Survivor: The Autobiography

by Lewis, Jon E.

  15 May Rained all day till noon. Miserable living; we are just alive and very weak.

  16 May Turned out and started up the creek with nothing to eat; walked all day up right-hand branch of Wild Dog Creek; shot two magpies at noon and ate them raw, which refreshed us much at the time. We reached a long way up by night and camped under an overhanging rock, just under the snow. Nothing to eat but a little grass root: fearfully cold.

  17 May Started early to try and get over the snow and down the other side. Had a fearful hard day’s toil. Here is about a mile long of pure ice, as clear as crystal; you can see down into it several fathoms, just like looking down into the blue ocean, and no such thing as walking on it. We had to go round several times to where there was a little fresh snow lying on it, to be able to get along. At length made the foot of the saddle, and then we had some climbing to do to get up the mountain, which was covered with frost and snow, at an angle of 75 degrees. I was so weak that I thought I must give in, but I ate plenty of the little snowberries which grow under the snow. They helped us on a good deal, and we reached the top about 2 p.m. What a sight then met our eyes! Nothing but mountains of snow as far as we could see, in every direction but west. We got down by powerful exertion. At one time Simonin was behind me; I heard him sing out ‘Look out’, I turned round and he was coming down the snow at a fearful rate, head first, on his back. He held the gun in one hand, but had to let it go, when both he and the gun passed me at the rate of a swallow, and did not stop till they reached a little flat about two miles down, with a fall of 1,000 feet. I thought he was killed, but he was all right, with the exception of being a little frightened. We got down to the head of the flat and camped. Such a day I hope never to see again.

  18 May Snow and sleet all day. Tried to get away, but had to camp again about six miles down the gorge. Had to camp under a rock, in a foot of snow. No fire, wet clothes, and nothing to eat. Hard times.

  19 May Turned out early and started down the gorge, which took us all day. Snow and rain all day. Reached the flat at dark and camped in the bush with two feet of snow. Had a fearful job to light a fire. Fearfully cold night; our feet frostbitten and very sore.

  20 May Rain and snow. Could not stir out before the evening, when it turned out fine and we went hunting. Night very cold; snowing hard again and freezing.

  21 May Travelled down a large flat and entered into the heaviest and steepest gorge3 I ever saw. Here we were very near losing Farrell. He volunteered to be lowered down by a flax rope on to a rock about 14 feet over the water, and thus pass our swags across; but when he got halfway down the rope broke and away he went into a fearful boiling eddy in the creek. I looked but could not see him anywhere for over a minute and a half, when I saw him rise just at the top of the precipice and seize at another rock, which he succeeded in catching hold of and getting upon. If he had gone 4 ft farther, he would have been dashed down a precipice 200 ft so that he would never have been seen any more. Camped that night on the bare stones by the side of the creek. Nothing for a bed and nothing to eat. Very cold.

  22 May Made a start early. Saw the Plenty Lake. Could not make out where we were till we got near the flat; then could see the Wild Dog River, and knew we were about halfway between the two lakes. Just able to walk, but very weak. Caught two kakapo and two magpies, and had a better supper than we had had for many a day.

  23 May Went out early to shoot something for breakfast, but could get nothing. Kept close to the left-hand range, going down towards Poverty Lake.

  24 May Kept on down the side of the range, hunting as we went along.

  25 May Turned out before daylight to try and shoot some kakas, which were over us in the high trees, as the pine is an immense height; these birds come here to roost at night, and fly away to the mountains at daylight. Could not see them; got to our old camp on Poverty Lake by sundown. Camped and had a good supper. Feel much refreshed but our feet are very sore; all our toes are covered with running sores; Simonin’s feet are not bad; I believe mine are far the worst. I do hope we shall get a few days fine weather, so as to enable us to get into the Wakatip once more.

  26 May Another change in the weather. Rain again. Cannot get out of the tent. Nothing to eat all day.

  27 May Rain again all day. We shall be worse off than ever if this weather continues. We are very weak and no chance of any fish or game here as we are now on an island, on account of the lake rising all round us and running back into the lagoons. Got a little fern root.

  28 May Rain in torrents again. I do not know what we shall do. This is the third day again and nothing to eat but a bit of fern root. We cannot get out of the tent; the water is rising slowly but surely.

  29 May This is the most miserable day of my existence. We had to turn out last night at 10 o’clock, and the water rose so fast that we could not get anything away but our blankets. Had to wade to the side of the range up to our middles in water. We tied the powder and guns and a few other things up to the ridge pole, afraid to carry them away in case of getting them wet. The night was very dark and before [we rea]ched the hill I got up to my arms in water. [I thought] I should never get across, but we reached the land safe about a quarter of a mile distant. Had to walk up and down all night, the rain still pouring down. If this night does not kill us we shall never die. Daylight broke upon us, each looking for the other and wondering that we are all alive. Got a fire this morning: kept it going all day, but could not get back to our tent, as there is ten feet of water to go through, so we shall have another night, which I hope will be fine or we shall perish.

