current was too powerful to be stemmed by oars, they tied their boats by ropes to the trees, and worked them up by the capstan. They made their way slowly, and only reached the territory of the Mandan Indians, somewhere in Northern Dakota, when cold weather set in, and they found themselves winter bound among the savages. For six months they stayed there, living in rude huts which they had built, passing the time in hunting and fishing, or studying the habits of their Indian neighbors.

In spring, when the ice broke up, the canoes were put in order, and they set out once more. Hitherto they had once in a while met French traders from Canada, or British traders from Hudson's Bay, seeking furs of the Indians, but now they began to enter a wilderness where no foot of white man had ever trodden.

Their plan was to follow the Missouri to its source, and from thence to strike the source of the Columbia River, which the Indians had told Lewis was only separated by a low ridge of the Rocky Mountains from the head waters of the Missouri. Had they taken any of the branches of the Missouri, they might have spent months of fruitless search, and perhaps given up their journey. But Lewis had the scent of a sleuth hound for the right track, and led them on with unerring sagacity.

On they went, around the great falls, through the bold rock cailed "Gate of the Mountains," up the Jefferson Fork, till the river,

growing narrower and narrower, would no longer float even their light canoes. Then they took the boats on their backs, and walked beside the stream. One day one of the men put one foot on each side the narrow rippling waters, and thanked God that he had lived to bestride the Missouri River. When, a little later, they reached the chaste, clear fount from which bubbled the first drops of the mighty stream, every one drank in silent thankfulness for their success so far. Only a little mountain ridge divided the waters of the great river of the east from the river of the west. They could stand upon the crest and toss a pebble one way into waters that flowed to the Atlantic, and the other into waters flowing to the Pacific. When they reached the Columbia, drinking from its fountain, they cried aloud that they quaffed the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

As soon as they reached a point where they could embark their canoes on the Columbia, they proceeded with breathless rapidity over its dangerous rapids to the ocean. But their enthusiasm was damped by the greeting the Pacific coast gave them. It was in the rainy season, and the ocean of their hopes was covered with impenetrable fogs. For days and weeks the rain fell in steady torrents. till the leather of their waterproof tents rotted to the consistency of brown paper. Their clothes were never dry. They suffered from wet, cold, and want of proper food, but in spite of all kept their health and spirits. On their return, they wore Indian hunting shirts, deer-skin leggings, and moccasins instead of shoes. They were bronzed almost as dark as Indians. When Lewis wished to prove that he was a white man, he had to strip up his sleeve to show the original color of his skin. In this guise they landed at St. Louis in July, 1806.

"Never did any similar event," writes President Jefferson, “excite more joy in the United States." Every citizen of the nation felt a glow of pride in his newly enlarged country, so rich, boundless, and romantic. It was the first journey across that continent where now the Pacific Railway winds across the two great mountain ranges to the western ocean.

CHAPTER V.

WAR WITH ALGERINE PIRATES.

Pirates of the Mediterranean Sea. Demands of these Sea Robbers on United States. - General Eaton's Interview with the Bey of Tunis. - Royal Beggars. War declared. - Daring Feat of Decatur. - The Philadelphia burned in the Harbor of Tripoli. The Bashaw Hamet. End of War.

WHILE we were thus broadening our territories at home, we were having trouble abroad with no less formidable enemies than Algerine pirates who infested the Mediterranean Sea, and all the coasts of southern Europe. The Barbary States, you know, comprise the countries of Algiers, Morocco, Tunis, and Tripoli, and are formed of a narrow strip of land in northeastern Africa. They are inhabited by Moors, Turks, Arabs, and a sprinkling of Jews. The principal religion is that of Mohammed, and they were sworn enemies to all Christian nations. For years the pirates of the Barbary States, or, as they were generally called," Algerine pirates," had been a terror to every merchant vessel who came to trade with the countries near the Mediterranean. Any unlucky, ship, which found itself near the Atlantic coast of Africa, might see at any moment an odd-looking boat with long lateen sails, swooping down upon her from some sheltered inlet or harbor, where she had lain at watch for her prey. In a twinkling she would sail alongside the merchantman, grapple her, drop her long sails over the vessel's side, and a host of swarthy, turbaned Moors, with bare, sharp sabres held between their teeth, belts stuck thick with knives and pistols, would come swarming over from sails and rigging, boarding their prize from all sides at once. The merchantman, with a crew untrained to fighting, would surrender. Every man on board would be made prisoner, and carried to Algiers or Tripoli to be held for the payment of a large ransom. If this sum were not paid they were sold as slaves in the public marketplaces.

It is wonderful, when we read of this thing, to see the terror in which these miserable, half clad pirates held half a dozen European nations. Italy feared them as a mouse fears a cat; Holland and Sweden trembled at the name of Algiers; Denmark paid them yearly a large tribute; the only nation of whom they stood in awe was England. For her, they had some respect, as one of their proverbs, "as hard-headed as an Englishman," testifies.

When the pirates found America had become an independent nation, they immediately made demands on the government to pay them tribute. The Emperor of Morocco, Dey of Algiers, Bey of Tunis, and Bashaw of Tripoli (such were the high sounding titles of these squalid potentates) all thought they had found a new nation weak enough to submit to their piratical demands. And at first the United States did submit in the most astonishing manner. They sent consuls to the Barbary States to arrange on the amount of money or presents to be given these rulers to buy their favor and exempt our ships from their plunder. General Eaton, an officer who had served in the Revolutionary War, was one of these consuls, and very indignant he was at the manner in which his government submitted to the demands of these barbarians. When he called to see the Bey of Tunis, he was ordered to take off his shoes in the anteroom, and enter in his stocking feet. When he approached the bey in the stifling little den only eight by twelve, which served for grand audience chamber, he was ordered to "kiss his majesty's hand." "Having performed this ceremony," says the bluff old soldier, "we were allowed to take our shoes and other property and depart, without any other injury than the humiliation of being obliged in this way to violate one of God's commandments and offend common decency."

These potentates of Barbary were constantly begging. They asked for ships, gunpowder, arms, cloth, and jewels from our consuls. General Eaton says, while he lived in the consulate at Tunis, not only the bey, but his minister and half a dozen officers of his court, sent for their coffee, spices, sugar, and other groceries, to the American house, demanding it as tribute. Once the bey saw there a handsome looking-glass, for which he sent next day, and the American consul could do no better than pack it off to him. If he refused to comply with any demand, the bey threatened to let his pirates loose on the American trading vessels. Here is a specimen of the letters sent by this prince of pirates to the Danish consul.

"On account of the long friendship subsisting between us we take the liberty to give you a commission for sundry articles, naval and military, which I find indispensable. I give you six months to answer this letter, and one year to forward the goods. And remember, if we do not hear from you we know what steps to take." As demand followed demand, and our consuls found it was like filling a bottomless tub with water to satisfy these fellows, they began to demur.