Part 1 (1/2)

Travels in the Interior of North America

by Alexander Philipp Maximilian

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

Ie of the extensive continent of North Ae portion of that country, which, only a few years ago, was covered with almost uninterrupted primeval forests, and a scanty, scattered population of rude barbarians, has been converted, by the influx of e State, for the most part civilized, and ale and flourishi+ng toith fine public institutions of every kind, have risen rapidly, and every year adds to their number

Animated commerce, unfettered, unli advance of civilization in the United States The tide of eration is impelled onwards, wave upon wave, and it is only the sterility of the North-west that can check the advancing torrent

We already possess nu States, and there are ood statistical works on the subject We have even excellent general works on the physical state of this continent, a which Volney's ”Tableau du Clih rank[3] Little, however, has yet been done towards a clear and vivid description of the natural scenery of North America: the works of American writers themselves on this subject, with the exception of Cooper's and Washi+ngton Irving's animated descriptions, cannot be taken into account, as, in writing for their countryranted that their readers are well acquainted with the country

For this reason I have endeavoured, in the folloork, to supply this deficiency to the best ofa clear and faithful description of the country, than at collecting statistical inforn, rather than for American readers, to whom, probably, but few of the details would be new

There are two distinct points of viehich that remarkable country may be considered Some travellers are interested by the rude, primitive character of the natural face of North Ainal population, the traces of which are now scarcely discernible in most parts of the United States; while the rant population, and the gigantic strides of civilization introduced by it The account of h a part of these countries, contained in the following pages, is chiefly intended for readers of the first class I have avoided the repetition of numerous statements which may be found in various statistical publications; but, on the contrary, have aimed at a simple description of nature As the United States were , the object of which [vi] was the investigation of the upper part of the course of the Missouri, they do not form a prominent feature, and it is impossible to expect, from a few months' residence, an opinion on the social condition and character of thatthe author beyond the frontier of the United States, will have to direct his attention to those extensive plains--those cheerless, desolate prairies, the western boundary of which is formed by the snow-covered chain of the Rocky Mountains, or the Oregon, where ines still enjoy a peaceful abode; while their brethren in the eastern part of the continent are supplanted, extirpated, degenerated, in the face of the constantly increasing iration, or have been forced across the Mississippi, where they have for the most part perished

The vast tracts of the interior of North-western Aovernment of the United Statesdonewhich the two under Major Long produced the h on a liovernh investigation of those extensive wildernesses, especially in the Rocky Mountains, can be undertaken[4]

Even Major Long's expeditions are but poorly furnished with respect to natural history, for a faithful and vivid picture of those countries, and their original inhabitants, can never be placed before the eye without the aid of a fine portfolio of plates by the hand of a skilful artist

In e up the Missouri, I have endeavoured to avail htsman, the want of which I so sensibly felt in my former travels in South America On the present occasion I was accompanied by Mr Bodreat truth, and correct delineation of their characteristic features His drawings will prove an ie of this race of men, to whom so little attention has hitherto been paid

After ed it desirable to throw the account of e on the Missouri itself into the form of a journal, as the daily notices were nu; so that the patience of the reader will unfortunately be tried a little in this part of the narrative In those uninhabited, desert countries the traveller has nothing but the description of the naked banks of the river, and the little diversity they afford, interrupted at tis with Indians; the reader will therefore excuse many observations and unimportant descriptions, which would have been omitted if the ence with respect to many observations on natural history, but for this the loss of the greater part of my collections will be a sufficient excuse The cases containing them were delivered to the Company, to be put on board the steaht fire, the people thought rather of saving the goods than my cases, the contents of which were, probably, not considered to be ofto future travellers not to neglect to insure such collections

Though the main object of my journey, namely, to pass some time in the chain of the Rocky Mountains, was defeated by unfavorable circumstances, I should have been able, but for the loss of my collections, to communicate y, which are now more or less deficient The accounts of the tribes of the aborigines, and [vii] especially of the Mandans and Manitaries, arethem, and was able to have daily intercourse with them Authentic and impartial accounts of the Indians of the Upper Missouri are now especially valuable, if the information that we have since received is well founded, na those tribes, a reat part of the to the newspapers, the Mandans, Manitaries, assiniboins, and Blackfeet have been swept away except a sines is undoubtedly that which n traveller in those countries, especially as the Anglo-A of hatred

Hence we have hithertothe Indians, except in the recent writings of Edward Ja, Say, Schoolcraft, McKinney, Cass, Duponceau, Irving,[5] and a few others; and as good portraits of this race have hitherto been extremely rare, the faithful delineation contained in the portfolio of plates acco to the friends of anthropology and ethnography

Several reat eminence in the learned world, have had the kindness to contribute to the publication President Nees Von Esenbeck has undertaken the deterht home;[6] Professor Goldfuss, of Bonn, that of some fossil shells; Professor Goppert, of Breslau, that of the impression of fossil plants froical specimens with those in their cities;[8] and Lieut-Col W Thorn, the construction of theleave to offer to these gentlemen my sincere thanks

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Consult Ja's Expedition_, in our volume xiv, p 75, note 41--ED

[4] We reprint the account of Long's expedition in our volumes xiv-xvii--ED

[5] For Edwin (not Edward) Ja see preface to our volume xiv, pp 10-13, 25, 26; for Tho as an authority on Western history, Gregg's _Commerce of the Prairies_, our volume xix, p 161, note 2

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864) was a well-known traveller, ethnologist, and historian Born in New York, he studied at both Middlebury and Union colleges His first tour to the West was in 1817-18, when he made a collection of minerals in Missouri and Arkansas In 1820 he acco year acted as secretary of the Indian Coent at Mackinac, where he resided for seventeen years, having married a descendant of a Chippewa chief In 1837 he was promoted to superintendency of the Northern departned (1841) to devote hiress authorized the publication of a work upon Indian tribes, to which Schoolcraft devoted the latter portion of his life It appeared as _Historical and Statistical Infor the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States_ (Philadelphia, 1851-57) Schoolcraft belonged to many learned and historical societies, received a medal from the French Institute, and was in his day the chief authority on American Indians Besides the work already cited, he published much, chief of which is _Personal Memoirs_ (Philadelphia, 1851); _Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Source of the Mississippi River in 1820, resuin in Itasca Lake in 1832_ (Philadelphia, 1855)

Thomas Lorraine McKenney (1785-1859) was superintendent of trade with the Indian tribes, 1816-24 In the latter year he was made head of the bureau of Indian affairs in the war depart frequently as treaty commissioner The work to which reference is here made, is _Sketches of a Tour to the Lakes_ (Baltimore, 1827)

Lewis Cass (1782-1866) had unusual opportunities for contact with the tribes a proovernor of Michigan Territory His contributions to Indian bibliography were a series of articles published in the _North American Review_, xxvi-xxx (1828-30)

Peter Stephen Duponceau (1760-1844) was a French at Philadelphia, he became a member of the American Philosophical Society, and contributed to its _Transactions_ several articles on the structure and graes--ED

[6] Christian Gottfried Nees von Esenbeck (1776-1858), a faed in the practice of en as professor of botany, the next year being called to Bonn, then being professor at Breslau (1831-52) The number of his published works is considerable--ED