it, while with the other leg and arm he was with difficulty holding on, to keep himself from being dashed to pieces below.  His dreadful situation was instantly perceived by Captain Lewis, who, stifling his alarm, calmly told him that he was in no danger; that he should take his knife out of his belt with his right hand, and dig a hole in the side of the bluff to receive his right foot.  With great presence of mind he did this, and then raised himself on his knees.  Captain Lewis then told him to take off his moccasins and come forward on his hands and knees, holding the knife in one hand and his rifle in the other.  He immediately crawled in this way till he came to a secure spot.  The men who had not attempted this passage were ordered to return and wade the river at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water breast-high.  This adventure taught them the danger of crossing the slippery heights of the river; but as the plains were intersected by deep ravines, almost as difficult to pass, they continued down the river, sometimes in the mud of the low grounds, sometimes up to their arms in the water; and when it became too deep to wade, they cut footholds with their knives in the sides of the banks.  In this way they travelled through the rain, mud, and water, and having made only eighteen miles during the whole day, camped in an old Indian lodge of sticks, which afforded them a dry shelter.  Here they cooked part of six deer they had killed in the course of their walk, and having eaten the only morsel they had tasted during the whole day, slept comfortably on some willow-boughs.”

Chapter X —­ To the Great Falls of the Missouri

Next day, June 8, the Lewis party returned to the main body of the expedition.  They reported that timber was scarce along the river, except in the lowlands, where there were pretty groves and thickets.  These trees, the journal says, were the haunts of innumerable birds, which, as the sun rose, sung delightfully:—­

“Among these birds they distinguished the brown thrush, robin, turtle-dove, linnet, gold-finch, large and small blackbird, wren, and some others.  As they came along, the whole party were of opinion that this river was the true Missouri; but Captain Lewis, being fully persuaded that it was neither the main stream, nor that which it would be advisable to ascend, gave it the name of Maria’s River.  After travelling all day they reached camp about five o’clock in the afternoon, and found Captain Clark and the party very anxious for their safety.  As they had stayed two days longer than had been expected, and as Captain Clark had returned at the appointed time, it was feared that they had met with some accident.”

As we now know, the stream that came in from the north was that which is still called Maria’s (or Marais) River, and the so-called branch from the southwest was the Missouri River.  Lewis and Clark, however, were in the dark as to the relations of the two streams.  Which was the parent?  Which was the branch?  After pondering all the evidence that could be collected to bear on the important question, the two captains agreed that the southern stream was the true Missouri, and the northern stream was an important branch.  The journal says: