original Documents, and a Summary of the statistical View of the Indian Nations, from the official Communication of Meriwether Lewis. Illuftrated with a Map of the Country inhabited by the Western Tribes of Indians. 8vo. 509 pp. 95. Longman and Co. 1809. THIS "HIS volume records the fecond authentic and fuccessful attempt to penetrate from various parts of the vast continent of North America to the Pacific Ocean. The firft was by Alexander, now Sir Alexander, Mackenzie, who embarking from Fort Chepeywan, lat. 58 N. long. 110 W. from Greenwich, firft explored the northern parts to nearly the 70th degree of latitude, and indeed till his progrefs was obftructed by the ice. Returning to Fort Chepeywan he afcended what is called Peace River to its fource, and from thence proceeded to the Pacific Ocean.. For a detailed account of this arduous enterprize see our twentieth volume, pp. 465 and 645. Two years fince we had a rude and unpolished, but certainly a very interesting account of the prefent undertaking, by Patrick Gafs, who was one of the perfons employed, probably, in fome inferior office in the expedition. Of this alfo we have given a fuccinct account *. The prefent volume is fanctioned by authority; and the wonder is, when we confider the abundant harvest of matter which the expedition muft neceffarily have exhibited; the new regions difcovered, new nations explored, fingular man-ners obferved, novelties in the animal and vegetable tribes, &c. &c. that the authors fhould be fatisfied with prefenting the refult of their adventures to the world in a small unembellished volume. It is indeed accompanied with a map of the country inhabited by the western tribes of Indians, between the Miffiffippi and the Pacific, but this is upon a very fmall fcale, and by no means the moft fatisfactory. We are, however, thankful for it as it is, and have derived from it much entertainment as well as information, a part of which we fhall lay before our readers. In confequence of an order of Congress to explore the River Millouri to its fource, a party were appointed, under the command of Meffrs. Lewis and Clarke, to enter that river at the point where it joins the Miffiffippi. In the interval between May 14 and Nov. 1, they had afcended no lefs than 1609 miles, where they took up their winter quar ters among the tribe of Indians named the Mandans. The winter months were employed in laying down the River Miffouti, according to courfes and diftances taken on the paffage, corrected by obfervations of longitude and latitude. On April 8 they proceeded up the river, and altogether navigated no lefs than 3096 miles of the waters of the Miffouri. They finally made their way to the mouth of the Columbic River, and fucceeded in afcertaining the most practicable foute from the place where they fet out, namely, from where the Miffouri meets the Miffiffippi to the Pacific Ocean, a distance of 3555 miles. What the confequence may be it is impoffible at present to foretell, but there is the hope that the rays of our religion, of humanity, and of fcience may hereafter illuminate thefe gloomy, favage, and uncultivated wilds, The various tribes of Indians are described in a concife" but fatisfactory manner. From this portion of the book we fubjoin two fhort extracts. "The treatment we received from the Indians, during nearly three years that we were with them, was very kind and hofpi, table; except the ill treatment we received from the Sioux tribe, who several times made attempts to ftop us; and we should have been maffacred, had we not terrified them from their murderous intention, by threatening them with the fmall-pox in fuch a man. ner as would kill the whole tribe. Nothing could be more hor. rible to them than the bare mention of this fatal disease. It was firft communicated to them by the Americans, and it fpread from tribe to tribe with an unabated pace, until it extended itself across the continent. "This fatal infection fpread around with a baneful rapidity which no flight could efcape, and with a fatal effect that nothing could refift. It deftroyed with its peftilential breath whole fami lies and tribes; and the horrid fcene prefented to those who had the melancholy and affecting opportunity of beholding it, a combination of the dead and dying, and fuch as to avoid the horrid fate of their friends around them, prepared to difappoint the plague of its prey, by terminating their own exiftence. The habits and lives of those devoted people, who provide not to-day for the wants of to-morrow, muft have heightened the pains of fuch an affliction, by leaving them not only without remedy, but even without alleviation. Nothing was left them but to fubmit in agony and despair. To aggravate the picture, if aggravation were poffible, may be added the fight of the helpless child, beholding the putrid carcafe of its beloved parents dragged from their huts by the wolves (who were invited hither by the stench), and fatiated their hunger on the mangled corpfe. Or, in the fame manner, ferve the dog with food, from the body of his once beloved master, Nor was it uncommon for the father of a family, whom whom the infection had just reached, to call his family around him, to reprefent their fufferings and cruel fate from the influence of fome evil Spirit, who was preparing to extirpate their race; and to invite them to baffle death with all its horrors, with their own weapons; and, at the fame time, if their hearts failed in this neceffary act, he was himfelf ready to perform the deed of mercy with his own hand, as the last act of his affection, and inftantly follow them to the chambers of death *." The Indians being deftitute of phyficians, living on animal food, and plunging the felves into cold water, on the firft difcovery of the difeafe, rendered it generally mortal. "While we are at Fort Mandan the Sioux robbed feveral of our party when they were returning to the fort, with the fruits of an excurfion after game; and murdered feveral of the Mandan tribe in cold blood, without provocation, while repofing on the bofom of friendship. On hearing of this maffacre, Captain Clarke and the greater part of us volunteered to avenge the murder; but were deterred by not receiving fuccour from the Mandan warriors, who declined to avenge the outrage committed on them. The probable reafon of their not enlifting was, that they were too munch afraid of the fuperior number of the Sioux to venture an engagement. Soon after this maffacre, we received authentic intelligence, that the Sioux had it in contemplation (if their threats were true) to murder us in the fpring; but were prevented from making the attack, by our threatening to fpread