he grew
ND at a military post Under his fathers care he
learned to write a good hand. to use practical
mathematical instruments like the sextant, to
talk French as TO make himself UNDERSTOOD
and above ALL to command men with prompt oe-
cls,on. But DR.. Coues remarks that he could not
sne,I n proper name twice the same way, though
he had a multitude Of curious ones TO practise on
among the Indian tribes Of the Mississippi and
Arkansas valleys. Nevertheless. what education
he had was Of kind that was useful as FAR as II
went II sufficed 10 make him of the most
striking figures in the early military annals or
tho United states. His brief career was full of
adventure and honors. ard II ended, as wore
had done IN the midst Of victory. Strangely
enough however. this brilliant and patriotic
career Is closely interviewer with the reasonable
schemes of Aaron Burr ard General James VIII
kjnson. In fact. had it not been for Wilkinson
pike might have waited long for the opportunity
N distinguish himself The interval between the
pevo,ution and the War Of 1912 would never have
offered him battle But II was the time of the
Louisiana purchase, of the march OF Lewis ana
Clark across the continent. and OF wild dreams OF
conquest Perhaps Wilkinson envied the WONDER
ful good fortune which had forced ltseH upon
Jefferson Knowing that the latter, then fresi-
dent. had sent Lewis and Clark to the west ne
might have gained Executive approval Tor MS
own plans But he chose u act on his own re-
sponsibility. Pike had reason afterward TO Kho"
how much this resented
There could have been no reasonable thought
behind the plan Of the first expedition which
Pike was ordered to make. 1t was simply
tourney from ST. Louis to the headwaters OF the
Mississippi River. The young lieutenant heio
councils with the Indian tribes along the SHORES
hservad the position of all the tributary streams
tanned the aggressiveness Of British traders emu
In the depth of winter studied the lake region
os Minnesota He did not reach Lake ltasca, but
he accomplished all that could be required OF
him as a military man. His second journey was
no. only hazardous but 1t dubious from
q nolitical point Of view. The second officer In
tho command and son OF General Wilkinson,
,hf only civilian in the party went over INTO
Mexico as SPY, and Pike himself with his
SQUAD OF soldiers. wandered about the noun
tains OF the Southwest until they were captured
within the old Spanish boundaries. Thelr de-
parture from the neighborhood of 81 Lous Aau
been managed in such way that the real pur-
pose OF the expedition was easily Kept secret
But before Pike returned to the United states
Burr had been arrested and the air full of
rumors about Wilkinsons share in the great
conspiracy DR. Coues clears Pike Of any part
in the treason. But he does it at the expense
OF Pixies reputation a man Of keen Intellect
The ostensible purpose Of the expedition was
70 explore the sources Of the Arkansas River
Tnt this design was obscured by the fact that the
first duty of Pike and his men was TO convey
band OF about fifty Usage Indians to their tribe
,l,;c amor
plished the explorers were far from civilization
The young civilian J. H. Robinson. Joined the
party, as If by accident Before the journey
was half completed young Wilkinson was sent
back to report to his father. while Pike went
on 10 meet the Spariards. He had chip on
each shoulder says DIR. Coues. for some Span
lard TO please knock off: his coat-tans were drag
ing all over the Rocky Mountains for some Span
lard TO please step on, and he would rather rave
broken some Spanish heads than have discovered
the head of any river The facts are put In
these words too theoretically. perhaps. Pike must
have known that the Government at Washington
knew little officially Of his proceedings. and re
was too wise to make war on his own account
or even to please his general. He must have
known. or guessed, more than he would nave
cared 10 tell about the business on when ne
was sent He declared orally and in his reports
and journals that he was searching for the
source of the Red River. But his editor insists
that he probably knew there was no such river
in the region which he traVersed. He was fol
lowing the Spanish boundary as closely as man
could, and when he decided to built a little fort,
ne somehow chose site on the wrong side or
the line If ne had finished this work in time he
might have felt like holding IT, But his journey
among the mountains had been one Of frghtful
hardships. His men were scattered along the
route disabled. Before his fortress was com
pleted a hundred Spanish dragons were upon
him He asked. with an innocent air. If he was
not the Red River. and they replied politely
that he the Rio del Norte. With all his
men inside his fort he might have disputed the
point and referred II to Washington and Madrid.