Exploratory Travels through the Western Territories of North America; comprising a voyage from St. Louis, on the Mississippi, to the source of that river; and a journey through the interior of Louisiana, and the northeastern provinces of New Spain. Performed in the years 1805, 1806, 1807, by order of the government of the United States. By Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Major 6th Regt. United States Infantry 4to. pp. 436.

AMONG the recent travels connected in point of subject with the present volume, are Michaux's journey to the westward of the Alleghany mountains, and the more extensive peregrinations of Captains Lewis and Clarke across the American continent. The former undertaking, though valuable on the ground of informa tion, was limited in its object to the dominions of the United States: but the latter opened an unknown country to the geographical investigator, and showed the American government how far their newly acquired territory, Louisiana, was likely to be benefited by channels of communication with the western ocean. Major VOL. III. New Series.

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Pike performed two expeditions, from a similar motive of ascer taining the situation and properties of particular districts of Louisiana. His first journey was directed northward to the sources of the Mississippi; and while it enabled him to make a report on the mode of navigating that river, it afforded also an opportunity of apprizing the Indian tribes, along its banks, of the extended jurisdiction of the United States. In his second journey, his steps were bent to the west; and after having ascended the Missouri for several hundred miles, and taken steps to attach the savages to the American government, he proceeded to examine the navigation of the great rivers to the south of the Missouri. These missions were altogether of a public nature; the author being an officer in the American army, and receiving his instructions from General Wilkinson, the commander of the troops in Louisiana: while the substance of these instructions, moreover, was communicated to the president, and obtained his approbation. In point of spirit and perseverance, a fitter person than Major Pike could not have been easily found; but his experience and judgment were not proportioned to his zeal; and the relation of his adventures contain several proofs of the unfortunate consequences of a want of previous combination. We apprehend that he is the same officer who, with the rank of brigadier, lately fell in action with the British at the taking of Little York, in Canada.

The author, then only Lieutenant Pike, set sail on the first expedition from St. Louis, a station situated near lat. 38. a short way below the confluence of the Mississippi with the still larger stream of the Missouri. The time of his departure was 9th August; a period of the year which, as we shall see presently, was too late by several months; the fit season for undertaking a voyage to the source of the Mississippi being the beginning of summer, when the ice is melted, and before the decrease of water, which renders it difficult to pass the shallows, has taken place. The party consisted of himself, a sergeant, two corporals, and seventeen privates, all embarked in a keel-boat of seventy feet in length, with provisions for four months. His instructions were in substance as follows:

"You will please to take the course of the river, and calculate dis tances by time, noting rivers, creeks, highlands, prairies, islands, rapids, shoals, mines, quarries, timber, water, soil, Indian villages, and settlements, in a diary to comprehend reflections on the winds and weather. It is interesting to government to be informed of the population and residence of the several Indian nations, of the quantity and species of skins and furs they barter per annum, and their relative price to goods; of the tracts of country on which they generally make their hunts, and the people with whom they trade.-You are to spare no pains to conciliate the Indians, and to attach them to the United States; and you may

invite the great chiefs of such distant nations as have not been at this place, to pay me a visit."

It would be tedious to follow Mr. P. through his long list of observations on the channel and banks of the Mississippi, and on the appearance of the copious streams which flow from east and west to augment its waters. The scenery, though frequently grand, was seen by him to advantage only on a few occasions, when the state of the voyage allowed him to step on shore and ascend a commanding elevation; and, while he kept to the river, his intercourse was generally confined to small parties of Indians passing along in their canoes. The savages in this quarter are no strangers to the benefit of traffic with Europeans.

"19th August.-Whilst we were at work at our boat on the sand beach, three canoes with Indians passed on the opposite shore. They cried How do you do?' wishing us to give them an invitation to come over; but receiving no answer they passed on."-" We afterwards met four Indians and two Squaws; having landed with them, we gave them one quart of made, or diluted whiskey, a few biscuits, and some salt. I requested some venison of them; they pretended they could not understand me, but after we had left them, they held up two hams, and hallooed and laughed at us in derision."

"1st September.-Dined with Mr. Dubuque, who informed me that the Sioux and Sauteurs were as warmly engaged in opposition as ever; that not long since the former had killed fifteen of the latter, who, in return, killed ten Sioux, at the entrance of the St. Peter's; and that a war party, composed of the Sacs, Reynards, Puants, to the number of two hundred warriors, had embarked on an expedition against the Sauteurs, but that they had heard that the chief, having had an unfavourable dream, persuaded the party to return, and that I should meet them on my voyage. At this place I was introduced to a chief called the Raven of the Reynards. He made a very flowery speech on the occasion, which I answered in a few words, accompanied by a small pre

sent."