the small pox, with all its horrors, among them. Knowing that it first originated among the white people, and having heard of inoculation, and the mode of keeping the infection in phials, which they had but an imper. fect idea of, a bare threat filled them with horror, and was fuf. ficient to deter them from their refolute and bloody purpose. This ftratagem may appear infignificant to the reader, but was of the greatest confequence to us; for to it alone we owed not only the fate of the expedition, but our lives. Most of the tribes of Indians, that we became acquainted with (except the Sioux), after being introduced by our inter preter, and having found that our intentions were friendly towards them, never failed of greeting us with many tokens of their friendly difpofition. Soon after our interview, we were in. vited to fmoke the calumet of peace, and to partake freely of their venifon. The women and children in particular were not wanting in fhowing tokens of friendship, by endeavouring to make our stay agreeable. On our first meeting, they generally held a council, as they term it, when their chief delivers a “talk," in which they give their fentiments respecting their * A Western Traveller. new new vifitors; which were filled with profeffions of friendship, and often were very eloquent, and abounded with fublime and figurative language. "When we departed, after taking leave, they would often put up a prayer; of which the following is a fample, which was put up for us by Mandan:-That the great fpirit would favour us with fmooth water, with a clear sky by day, and a bright ftar-light by night; that we might not be prefented with the red hatchet of war; but that the great pipe of peace might ever fhine upon us, as the fun fhines in an unclouded day, and that we might be overshadowed by the fmoke thereof; that we might have found fleep, and that the bird of peace might whisper in our ears pleasant dreams; that the deer might be taken by us in plenty; and that the great Spirit would take us home in fafety to our women and children." Thefe prayers were generally made with great fervency, often fmiting with great vehemence their hands upon their breaft, their eyes fixed in adoration towards heaven. In this manner they would continue their prayers until we were out of fight. In the fore part of autumn we experienced flight typhus indifpofitions, caufed by great viciffitudes of weather, which at times was very damp." P. 25. "I know not," fays a traveller among them, "under what clafs of dances to rank that performed by the Indians who came to my tent when I landed near Lake Pepin, on the banks of the Miffiffippi. When I looked out, as 1 there mentioned, I faw about twenty naked young Indians, the moft perfect in their shape, and by far the handsomest of any I had ever feen, coming towards me, and dancing as they approached, to the mufic of their drums. At every ten or twelve yards they halted, and fet up their yells and cries. "When they reached my tent, I asked them to come in; which, without deigning to make me any anfwer, they did. As I obferved that they were painted red and black, as they usually are when they go against an enemy, and perceived that fome parts of the war dance were intermixed with their other movements, I doubted not but they were fet on by the inimical chief who had refufed my falutation: I therefore determined to fell my life aş dear as poffible. To this purpofe, I received them fitting on my cheft with my gun and piftols befide me, and ordered my men to keep a watchful eye on them, and to be alfo upon their guard. "The Indians being entered, they continued their dance al ternately, finging at the fame time of their heroic exploits, and the fuperiority of their race over every other people. To enforce their language, though it was uncommonly nervous and expreffive, and fuch as would of itself have carried terror to the firmelt heart, at the end of every period they struck their war clubs clubs against the poles of my tent with fuch violence, that I expected every moment it would have tumbled upon us. As each of them, in dancing round, paffed by me, they placed their right hand above their eyes, and coming close to me, looked steadily in my face, which I could not conftrue into a token of friendfhip. My men gave themfelves up for loft, and I acknowledge, for my own part, that I never found my apprehenfions more tumultuous on any occafion. "When they had nearly ended their dance, I prefented to them the pipe of peace, but they would not receive it. I then, as my laft refource, thought I would try what prefents would do; accordingly I took from my cheft fome ribbons and trinkets, which I laid before them. Thefe feemed to stagger their refolutions, and to avert in fome degree their anger; for after holding a confultation together, they fat down on the ground, which I confidered as a favourable omen. "Thus it proved, for in a fhort time they received the pipe of peace, and lighting it, first prefented it to me, and then fmoked with it themfelves. Soon after they took up the prefents, which had hitherto lain neglected, and appearing to be greatly pleased with them, departed in a friendly manner. And never did I receive greater pleafure than at getting rid of fuch formidable guests. "It never was in my power to gain a thorough knowledge of the defigns of my vifitors. I had fufficient reafon to conclude that they were hoftile, and that their vifit, at fo late an hour, was made through the inftigation of the Grand Sautor; but I was afterwards informed that it might be intended as a compliment which they ufually pay to the chiefs of every other nation who happen to fall in with them, and that the circumftances in their con. duct which had appeared fo fufpicious to me, were merely the effects of their vanity, and defigned to imprefs on the minds of thofe whom they thus vifited, an elevated opinion of their valour and ' prowess. In the morning before I continued my route, feveral of their wives brought me a prefent of fome fugar, for whom I found a few more ribbons." P. 60. Our neighbours across the Atlantic have ftill a leffon to learn in the art of bookmaking. With half thefe materials. there are fome English bookmakers who would, aided by a few flight engravings and maps, have produced one if not two large quartos. We, for our parts, are glad to fee fo much matter fo condenfed, and hope that ere long we fhall have fimilar opportunities of adding to our geographical collections. In the mean time, let it not be forgotten that this is an official book, fan&ioned by the legislature of the country by whofe orders the expedition was undertaken and completed, It may |