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ti
tlbe Conservative.
INCIDENTS OF WESTERN HISTORY.
VII.
An Early Voyage Up the Missouri.
A hundred years ago St. Louis was
about as remote from the civilized world
as , say , some of those places in Green-
laud now are whose names are occa
sionally brought to our notice in con
nection with the travels of arctic ex
plorers. Those who set forth thence to
voyage into the unknown interior of the
continent , did so with almost as much
uncertainty as do Peary and his co-
laborers , when they cast loose from the
last habitation of men and start across
land and water in the direction of the
pole. This is not an exaggerated state
ment. An up-river excursion required
almost as much preparation , and quite
as much ambition and spirit , as an
ocean voyage. It is worth our while to
gain an appreciation of this fact , in
order correctly to estimate the work of
the last century in the west.
Fortunately many logs and journals
were kept of these voyages , and prob
ably as many of them are preserved
still as have perished. One of the most
interesting is the record kept by Henry
M. Brackenridge of Lisa's expedition of
1811. We will quote some short pas
sages from this journal , to illustrate the
nature of river-travel in the very be
ginning , and to give such of our readers
as are interested his observations on the
landmarks of this stretch of the river ,
as they were known to the men of
ninety years ago.
Brackenridge was a well-educated and
bright young fellow from Pittsburg ,
who , educated for the law , came to
"Louisiana , " as everything west of the
rivers was still called , in 1810 , with the
intention of practicing his profession.
The wonders of the frontier world ,
however , had charms too great to be re
sisted. It was several years before he
settled down in St. Louis and opened
his law office ; much to the distress , we
are given to understand , of his
ambitious father back in Pennsyl
vania. What became of Brackeuridge
in later life the writer of this does not
know ; but he is one of the pleasant
figures of the earliest west , and has left
behind some valuable writings , of which
Mr. Irving made free use in his time.
Braokenridge secured passage in the
spring of 1811 with the expedition
which the Missouri Fur Company was
despatching under Manuel Lisa. He
speaks of Lisa in terms of the warmest
admiration ; indeed , the ability and
achievements of this Spanish French
man are rated very highly by the his
torians of today. The company was in
a bad way at this time ; the term for
which it was formed had nearly run
out , Andrew Henry had disappeared
somewhere across the mountains , the
Blackfeet and Sioux were on the ram
page , and every thing looked dark. "The
funds of the company were at so low an
ebb , " says Brackeuridgo , "that it was
with some difficulty a barge of twenty
tons could be fitted out , with merchandise
to the amount of a few thousand dollars ,
and to procure twenty hands and o pa
tron [ ? ] . The members were unwilling
to stake their private credit , where
prospects were so little flattering. "
"With respect to myself , I must own
to the reader that I had no other motive
fcr undertaking a tour of several thou
sand miles , through regions but seldom
marked even by the wandering foot
steps of the savage , than the mere
gratification of what ho will term an
idle curiosity : and I must confess that
I might have employed my time more
beneficially to myself , and more use
fully to the community. Would that I
were able to make some amends , by de
scribing the many interesting objects
which I witnessed , in such a manner as
to enable the reader to participate in
the agreeable parts of my peregrinations.
"We set off from the village of St.
Charles-on Tuesday , the 2d of April ,
1811 , with delightful weather. The
flood of March , which immediately suc
ceeds the breaking up of the ice , had
begun to subside , yet the water was
still high. Our barge was the best that
ever ascended the river , and manned
with twenty stout oarsmen. As Mr.
Lisa had been a sea captain , he took
much pains in rigging his boat with a
good mast , and main and top-sail ; these
being great helps in the navigation of
this river. Our equipage was chiefly
composed of young men , though several
have already made a voyage to the up
per Missouri , of which they are exceed
ingly proud , and on that account claim
a kind of precedence over the rest of the
crew. We are in all twenty-five men ,
well armed and completely prepared for
defence. There is , besides , a swivel in
the bow of the boat , which in case of
attack would make a formidable ap
pearance : we have also two brass
blunderbusses in the cabin , one over
my birth , and the other over that of
Mr. Lisa. These precautions were ab
solutely necessary from the hostility of
the Sioux bands , who , of late , had com
mitted several murders and robberies on
the whites , and manifested such a dis
position that it was believed impossible
for us to pass through their country.
The greater part of the merchandise ,
which consisted of stroudiug , blankets ,
lead , tobacco , knives , guns , beads , &c. ,
was concealed in a false cabin , ingen
iously contrived for the purpose ; in this
way presenting as little as possible to
tempt the savages. But we hoped that ,
as this was not the season for the com
ing on the river of the wandering tribes ,
the fall being the usual time , we mighl
pass on unnoticed. Mr. Wilson P.
Hunt had set off with a large party ,
about twenty-three days before us , on
his way to the Columbia ; we anxiously
loped to overtake him before he entered
the territory of the Sioux nation ; for
this purpose it was resolved to strain
every nerve , as upon it , iu a great meas
ure , depended the safety of our voy
age.
"Having proceeded a few miles above
St. Charles , we put to shore , some of
our men still remaining at the village.
is exceedingly difficult to make a
start on these voyages , from the reluc-
: auce of the men to terminate the frolic
with their friends , which usually pre
cedes their departure. They set in to
drinking and carousing , and it is im
possible to collect them onboard. Some
times they make their carousals at the
expense of the Bourgeois [ employer ] ;
they are credited by the tavern keeper ,
who knows that their employer will be
compelled to pay , to prevent the delay
of the voyage. Many vexatious abuses
are practiced in these cases. It was
found impossible to proceed any further
this evening ; the men were in high
glee from the liquor they had drunk be
fore starting ; they were therefore per
mitted to take their swing.
"April 3d. About two o'clock in the
afternoon , having at length succeeded
in getting all hands on board , we pro
ceeded on our voyage. Found an ex
cessive current , augmented by the state
of the waters. Having come about six
miles , encamped. In the course of this
evening , had as much reason to admire
the dexterity of our Canadians and
Creoles , as I had before to condemn their
frivolity. I believe an American could
not be brought to support with patience
the fatiguing labors , and submersion ,
which these men endure. At this sea-
sou , when the water is exceedingly cold ,
they leap in without a moment's hesita
tion. Their food consists of lied corn
hominy for breakfast , a slice of fat pork
and biscuit for dinner , and a pot of mush
for supper , with a pound of tallow in it.
Yet this is better than the common fare ;
but as we were about to make an extra
ordinary voyage , the additional expense
was not regarded.
"April 7th. Made Point Labadie ,
so called from a French trader , who
formerly wintered here. Forty years
ago this was thought a distant point on
the Missouri ; at present there are toler
able plantations every where through
the bottom. The carcasses of several
drowned buffaloes passed us ; it is said
that an unusual number of them has
been drowned this year some have
been seen floating on the river at St.
Louis. A gentleman lately descended ,
declares that he counte'd forty on the
head of an island. Passed between an
island and the main shore ; a very nar
row channel , but the current and dis
tance less. A channel of this sort is
often taken in preference , and it is one
of the means of facilitating the ascend
ing of this uncommonly rapid river ;
but there is sometimes danger of the