The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-06-28
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

petition of one hundred years ago i:
told in entertaining fashion in "Tht
Louisiana Purchase: Its History anG
Exploration" a book recently pub
lished by CHM & Co., of Boston. The
westward course Of the early explorer:
Is followed step by step, their ex'
periences in what is now northern
Montana being described in these ex,
cerpts:
On May 20 they reached the mouth
OF a large river, the "Muscleshell'
Musselshell J, 2,27O miles above the
Missouri's mouth. Thus another i'm.
portant river was discovered, although
it was impossible to explore it. The
information given by the Indians, that
1t rose 10 the mountains near the
source OF the Yellowstone, was erro.
neOus.
On May %, 1905, when the party had
reached the present Cow creek, Mon.
tana, Captain Lewis, after ascending
the highest summit of some hills,
FIRST caught a distant view of the
Rocky mountains, the object of all
our hopes and the reward of all our
ambition" 1t was a thrilling moment
for the explorers; but they were not
the first, for the Verendryes had seen
the Rocky mountains many years be.
fore.
Early in June the explorers came to
a large stream which they called Ma.
ria's river. 1t was so large that they
were in doubt as to whether this river
from the northwest or the main stream
from the southwest was the real Mis-
souri,. 'On our right decision" says
the journal, ''much of the fate of the
expedition depends: since if, after as.
cending the Rocky mountains or be.
You'd them, we should find that the
river We were following did not come
near the Columbia and be Obliged to
return, we should not only lose the
travelling season, but probably dis
hearten the men,"
To determine this point Captain
Lewis started to explore the north fork
and Captain Clark the south. In
three days Lewis was persuaded that
his fork extended too far north for an
approach to the Columbia, and he
turned back.
Lewis and Clark were of course
right in deciding that the northerly
stream-Marias river-was a tribu.
tary, and that the southwestern stream
was the Missouri. But many of the
party thought differently, including
Crusatte, an experienced voyageur,
So they decided to explore farther
Digging holes in the ground they con
cealed many Of their goods in caches
the French name for these places fol
hiding stores from Indians and wilt
animals J. Lewis assembled the south
branch, the real Missouri, and on Jun,
IL all doubts we're set at rest by hi,
discovery Of the great falls of the Mis-
souri,. which the Indians had described
1t was necessary to make q portage
TO transport their boats around the
succession of ~cataracts and rapids.
The south side of the river was select,
ed for a portage path IL miles ir
length. The clearing of this path wa.
one of the many examples of the hard
work done by the explorers. In ad.
dition, Captain Clark made careful
surveys and maps of the falls, cas-
cades, and rapids. A few years ago
when manufacturing company
planned a dam at one of the falls
their engineers found Captain Clark.
surveys entirely accurate. The tota
fall Of the river is 4l24 feet aud tn,
Great Falls alone plunge down Is.
feet.
1t was not until June - that tn,
portage path was finished, after mucl
hard work, and much annoy ance from
the prickly pear, which pierced thei.
~moccasins. They had many adven
lures with bears which, with elk, wer,
plentiful then. At this haunt of viii,
animals there is today Great Falls,
town Of over 10000 people.
After hiding or caching such arti
Giles as could be left behind, the wear,
task Of carrying their supplies owe
the long portage was begun. Sudden
~ there was q cloudburst and a flo,
OF water, from which Sacajawea, tn
faithful Indian woman who accom-
panied her husband the guide fro,
the Mandan villages. was barrel
saved by Clark, who was himself i
great danger. But the work was don
) in spite of u hailstorm and the a,
noyance Of bears, and swarms of par
ticularly active mosquitoes.
On July Il they again set out o
Y their journey with eight heavily lade
canoes. They encountered proiectin
cliffs, which sometimes made theu