"12th September.-Opposite to Root river we passed a prairie called La Crosse, from a game of ball played frequently on it by the Sioux Indians. On this prairie Mr. Frazer showed me some holes dug by the Sioux, when in expectation of an attack; into which they first put their women and children, and then crawl in themselves; they were generally round, about ten feet in diameter, but some were half moons, and formed quite a breastwork. This, I understand, was the chief's work, which was the principal redoubt. Their mode of constructing them is as follows: the moment they apprehend, or discover, an enemy on a prairie, they commence digging with their knives, tomahawks, and a wooden ladle, and in an incredibly short space of time sink a hole sufficiently capacious to secure themselves and their families from the balls or arrows of the enemy. They have no idea of taking these subterranean redoubts by storm, as they would probably lose a great number of men in the attack; and although they might be

successful in the event, it would be considered as a very imprudent action."

That French names are still used for the Indian tribes is owing to the circumstance of French continuing to be the prevalent language throughout Lower Canada. In Mr. Pike's report of the different nations of savages, (if the word nation may be applied to such insignificant numbers,) we have not found much that differs from former descriptions. One tribe, he tells us, (p. 128.) has acquired the use of fire-arms, but is not yet considered as superior to those who have only bows and arrows. In an open plain, the advantage of the former, indeed, is less apparent: but it admits of no question in bush-fighting, where a bullet holds its course through obstacles which are sufficient to turn the feathered shaft from its direction. Two other tribes of Indians, called Yanctongs and Tetons, possessing an ample stock of horses, are accustomed to move from place to place with a rapidity scarcely to be conceived by the inhabitants of the civilized world. The following is a population-table of the Indians residing on the banks of the Mississippi, and of its confluent streams, between Louis in Louisiana and the source of the river:

St.

Of the state of morals among these untutored beings, the following anecdote may afford some idea:

"We marched, determined to find the lodges. Met an Indian, whose track we pursued through almost impenetrable woods, for about two miles and a half to the camp. Here there was one of the finest sugar camps I almost ever saw; the whole of the timber being sugar maples. We were conducted to the chief's lodge, who received us in the patriarchal style. He presented us with sirups of the maple to drink, and asked whether I preferred eating beaver, swan, elk, or deer? Upon my giving the preference to the first, alarge kettle was filled with it by his wife, of which soup was made. This being thickened with

flour, we had what I then thought a delicious repast. refreshed ourselves, he asked whether we would visit his people at the After we had other lodges? Having complied, we were presented in each with something to eat; by some with a bowl of sugar, by others beavers' tails, and other esteemed delicacies. After making this tour, we returned to the chief's lodge, and found a birth provided for each of us, of good soft bear skins nicely spread, and on mine there was a large feather pillow. In the course of the day, observing a ring on one of my fingers, he inquired if it was gold: he was told it was the gift of one with whom I should be happy to be at that time. He seemed to think seriously, and at night told my interpreter that perhaps his father (as they called me) felt much grieved for the want of a woman: if so, he could furnish him with one.' He was answered that with us each man had but one wife, and that I considered it strictly my duty to remain faithful to her. This he thought strange, (he himself having three,) and replied, that he knew some Americans at his nation who had half a dozen wives during the winter. The interpreter observed that they were men without character; but that all of our great men had each but one wife. The chief acquiesced, but said he liked better to have as many as he pleased."

The frontier settlers, to whom the Indian chief referred, rank among the rudest of civilized traders; many of them are of too restless a turn to remain in their native country, whether it be Europe or the United States; and they are not ashamed, in these remote quarters, to do things in the prosecution of their mercantile concerns, which they would be the first to condemn in a country of regular business. Amid all their improprieties, however, they possess in perfection the virtue of hospitality; and their assistance to a countryman in distress is not limited by the rules of cold calculation.

About two months after Mr. P.'s departure from St. Louis, the weather became cold, and the unfortunate error of setting out in autumn proved productive of very unpleasant effects. The keelboat having been damaged and left behind, the party experienced much difficulty in pushing over the shallows the smaller boats in which they now attempted to make their way. At last, about lat. 45. they relinquished the farther prosecution of the voyage, and determined to proceed by land. It became necessary, therefore, to form an encampment of log-houses as a station for those of the party who were to remain behind, while the others went forwards to the source of the Mississippi. In this stage of the expedition, Mr. P. occasionally hunted in the woods, and was soon convinced of the precarious and uncomfortable plan of depending on such a source for the subsistence of his party :

"Saturday, 2d of November.-Left the camp with a full determination of killing an elk if possible before my return. killed one of these animals. Took with me Miller, whose obliging I had never yet