| | 21 | Author: | Lewis
Meriwether
1774-1809 | Add | | | Title: | History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Lewis and Clark collection | UVA-LIB-LewisClark | University of Virginia Library, Westward Exploration collection | UVA-LIB-WestwardExplor | | | | Description: | Friday, October 11, 1805. This morning the wind was
from the east, and the weather cloudy. We set out early, and
at the distance of a mile and a half reached a point of rocks in
a bend of the river towards the left, near to which was an
old Indian house, and a meadow on the opposite bank.
Here the hills came down towards the water, and formed by
the rocks, which have fallen from their sides, a rapid over
which we dragged the canoes. We passed, a mile and a
half further, two Indian lodges in a bend towards the right,
and at six miles from our camp of last evening reached the
mouth of a brook on the left. Just above this stream we
stopped for breakfast at a large encampment of Indians on
the same side: we soon began to trade with them for a
stock of provisions, and were so fortunate as to purchase
seven dogs and all the fish they would spare: while this traffic
was going on, we observed a vapour bath or sweating
house in a different form from that used on the frontiers of
the United States, or in the Rocky mountains. It was a
hallow square of six or eight feet deep, formed in the river
bank by damming up with mud the other three sides, and
covering the whole completely except an aperture about two
feet wide at the top. The bathers descend by this hole,
taking with them a number of heated stones, and jugs of
water; and after being seated round the room, throw the
water on the stones till the steam becomes of a temperature
sufficiently high for their purposes. The baths of the
Indians in the Rocky mountains is of different sizes, the
most common being made of mud and sticks like an oven,
but the mode of raising the steam is exactly the same.
Among both these nations it is very uncommon for a man
to bathe alone, he is generally accompanied by one or sometimes
several of his acquaintances; indeed it is so essentially
a social amusement, that to decline going in to bathe when
invited by a friend is one of the highest indignities which
can be offered to him. The Indians on the frontiers generally
use a bath which will accommodate only one person, and
is formed of a wickered work of willows about four feet high,
arched at the top, and covered with skins. In this the patient
sits till by means of the heated stones and water he
has perspired sufficiently. Almost universally these baths
are in the neighbourhood of running water, into which the
Indians plunge immediately on coming out of the vapour
bath, and sometimes return again, and subject themselves
to a second perspiration. This practice is, however, less
frequent among our neighbouring nations than those to the
westward. This bath is employed either for pleasure or
for health, and is used indiscriminately for rheumatism,
venereal, or in short for all kinds of diseases. I wrote you last by the Governor Strong, Cleveland, for Boston;
the present is by the brig Lydia, Hill, of the same place. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 22 | Author: | Catlin
George
1796-1872 | Add | | | Title: | Catalogue of Catlin's Indian Gallery of Portraits, Landscapes, Manners and Customs, Costumes, &c., Collected During Seven Years' Travel Amongst Thirty-eight Different Tribes, Speaking Different Languages | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Lewis and Clark collection | UVA-LIB-LewisClark | University of Virginia Library, Westward Exploration collection | UVA-LIB-WestwardExplor | | | | Description: | I have seen Mr. Catlin's collection of Portraits of Indians,
East of the Rocky Mountains, many of which were familiar
to me, and painted in my presence: and as far as they have
included Indians of my acquaintance, the likenesses are easily
recognized, bearing the most striking resemblance to
the originals, as well as faithful representations of their costumes. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 23 | Author: | Gass
Patrick
1771-1870 | Add | | | Title: | A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery, Under the Command of Capt. Lewis and Capt. Clarke, of the Army of the United States, from the Mouth of the River Missouri Through the Interior Parts of North America to the Pacific Ocean, During the Years 1804, 1805 and 1806 | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Lewis and Clark collection | UVA-LIB-LewisClark | University of Virginia Library, Westward Exploration collection | UVA-LIB-WestwardExplor | | | | Description: | ON Monday the 14th of May 1804, we left
our establishment at the mouth of the river de Bois
or Wood river, a small river which falls into the
Mississippi, on the east side, a mile below the Missouri,
and having crossed the Mississippi proceeded
up the Missouri on our intended voyage of discovery,
under the command of Captain Clarke. Captain
Lewis was to join us in two or three days on our
passage.**The confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers
is in latitude about 38 degrees and 40 minutes
north, and in longitude 92 degrees and a half west of
London, or 17 and a third west of Philadelphia. The
town of St. Louis is 14 miles below the mouth of the
Missouri on the west side of the Mississippi; and Cahokia
about 4 or 5 miles lower on the east side. The
longitude of these places is nearly the same with that of
the mouth of the river St. Louis at the west end of lake
Superior in 46 degrees 45 minutes north latitude; about
2 degrees west of New Orleans in latitude 30 degrees
north, and the same number of degrees east of the
most western point of Hudson's Bay, in latitude about
59 degrees north: So that a line drawn from New Orleans
to Fort Churchill, at the mouth of Churchill river
on the west side of Hudson's Bay, would pass very
near the mouth of the Missouri and the west end
of lake Superior. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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