Economic beginnings of the Far West: how we won the land beyond the Mississippi . amping ground, reported a good position aboutthree miles below the villages, where there wasplenty of timber and a spring of good water. Thereon a point of low ground (Elm Point, heavily timberedto-day), sheltered by bluffs from the dreaded north-east storms, the cabins were built of heavy cotton-wood, elm, and ash, stone for the chimneys beingbrought in the pirogues. The men were dividedinto squads, some to fell timber, others to burncharcoal and shell corn, others still to hunt the deerand buffalo and lay in a
Economic beginnings of the Far West: how we won the land beyond the Mississippi . amping ground, reported a good position aboutthree miles below the villages, where there wasplenty of timber and a spring of good water. Thereon a point of low ground (Elm Point, heavily timberedto-day), sheltered by bluffs from the dreaded north-east storms, the cabins were built of heavy cotton-wood, elm, and ash, stone for the chimneys beingbrought in the pirogues. The men were dividedinto squads, some to fell timber, others to burncharcoal and shell corn, others still to hunt the deerand buffalo and lay in a good stock of meat. Thenorthern winter was approaching fast, there was ahard frost every night, and the geese were flyingsouth. By the middle of November, ice began tofloat down the river. Then the keel boat was un-packed, and its contents deposited in the store-house. The huts were completed by the twentieth ofthe month, and not a whit too soon. By the end ofNovember, there was a foot of snow on the ground,and the river was frozen over so that it could becrossed without SEARCH FOR THE WESTERN SEA 249 Fort Mandan was sixteen hundred miles fromthe mouth of the Missouri, and the expedition, beingwell on its way, could afford some relaxation. ADakota winter, moreover, was a foe before whichthe Indians retreated to their lodges, and its severitywas quite beyond the experience of these Ken-tuckians. By the middle of December the thermom-eter fell to forty-five degrees below zero, and severalmen were suffering from frozen hands and feet, snow-blindness, and pleurisy. The fort was snug enoughand capable of prolonged defence against savagefoes. Larocque, a North West Company trader whovisited the Mandans that winter, thus describes it:It was constructed in a triangular form, ranges ofhouses making two sides, and a range of amazinglong pickets, the front. The whole is made sostrong as to be almost cannon ball proof. The tworanges of houses do not join one another, but arejoined b
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmormons, bookyear1912
