350 The Winning of the West 



sions to scientific learning, but they were singularly 

 close and accurate observers and truthful narrators. 

 Very rarely have any similar explorers described so 

 faithfully not only the physical features but the ani- 

 mals and plants of a newly discovered land. Their 

 narrative was not published until some years later, 

 and then it was badly edited, notably the purely 

 scientific portion ; yet it remains the best example of 

 what such a narrative should be. Few explorers 

 who did and saw so much that was absolutely new 

 have written of their deeds with such quiet absence 

 of boastfulness, and have drawn their descriptions 

 with such complete freedom from exaggeration. 



Moreover, what was of even greater importance, 

 the two young captains possessed in perfection the 

 qualities necessary to pilot such an expedition 

 through unknown lands and among savage tribes. 

 They kept good discipline among the men; they 

 never hesitated to punish severely any wrong-doer; 

 but they were never over-severe; and as they did 

 their full part of the work, and ran all the risks and 

 suffered all the hardship exactly like the other mem- 

 bers of the expedition, they were regarded by their 

 followers with devoted affection, and were served 

 with loyalty and cheerfulness. In dealing with the 

 Indians they showed good humor and common-sense 

 mingled with ceaseless vigilance and unbending reso- 

 lution. Only men who possessed their tact and 

 daring could have piloted the party safely among 

 the warlike tribes they encountered. Any act of 

 weakness or timidity on the one hand, or of harsh- 



