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TTbe Conservative *
INCIDENTS OF WESTERN HISTORY.
VI.
The Eastbound Astorians.
The Overliiml Astoriaus , or the party
sent across the continent by John Jacob
Astor to his proposed .colony on the Pa
cific , after becoming scattered in the
mountains of Idaho and Oregonreached
Astoria , their goal , in the early spring
of 1812. They spent the rest of the un
favorable season in resting , fishing and
making the acquaintance of the natives.
As soon as the advance of spring ren
dered traveling practicable , an attempt
was made to send a report back to Mr" .
Astor by the same route over which
they had come. Four men were charged
with this undertaking , and they set off
upon it on the 22nd of March. They
were plundered by the river Indians ,
however , near the Falls of the Colum
bia , and the leader of the party , whose
name was Eeed , nearly lost his life.
They therefore returned to Astoria.
The necessity of acquainting Mr.
Astor with the doings of the expedition
still remained , and a second party ac
cordingly set out on June 20th. The
command of this was intrusted to a
young Scotchman named Robert Stuart ,
* >
> ho knew of the
although nothing coun
try , having been one of those who went
out by the sea route. The wisdom of
the choice was confirmed by the success
ful outcome of the expedition. Young
Stnnrt piloted his men across in safety ,
although it took them nearly a year to
reach St. Louis. Little is known of his
life , but he was afterwards Astor's
agent at Mackinaw for a number of
years.
His party consisted of six men beside
himself , among whom was Ramsay
Crooks , later a conspicuous figure in
the fur trade. All tiie others seem to
have been members of the first overland
party. Two of them were Canadians
and two Kentucky hunters. They soon
lost one of the latter , however John
Day , whose name is borne by a river of
Oregon. He went mad and was sent
back downstream under guard of some
friendly Indians.
The others went on , made the cut-off
from the Columbia to the Snake , fol
lowed the latter river up as far as they
could and crossed to Bear River ; pick
ing up four white men on the road ,
three of whom were Kentucky trappers.
This continual meeting of trappers in
that remote wilderness and at that early
day , is really a singular thing.
On Bear River they had an Indian
fright. To avoid the savages they
turned and went 150 miles out of their
course to the north. Here , however ,
they were surprised by a Crow party
and robbed of their horses. This
catastrophe naturally changed all their
plans. It was now October , and they
could not hope to pass the mountains in
either direction before winter. They
" \
wandered about as if bewildered for
some days , making a complete circuit
of the Tetous , according to Captain
Chittoudeu , who lias traced out their
route with extreme patience and skill.
After coming down into the valley of
Green River , they suffered for lack
of food , and the dire expedient of cast
ing lots was proposed by one of the
Canadians. Young Stuart , however , as
Irving tells us , "shuddered , and snatch
ing up his rifle , threatened to shoot the
wretch on the spot ; " so they went hun
gry a while longer. And presently they
fell in with a camp of the Snakes , who
fed them.
Now let the appreciative Irving toll
the story :
"By sunrise on the following morning
( October 19th ) , the travellers had load
ed their old horse with buffalo meat ,
sufficient for five days' provisions , and ,
taking leave of their new allies , the
poor but hospitable Snakes , set forth in
somewhat better spirits , though the in
creasing cold of the weather , and the
sight of the snowy mountains which
they had yet to traverse , were enough
to chill their very hearts. The country
along this branch of the Spanish
[ Green ] River , as far as they could see ,
was perfectly level , bounded by ranges
of lofty mountains , both to the east and
west. They proceeded about three
miles to the south , where they came
again upon the large trail of Crow In
dians , which they had crossed four days
previously. The trail kept on to the
southeast , and was so well beaten by
horse and foot that they supposed at
least a hundred lodges had passed along
it. As it formed , therefore , a conven
ient highway , and ran in a proper di
rection , they turned into it , and deter
mined to keep along it as far as safety
would permit , as the Crow encampment
must be some distance off , and it was
not likely those savages would return
upon thdir steps. They travelled for
ward , therefore , all that day , in the
track of their dangerous predecessors ,
which led them across mountain streams
and along ridges and through narrow
valleys , all tending generally towards
the southeast. The wind blew coldly
from the northeast , with occasional
flurries of snow , which made them en
camp early , on the sheltered banks of
a brook. The two Canadians , Vallee
and Lo Clerc , killed a young buffalo
bull in the evening , which was in good
condition , and afforded them a plentiful
supply of fresh beef. They loaded
their spits , therefore , and crammed
their camp ke.tle with meat , and while
the wind whistled and the snow whirled
around them , huddled round a rousing
fire , basked in its warmth , and com
forted both soul and body with a hearty
and invigorating meal. No enjoyments
have greater zest than these , snatched
in the very midst of difficulty and dan
ger ; and it is probable the poor way
worn and weather-beaten travellers
relished these creature comforts the
more highly from the surrounding desolation
elation , and the dangerous proximity of
the Crows.
"Tho snow which had fallen in the
night made it late in the morning be
fore the party loaded their solitary
paok-horso and resumed their march.
They had not gone far before the Crow
trace which they were following
changed its direction , and bore to the
north of east. They had already begun
to feel themselves on dangerous ground
in keeping along it , as they might be
descried by some scouts and spies of
that race of Ishuiaelites , whose preda
tory life required them to be constantly
on the alert. On seeing the trace turn
so much to the north , therefore , they
abandoned it , and kept on their course
to the southeast for eighteen miles ,
through a beautifully undulating coun
try , having the main chain of mountains
on the left , and a considerably elevated
ridge on the right. "
This unfortunate move , Captain Ohit-
teiideu says , deprived Stuart of the
honor of "discovering" the South Pass.
This later famous crossing place of the
mountains was undoubtedly a pre
historic highway of the Indians , and
this Crow trail would have led them
down to the Sweetwator by the road
afterward traveled by so many thou
sands of emigrants.
"This evening they encamped on the
banks of a small stream , in the open
prairie. The northeast wind was keen
and cutting ; they had nothing where
with to make a fire , but a scanty growth
of sage , or wormwood , and were fain to
wrap themselves up in their blankets
and huddle themselves in their 'nests'
at an early hour. In the course of the
evening , Mr. M'Lellan , who had now
regained his strength , killed a buffalo ,
but it was some distance from the camp ,
and they postponed supplying them
selves from the carcass until the follow
ing morning.
"The next day ( October 21st ) the
cold continued , accompanied by snow.
They set forward on their bleak and
toilsome way , keeping to the east-
northeast towards the lofty summit of
aimouutain , which it was necessary for
them to cross. Before they reached its
base they passed another large trail ,
steering a little to the right of the point
of the mountain. This they presumed
to have been made by another baud of
Crows , who had probably been hunting
lower clown on the Spanish River.
'The severity of the weather com
pelled them to encamp at the oiid of
fifteen miles , on the skirts of the moun
tain , where they found sufficient dry
aspen trees to supply them with fire ,
but they sought in vain about the neigh
borhood for a spring or rill of water.
"At daybreak they were up and on
the march , scrambling up the mountain