THE ADVENTURES

OF

CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE, U. S. A.

IN THE

ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF THE FAR WEST

DIGESTED FROM HIS JOURNAL, AND ILLUSTRATED FROM
VARIOUS OTHER SOURCES

BY

WASHINGTON IRVING

AUTHOR'S REVISED EDITION

E-TERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1849, by

WASHINGTON IRVING.

n the Clerke vince of the District Court for the Southern District of New-York.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

State of the fur trade of the Rocky Mountains.-American enter-

prises.-General Ashley and his associates.-Sublette, a famous

leader. Yearly rendezvous among the mountains.-Stratagems

and dangers of the trade.-Bands of trappers.-Indian banditti.

--Crows and Blackfeet.-Mountaineers.-Traders of the Far

West.-Character and habits of the trapper....

CHAPTER II.

Departure from Fort Osage.-Modes of transportation.-Pack-horses.

-Wagons.-Walker and Cerré; their characters.-Buoyant feel-

ings on launching upon the Prairies.-Wild equipments of the

trappers. Their gambols and antics.-Difference of character

between the American and French trappers.-Agency of the

Kansas.-General Clarke.-White Plume, the Kansas Chief.--

Night scene in a trader's camp.-Colloquy between White Plume

and the Captain.-Bee-hunters.-Their expeditions.-Their feuds

with the Indians.-Bargaining talent of White Plume......

CHAPTER III.

Wide prairies.-Vegetable productions.-Tabular hills.-Slabs of

sandstone.-Nebraska or Platte River.-Scanty fare.-Buffalo

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43

skulls.-Wagons turned into boats.-Herds of Buffalo.-Cliffs

resembling castles.-The Chimney.-Scott's Bluffs.-Story con-

nected with them.-The bighorn or ahsahta,-its nature and

habits.-Difference between that and the "woolly sheep," or

goat of the mountains. . . ...

CHAPTER IV.

An alarm.-Crow Indians-their appearance-mode of approach—

their vengeful errand-their curiosity.-Hostility between the

Crows and Blackfeet.-Loving conduct of the Crows.-Laramie's

Fork.-First navigation of the Nebraska.-Great elevation of the

country.-Rarity of the atmosphere-its effect on the wood-work

of wagons.—Black Hills—their wild and broken scenery.—Indian

dogs.--Crow trophies.-Sterile and dreary country.-Banks of

the Sweet Water.-Buffalo hunting.—Adventure of Tom Cain,

the Irish cook.....

PAGE

CHAPTER V.

Magnificent scenery.-Wind River Mountains.-Treasury of waters.

-A stray horse.-An Indian trail.-Trout streams.-The Great

Green River Valley.--An alarm.-A band of trappers.-Fon-

tenelle, his information.-Sufferings of thirst.-Encampment on

the Seeds-ke-dee.—Strategy of rival traders.—Fortification of the

camp.-The Blackfeet.-Banditti of the mountains.-Their char-

acter and habits....

CHAPTER VI.

Sublette and his band.-Robert Campbell.-Mr. Wyeth and a band

of "Down-easters."--Yankee enterprise.--Fitzpatrick-his ad-

venture with the Blackfeet.-A rendezvous of mountaineers.--

The battle of Pierre's Hole.-An Indian ambuscade.--Sublette's

return

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE

Retreat of the Blackfeet. - Fontenelle's camp in danger. - Captain

Bonneville and the Blackfeet. - Free trappers - their character,

habits, dress, equipments, horses.--Game fellows of the moun-

tains-their visit to the camp.-Good fellowship and good cheer.

-A carouse.-A swagger, a brawl, and a reconciliation........ 107

CHAPTER VIII.

Plans for the winter.-Salmon River.-Abundance of salmon west of

the mountains.-New arrangements.-Caches. - Cerré's detach-

ment. Movements in Fontenelle's camp. - Departure of the

Blackfeet-their fortunes.-Wind Mountain streams.-Buckeye,

the Delaware hunter, and the grizzly bear.--Bones of murdered

travellers.-Visit to Pierre's Hole.-Traces of the battle.-Nez

Percé Indians.--Arrival at Salmon River..

Horses turned loose.

CHAPTER IX.

-

- Preparations for winter-quarters. — Hungry

times.--Nez Percés, their honesty, piety, pacific habits, religious

ceremonies. Captain Bonneville's conversations with them.

Their love of gambling......

CHAPTER X.

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126

Blackfeet in the Horse Prairie.-Search after the hunters.--Difficul-

ties and dangers.-A card party in the wilderness.-The card

party interrupted.-"Old Sledge," a losing game.-Visitors to

the camp.-Iroquois hunters.-Hanging-eared Indians. . . . . . . . . . 133

CHAPTER XI.

Rival trapping parties.-Maneuvering.--A desperate game.-Vander-

burgh and the Blackfeet.-Deserted camp fire.--A dark defile.

--An Indian ambush.-A fierce mêlée.-Fatal consequences.--