  30 May Fine morning. Did not rain much all night. I cut my blanket in two, to make a tent of one half of it, and slept by the fire very comfortably, considering our situation. Farrell crossed to the tent up to his middle in water this morning, and brought the two guns and some powder, and shot a duck, which came up swimming in the lake. We also shot a little kaka, which we boiled with some fern root, for the first meal we have had in four days.

  31 May Whilst in the act of packing up, I saw a rat which the dog had killed in the night. I never picked up a nugget of gold during the last ten years with more satisfaction than I picked him up, put him in the fire, and roasted him just as he was, then cut him in three parts, which we pronounced the sweetest bit of meat we ever ate. Proceeded up the side of the range, very weak and tired, and the bush wet. Camped about one-third of the way up the range with clothes wet. Could not get a fire.

  1 June Started early, to try and get over today. Camped about two miles from the saddle. Raining, very weak, and our feet awfully painful.

  2 June Got over the saddle through the snow and down to Kakapo Flat,4 where we expected to stop a day or two and get plenty of game; but the flat was covered with snow, and consequently the birds do not come down out of the range at night, but stop under the rocks and in the timber in the warmest place. Caught one kakapo and one Maori hen, which we cooked for supper under a rock, where we camped about 10 o’clock. It rained all the remainder of the day. Went hunting, but the dog would not work, as he had had a bird that morning and eaten it.

  3 June Continued on our road (feet getting worse) through the snow up the creek. Crossed over the flat and down to our old camp at the head of Mineral Creek. Caught one Maori hen and cooked it for supper, or rather for thirty-six hours’ food for three men. Went to bed very weak and bad.

  4 June Continued our course down the creek, made the old camp at the west foot of the dividing range, so tired that we would give all the world to be at the other side of it. Weather likely to be wet. Got three Maori hens, which is indeed a treat. Went to bed in good spirits, hoping we shall have good weather to get over the range, as that is all that troubles us. We know if we were over the divide we can get to the Wakatip if we do not get anything more to eat, as it is all downhill afterwards.

  5 June Got down to the edge of the bush, when it commenced raining, with a heavy thick fog on the mountain. We consulted as to whether we should go on or not, the weather lo
oking so bad. Camped. Rained all day. Caught one kakapo; very poor store to carry us over the divide. My feet are in an awful mess, and nothing to put on them but Maori hen fat. I do not think we shall be able to get over; we are three skeletons just alive.

  6 June Packed up once more to cross the divide if possible. If we cannot cross, we shall have to follow the creek down to the Awarua River, from thence to the Kakapo Lake, down to the sea, and stop there all the winter if possible. We are now six days coming from Poverty Lake, which I have done in one day before now. Got up to the head of the timber by night, and camped under a rock.

  7 June Raining very heavy this morning. This is the worst of all to be caught here, where we cannot get anything to eat. Commenced to snow at noon, and has every appearance of a heavy fall; so we must start. Did not get up a mile when we were up to our knees in soft snow; the higher we ascended the deeper it got, and we could scarcely see each other ten yards off. However we managed it after a long time, and when we got on top the snow was first-rate to walk on – just hard enough to keep us up, and down this side was beautiful, till we came within a mile of the bottom, when the snow became very soft, and we were till eight o’clock at night before we got down to our old camp, where we camped on three feet of snow. Our blankets and clothes all wet.

  8 June Snowed all night. Made a start down the creek, tumbling and rolling over rocks and stones, sometimes wholly disappearing in the snow, till we got down a few miles. Saw some kakas in a tree; my gun was too wet to be used, so Simonin got one of his barrels in the humour and shot seven of them, which saved our dog, as we had agreed to kill and eat him this afternoon. Still snowing. We here camped and cooked six of them. Had a good dinner and dried our clothes a little. Commenced to rain very hard again.

  9 June Rained heavily all day. Cooked our remaining bird. I went up the creek in the afternoon but could not see anything. Our feet are breaking out in fresh places, and are very sore.

  10 June Rain again. I wonder if we shall ever reach the Wakatip – only two and a half days’ tramp even in our state, and yet we cannot get a fine day, or anything to eat. If fasting and praying is of any value to sinners, we ought soon to become saints, for we have had enough of it lately. Cleared up about noon, when we made a start and got down a few miles further to our old camp.

  11 June Got nearly to the Dart and in sight of the Wakatip, which was indeed a welcome sight to us. We caught plenty of Maori hens and had a good feast – happy once more, even under our circumstances. Nearly skeletons, and can scarcely put one foot before the other.

  12 June Turned out in good spirits, hoping this will be the last day of our hardships. Started down the Dart. Feet bad, and the gravel hurt them very much. Got down to the Island and heard some person shooting; crossed over to see who it was, and found the captain of Mr Rees’s yacht and his mate, who were up pigeon shooting. We asked them to send a boat across to the other side of the Dart to fetch us when they returned, as they would be down before we should. They said they would either send a boat for us or come and fetch us themselves. We arrived at the Lake just at sundown; made a fire and commenced firing guns, which were answered from the township. In the course of an hour five of the boys came across for us in Mr Barrett’s whale boat. We were invited by Mr Reid, at the station, to come up and stop there for a while till we got better. From thence we went to Frankton Hospital where, with the constant care and attention we receive, we hope to be soon recovered.

