Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/403

397 MERIWETHER LEWIS. 397 foot on each side of the river, "Thanked God that he had lived to bestride the Missouri." They crossed the Divide, from the waters of the Missouri to the waters that flow into the Columbia, where they camped and ate their last piece of pork. ONE HUNDRED years ago to-day Lewis, Drewyer, and McNeal were the first white men to cross the Rocky Mountains, within the boundary lines of the United States, to the Pacific Slope. Soon after leaving camp, on the 13th, they saw two women and a man and some dogs at a distance, who fled at their approach. They continued a little farther when they suddenly came upon three females, one of them, a young Indian, ran away; the others, an old woman and a little girl, held down their heads expecting death. Lewis put down his gun and went up to them, took the woman's hand and raised her up repeating the words, "Taba Bone," meaning white men, at the same time showing her his bare arm. Drewyer and Shields coming up, Lewis asked Drewyer to request the old woman to recall her companion, which she did. Lewis gave her some beads, a few awls, and a pewter mirror; and then painted the cheeks of the three women vermillion. They proceeded down the road to the Indian camp. They soon met sixty warriors riding at full speed. Lewis put down his gun and with the United States flag flying advanced fifty paces with the Indian woman, when the chief spoke to them and the woman informed him that the party were white men. The chief leaped from his horse and embraced Lewis with great cordiality, applying his left cheek to Lewis's and fre- quently saying, "Ah-hi-e," meaning "I am much pleased." The whole body came forward, and the men received the embraces of the warriors in the same manner. Lewis obtained men and horses to go back after the rest of the party. The next four days form an interesting story of his efforts in the management of the Shoshone