Sporting excursions in the Rocky mountains, by J.K. Townshend [sic]. |
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Sporting Excursions in the Rocky Mountains, by J. K. Townshend John Kirk Townsend No preview available - 2020 |
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abundant afternoon amongst animal antelope appearance approach arrived band bank Bannecks beautiful birds Blackfeet blankets brig buffalo bushes calabash called camp canoe Captain chief commenced considerable dashing deer distance encamped eyes feet fire fish Fort Hall Fort Vancouver grass grizzly bear ground half head hills horses hour hundred yards hunters hunting immediately Indians island Jason Lee journey Kanzas Kauai killed kind king land lodges looking meal meat ment miles missionaries morning mountain native Nez Percé night noon o'clock Oahu observed Pambrun party passed Pawnee plain Platte Platte river poor Portneuf river prairie probably returned Richardson rifle river rocks rocky rode salmon scarcely scene seemed seen SHOCKING ACCIDENT shore side skin Snake Snake river soon spot stream tain tent tion to-day town trappers travelling tribe valley vessel village Walla-walla whole wild wind wolves young
Popular passages
Page 117 - There is, in addition to these, a great variety of personages amongst us; most of them calling themselves white men, FrenchCanadians, half-breeds, &c., their color nearly as dark, and their manners wholly as wild, as the Indians with whom they constantly associate. These people, with their obstreperous mirth, their whooping, and howling, and quarrelling, added to the mounted Indians, who are constantly dashing into and through our camp, yelling like fiends, the barking and baying of savage wolf-dogs,...
Page 95 - A gentleman told me, that only four years ago, as he wandered near what had formerly been a thickly peopled village, he counted no less than sixteen dead, men and women, lying unburied and festering in the sun in front of their habitations. Within the houses all were sick; not one had escaped the contagion; upwards of a hundred individuals, men, women, and children, were writhing in agony on the floors of the houses, with no one to render them any assistance. Some were in the dying struggle, and...
Page 279 - N.'s large and beautiful collection of new and rare plants was considerably injured by the wetting it received ; he has been constantly engaged since we landed yesterday, in opening and drying them. In this task he exhibits a degree of patience and perseverance which is truly astonishing ; sitting on the ground, and steaming over the enormous fire, for hours together, drying the papers, and re-arranging the whole collection, specimen by specimen, while the great drops of perspiration roll unheeded...
Page 303 - It was, without exception, the most frightful and disgusting looking object that I ever beheld. The whole front of the head was completely flattened, and the mass of brain being forced back, caused an enormous projection there. The poor little creature's eyes protruded to the distance of half an inch, and looked inflamed and discoloured, as did all the surrounding parts. Although I felt a kind of chill creep over me from the contemplation of such dire deformity, yet there was something so stark-staring,...
Page 157 - I felt awed, almost frightened, at the task 1 had undertaken. But I had gone too far to retreat ; so, raising my gun, I took deliberate aim at the bushy centre of the forehead, and fired. The monster shook his head, pawed up the earth with his hoofs, and making a sudden spring, accompanied by a terrific roar, turned to make his escape.
Page 117 - These people, with their obstreperous mirth, their whooping, and howling, and quarrelling, added to the mounted Indians, who are constantly dashing into and through our camp, yelling like fiends, the barking and baying of savage wolf-dogs, and the incessant cracking of rifles and carbines, render our camp a perfect bedlam. A more unpleasant situation for an invalid could scarcely be conceived. I am confined closely to the tent with illness, and am compelled all day to listen to the hiccoughing jargon...
Page 105 - ... desperate flight, and his lugubrious cries reached the ears of the men in front, about a dozen of them rode to his assistance, and soon succeeded in diverting the attention of his pertinacious foe. After he had received the contents of all the guns, he fell, and was soon dispatched. The man rode in among his fellows, pale and haggard from overwrought feelings, and was probably effectually cured of a propensity for meddling with grizzly bears.
Page 43 - The birds, too, sing joyously amongst them — grosbeaks, thrushes, and buntings — a merry and musical band. I am particularly fond of sallying out early in the morning, and strolling around the camp. The light breeze just bends the tall tops of the grass on the boundless prairie, the birds are commencing their matin carollings, and all nature looks fresh and beautiful. The horses of the camp are lying comfortably on their sides, and seem, by the glances which they give me in passing, to know that...
Page 61 - ... tangent, and throw his pursuers from the track. At length the poor animal came to bay, and made some unequivocal demonstrations of combat, raising and tossing his head furiously, and tearing up the ground with his feet. At this moment a shot was fired. The victim trembled like an aspen leaf, and fell on his knees, but recovering himself in an instant, started again as fast as before. Again the determined hunters dashed after him, but the poor bull was nearly exhausted : he proceeded but a short...
Page 116 - I should probably have fancied myself an invalid for weeks.* 22d. — We are now lying at the rendez-vous. W. Sublette, Captains Serre, Fitzpatrick, and other leaders, with their companies, are encamped about a mile from us on the same plain, and our own camp is crowded with a heterogenous assemblage of visitors.