  American soldiers and explorers. In 1803, Lewis and Clark were appointed co-commanders of the US Corps of Discovery with instructions to explore the continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean – a vast unknown territory known as ‘Louisiana’, recently purchased by the US from France. Their subsequent ‘Voyage of Discovery’ lasted 28 months, covered 8,000 miles, and was chronicled in Lewis and Clark’s expedition journals.

  [Lewis] Monday, 26 August 1805 [Shoshone indian camp, Rocky Mountains] I found it a folly to think of attemp[t]ing to decend this river [the Snake] in canoes and therefore determined to commence the purchase of horses in the morning from the indians in order to carry into execution the design we had formed of passing the rocky Mountains. I now informed Cameahwait of my intended expedition overland to the great river which lay in the plains beyond the mountains and told him that I wished to purchase 20 horses of himself and his people to convey our baggage. He observed that the Minnetares had stolen a great number of their horses this spring but hoped his people would spear me the number I wished. I also asked a guide, he observed that he had no doubt but the old man who was with Capt. C. would accompany us if we wished him and that he was better informed of the country than any of them. Matters being thus far arranged I directed the fiddle to be played and the party danced very merily much to the amusement and gratification of the natives, though I must confess that the state of my own mind at this moment did not well accord with the prevailing mirth as I somewhat feared that the caprice of the indians might suddenly induce them to withhold their horses from us without which my hopes of prosicuting my voyage to advantage was lost; however I determined to keep the indians in a good humour if possible, and to loose no time in obtaining the necessary number of horses. I directed the hunters to turn out early in the morning and indeavor to obtain some meat. I had nothing but a little parched corn to eat this evening.

  [Clark] Thursday, 29 August 1805 I left our baggage in possession of 2 men and proceeded on up to join Capt. Lewis at the upper Village of Snake Indians where I arrived at 1 oClock found him much engaged in Councelling and attempting to purchase a fiew more horses. I Spoke to the Indians on various Subjects endeavoring to impress on theire minds the advantage it would be to them for to sell us horses and expedite the [our] journey the nearest and best way possibly that we might return as soon as possible and winter with them at Some place where there was plenty of buffalow, our wish is to get a horse for each man to carry our baggage and for Some of the men to ride occasionally, The horses are handsom and much acustomed to be changed as to their Parsture, we cannot calculate on their carrying large loads & feed on the Grass which we may calculate on finding in the Mountain thro’ which we may expect to pass on our rout.

  [Clark] Friday, 30 August 1805 finding that we Could purchase no more horse[s] than we had for our goods &c. (and those not a Sufficient number for each of our Party to have one which is our wish) I Gave my Fuzee to one of the men & Sold his musket for a horse which Completed us to 29 total horses, we Purchased pack cords Made Saddles & Set out on our rout down the [Lemhi] river by land guided by my old guide [and] one other who joined him, the old gu[i]de’s 3 Sons followed him, before we Set out our hunters killed three Deer proceeded on 12 Miles and encamped on the river South Side.

  at the time we Set out from the Indian Camps the greater Part of the Band Set out over to the waters of the Missouri. we had great attention paid to the horses, as they were nearly all Sore Backs, and Several pore, & young Those horses are indifferent, maney Sore backs and others not acustomed to pack, and as we cannot put large loads on them are Compelled to purchase as maney as we can to take our Small proportion of baggage of the Parties, (& Eate if necessary) Proceeded on 12 Miles to day.

  [Clark] Monday, 2 September 1805 proceeded on up the Creek, proceded on thro’ thickets in which we were obliged to Cut a road, over rockey hill Sides where our horses were in [per]peteal danger of Slipping to their certain distruction & up & Down Steep hills, where Several horses fell, Some turned over, and others Sliped down Steep hill Sides, one horse Crippeled & 2 gave out.

  [Clark] Tuesday, 3 September 1805 hills high & rockey on each Side, in the after part of the day the high mountains closed the Creek on each Side and obliged us to take on the Steep Sides of those Mountains, So Steep that the horses Could Scur[ce]ly keep from Slipping down, Several sliped & Injured themselves verry much, with great dificuelty we made [blank space in MS.] miles & Encamped on a branch of the Creek we assended after crossing Several Steep points & one mountain, but little
to eate

  The mouintains to the East Covered with Snow. we met with a great misfortune, in haveing our last Th[er]mometer broken, by accident. This day we passed over emence hils and Some of the worst roads that ever horses passed, our horses frequently fell Snow about 2 inches deep when it began to rain which terminated in a Sleet [storm].

  Tuesday, 3 September 1805

  N. 25.° W. 2½ Miles to a Small fork on the left Hilley and thick assending

  N. 15.° W. 2 miles to a fork on the right assending

  N. 22.° W. 2½ miles to a fork on the left passing one on the left Several Spring runs on the right Stoney hills & much falling timber

  N. 18.° E. 2 miles passing over Steep points & winding ridges to a high Point passed a run on the right