Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27

at the foot of the high bluff that still re-
mains Immediately north Of the water work.
pumping station at Floronce. In his de
scription Of the camping grounds Mr.. Jonei
alleges that cliffs of "sparry limestone rost
In the rear of the site to an elevation o
nearly 300 feet. At the present time 9
highway winds along the foot OF the cliff
over the exact spot where the party spen'
the winter, and any one who has passed tbs
spot can easily understand why the ex-
plorers took advantage of the protection
that the towering bluff provided against the
winter winds.
1t would seem that the long winter spent
in this isolated place must have been a
tedious ordeal to the wanderers, but the
journal kept by their officers indicates that
they found much that was novel and inter-
esting in the savage life around them. One
OF the things that particularly interested
them was the wonderful intelligence dis
played by the prairie wolves, with which
the banks Of the river abounded. A t first
the wolves evaded every artifce that their
ingenuity could suggest. After spending sew,
eral weeks In a futile attempt TO construc
q trap that would fool a wolf they gave the
job up in despair and turned to other oo-
equations. Mr.. Jones also speaks of ~latrons,
a species of jackal, which were very nu-
merous in this section. Droves of elk were
frequently seen, and swans, geese and ducks
came driving down the river before the cold
winds in immense fiocks that must have
numbered millions.
Width and Velocity of the River.
Measurements made by the engineer of the
party soon after the camp was located indi-
Gated that the Missouri was at that time 100
yards wide at a point Just above the camp
and 277b yards wide a few hundred feet
further down. The velocity Of the current
was tested by floating an empty
porter bottle, that was partially
filled with water to give it spe-
ciic gravity. and letting it ride down
the current to the length of a string that
was 100 yards long. BY this unique method
1t was determined that the velocity was one
mile, AL yards and one and one-half feet
per hour. Later more elaborate experiments
were made, and 1t was discovered that the
current was much swifter a few feet below
the surface. A pole ten feet long was
weighted and loated in the same manner as
the porter bottle, and this indicated that, at
a point ten feet below the surface, the
current flowed witt a velocity Of one mile,
S9S yards and one foot per hour.
One of the most interesting features of the
winter was the reception of the various
bands of Indians that came to pay their
respects to their white visitors. Represen-
tatives of nearly all the tribes in this To-
cality visited the encampment during the
season, and Mr.. Jones has detailed very
infinitely the impressions that he and his
comrades received.
The first deputation that caf1ed at the
cantonment was a party of about 100 Otoes
and a number of Iowas, who came early in
tN a,a sglorore tna 4a-4. - - 4
was their way Of expressing esteem. After
this was accomplished the Indians went
through the ceremony OF striking the post
in order to impress the visitors with the
fact that they were also deserving of honor,
and the journal of Major Long contains a
very exhaustive description of this dance.
to the aboriginal idea the act of
striking the post with a stick was equivalent
to taking an oath that he would not vary a
hairs breadth from the unvarnished truth in
OF his exploits. After this preface
he brave would recite his deeds of valor, tell
Of the horses he had stolen, and the number
Of dead bodies of his enemies he had struck, |
and then give way to one of the other bucks
Who would also recount his ~valorous exploits.
It is related that when one old warrior was
in the midst of his harangue one of the
younger braves put his hand over his mouth
and led him away as a suggestion that If he
old of all the brave acts he had done no one
would get a chance to speak. This was
the highest compliment that could
De paid to a warrior and the snufing process
not conferred on any but one or two of
The most noted chiefs.
Two weeks later a deputation of 400
)mahas presented itself and this visit was
llso made the occasion of elaborate cere-
Long speeches were made by Big
elk and Big Eyes, and these have been pre-
erved almost verbatim by the historian of
he party. The speeches abounded in the
language of the savage and
wound up with the statement tina they were
atisfed that their white visitors did not
intend to poison them or steal their women
nd that they would be frie.ds.
Sioux Were Big Chiefs.
About the middle of November a big party
I Sioux came down the river and stopped
o call at the cantonment. Mr.. Jones de-
lares that the Sioux were by far the
nest looking Indians that they saw during
heir trip. They manifested a lively curl
sity in regard to the steamboat, but for a
ong time they could not be induced to go
n board. They were afraid that it was some
great medicine" that would annihilate
hem, but after a good deal of persuasion
hey were convinced tnat no hafm was in
ended and spent some time examining the
raft and it's machinery. They were espec-
lilly interested in the air guns and howitz-
RS and a powerful magnet that happened to
Q discovered among the supplies was a
PURGE of the most extravagant establishment
} the aboriginal visitors.
During the winter the Omahas were fire.
uent visitors at the camp, where they ex-
terked meat for tobacco and re-
lained on the best of terms with the white
len. They were profuse in their professions
friendship, but took occasion to warn the
xplorers that they were the only tribe that
be depended on. The others would
rofess amity, but would rob and murder the
hite men If they got a chance. 4
Major Long had gone east during the
inter and the party waited for him to re-
i'm by a long overland journey before it
roke camp and started TO continue its ex- {
He arrived at the c%antonment
ay 2s and a few days later the party started ]
p the Platte by land, while the Western
was sent down to the Mississippi.
In the story of the long tramp up the !
latte much wonder is expressed at the
ocular undulatlng tendency of the
'airies over which they passed. The ex-
'eme fertility OF the soil is observed and i
"a hfgtnrian tpIuIrn, - z.La--.t-