Captain Clarke procures four horses for the transportation of
the baggage--some further account of the Skilloot tribe--their
joy at the first appearance of salmon in the Columbia--their
thievish propensities--the party arrive at the village of the
Eneeshurs, where the natives are found alike unfriendly--the
party now provided with horses--the party prevented from
the exercise of hostility against this nation by a friendly
adjustment--the scarcity of timber so great that they are
compelled to buy wood to cook their provisions--arrive at the
Wahhowpum village--dance of the natives--their ingenuity in
declining to purchase the canoes, on the supposition that the
party would be compelled to leave them behind defeated--the
party having obtained a complement of horses, proceed by
land--arrive at the Pishquitpah village, and some account of
that people--their frank and hospitable treatment from the
Wollawollahs--their mode of dancing described--their mode of
making fish-weirs--their amiable character, and their unusual
affection for the whites.
Friday, 18. We set out this morning after an early breakfast, and
crossing the river, continued along the north side for four miles, to
the foot of the first rapid. Here it was necessary to unload and make
a portage of seven paces over a rock, round which we then drew the
empty boats by means of a cord, and the assistance of setting poles. We
then reloaded, and at the distance of five miles, reached the basin at
the foot of the long narrows. After unloading and arranging the camp,
we went up to the Skilloot village, where we found captain Clarke. He
had not been able to procure more than four horses, for which he was
obliged to give double the price of those formerly purchased from the
Shoshonees and the first tribe of Flatheads. These, however, we hoped
might be sufficient with the aid of the small canoes to convey our
baggage as far as the villages near the Muscleshell rapid, where horses
are cheaper and more abundant, and where we may probably exchange the
canoes for as many horses as we want. The Skilloots, indeed, have a
number of horses, but they are unwilling to part with them, though at
last we laid out three parcels of merchandise, for each of which they
promised to bring us a horse in the morning. The long narrows have a
much more formidable appearance than when we passed them in the autumn,
so that it would, in fact, be impossible either to descend or go up
them in any kind of boat. As we had therefore no further use for the
two periogues, we cut them up for fuel, and early in the morning,
Saturday 19, all the party began to carry the merchandise over the
portage. This we accomplished with the aid of our four horses, by three
o’clock in the afternoon, when we formed our camp a little above the
Skilloot village. Since we left them in the autumn they have removed
their village a few hundred yards lower down the river, and have
exchanged the cellars in which we then found them, for more pleasant
dwellings on the surface of the ground. These are formed by sticks, and
covered with mats and straw, and so large, that each is the residence
of several families. They are also much better clad than any of the
natives below, or than they were themselves last autumn; the dress of
the men consists generally of leggings, moccasins, and large robes, and
many of them wear shirts in the same form used by the Chopunnish and
Shoshonees, highly ornamented, as well as the leggings and moccasins,
with porcupine quills. Their modesty is protected by the skin of a fox
or some other animal, drawn under a girdle and hanging in front like
a narrow apron. The dress of the women differs but little from that
worn near the rapids; and both sexes wear the hair over the forehead
as low as the eyebrows, with large locks cut square at the ears, and
the rest hanging in two queues in front of the body. The robes are
made principally of the skins of deer, elk, bighorn, some wolf and
buffaloe, while the children use the skins of the large gray squirrel.
The buffaloe is procured from the nations higher up the river, who
occasionally visit the Missouri; indeed, the greater proportion of
their apparel is brought by the nations to the northwest, who come
to trade for pounded fish, copper, and beads. Their chief fuel is
straw, southern-wood, and small willows. The bear-grass, the bark of
the cedar, and the silk-grass are employed in various articles of
manufacture.
