Oregon and Eldorado; or, Romance of the RiversBulfinch, Thomas
History
Oregon and Eldorado; or, Romance of the Rivers
Bulfinch, Thomas
Amazon River; Columbia River; El Dorado; Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806); Oregon -- Discovery and exploration
"We arrived at a spot on the gradual descent of the hill, nearly four
acres in extent, and covered with small holes. These are the residences
of little animals called prairie-dogs, who sit erect near the mouth of
the hole, and make a whistling noise, but, when alarmed, take refuge in
their holes. In order to bring them out, we poured into one of the holes
five barrels of water, without filling it; but we dislodged and caught
the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet, we
found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half-way to
the bottom. We discovered two frogs in the hole; and near it we killed a
rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie-dog. We have been told,
though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort of lizard and a snake
live habitually with these animals.
"The prairie-dog is well named, as it resembles a dog in most
particulars, though it has also some points of similarity to the
squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that
the ear is shorter. The tail is like that of the ground-squirrel; the
toe-nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray."
ANTELOPES.
"Of all the animals we have seen, the antelope possesses the most
wonderful fleetness. Shy and timorous, they generally repose only on the
ridges, which command a view in all directions. Their sight
distinguishes the most distant danger; their power of smell defeats the
attempt at concealment; and, when alarmed, their swiftness seems more
like the flight of birds than the movement of an animal over the ground.
Capt. Lewis, after many unsuccessful attempts, succeeded in approaching,
undiscovered, a party of seven, which were on an eminence. The only male
of the party frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to
discover if any danger threatened the party. When Capt. Lewis was at the
distance of two hundred yards, they became alarmed, and fled. He
immediately ran to the spot they had left. A ravine concealed them from
him; but the next moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the
distance of three miles. He doubted whether they could be the same; but
their number, and the direction in which they fled, satisfied him that
it was the same party: yet the distance they had made in the time was
such as would hardly have been possible to the swiftest racehorse."
PELICAN ISLAND.
"42.--This name we gave to a long island, from the numbers of pelicans
which were feeding on it. One of them being killed, we poured into his
bag five gallons of water."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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