The whole village was filled with rejoicing to-day, at having caught a
single salmon, which was considered as the harbinger of vast quantities
in four or five days. In order to hasten their arrival, the Indians
according to custom, dressed fish and cut it into small pieces, one
of which was given to each child in the village. In the good humour
excited by this occurrence, they parted, though reluctantly, with four
other horses, for which we gave them two kettles, reserving only a
single small one for a mess of eight men. Unluckily, however, we lost
one of the horses by the negligence of the person to whose charge he
was committed. The rest were therefore hobbled and tied; but as the
nations here do not understand gelding, all the horses but one were
stallions, and this being the season when they are most vicious, we had
great difficulty in managing them, and were obliged to keep watch over
them all night. In the afternoon captain Clarke set out with four men
for the Eneeshur village at the grand falls, in order to make further
attempts to procure horses.
Sunday, 20. As it was obviously our interest to preserve the good will
of these people, we passed over several small thefts which they have
committed, but this morning we learnt that six tomahawks and a knife
had been stolen during the night. We addressed ourselves to the chief,
who seemed angry with his people and made a harangue to them, but we
did not recover the articles, and soon after, two of our spoons were
missing. We therefore ordered them all from our camp, threatening to
beat severely any one detected in purloining. This harshness irritated
them so much that they left us in an ill-humour, and we therefore
kept on our guard against any insult. Besides this knavery, the
faithlessness of the people is intolerable, frequently after receiving
goods in exchange for a horse, they return in a few hours and insist on
revoking the bargain, or receiving some additional value. We discovered
too, that the horse which was missing yesterday, had been gambled away
by the fellow from whom we had purchased him, to a man of a different
nation, who had carried him off. Besides these, we bought two more
horses, two dogs, and some chapelell, and also exchanged a couple of
elk skins for a gun belonging to the chief. This was all we could
obtain, for though they had a great abundance of dried fish, they would
not sell it, except at a price too exorbitant for our finances. We now
found that no more horses could be procured, and therefore prepared for
setting out to-morrow. One of the canoes, for which the Indians would
give us very little, was cut up for fuel, two others, together with
some elk skins and pieces of old iron, we bartered for beads, and the
remaining two small canoes were despatched early next morning,
Monday, 21, with all the baggage which could not be carried on
horseback. We had intended setting out at the same time, but one of our
horses broke loose during the night, and we were under the necessity of
sending several men in search of him. In the meantime, the Indians, who
were always on the alert, stole a tomahawk, which we could not recover,
though several of them were searched. Another fellow was detected in
carrying off a piece of iron, and kicked out of camp: captain Lewis
then, addressing the Indians, declared that he was not afraid to fight
them; for if he chose, he might easily put them to death, and burn
their village; that he did not wish to treat them ill if they did not
steal; and that although if he knew who had the tomahawks he would take
away the horses of the thieves, yet he would rather loose the property
altogether than take the horse of an innocent man. The chiefs were
present at this harangue, hung their heads and made no reply. At ten
o’clock the men returned with the horse, and soon after, an Indian
who had promised to go with us as far as the Chopunnish, came with
two horses, one of which he politely offered to carry our baggage. We
therefore loaded nine horses, and giving the tenth to Bratton, who was
still too sick to walk, about ten o’clock left the village of these
disagreeable people. At one o’clock we arrived at the village of the
Eneeshurs, where we found captain Clarke, who had been completely
unsuccessful in his attempts to purchase horses, the Eneeshurs being
quite as unfriendly as the Skilloots. Fortunately, however, the fellow
who had sold a horse, and afterwards lost him at gambling, belonged
to this village, and we insisted on taking the kettle and knife which
had been given to him for the horse, if he did not replace it by one
of equal value. He preferred the latter, and brought us a very good
horse. Being here joined by the canoes and baggage across the portage,
we halted half a mile above the town, and took dinner on some dogs,
after which we proceeded on about four miles and encamped at a village
of Eneeshurs, consisting of nine mat huts, a little below the mouth
of the Towahnahiooks. We obtained from these people a couple of dogs
and a small quantity of fuel, for which we were obliged to give a
higher price than usual. We also bought a horse with a back so much
injured, that he can scarcely be of much service to us, but the price
was some trifling articles, which in the United States would cost about
a dollar and a quarter. The dress, the manners, and the language of
the Eneeshurs differ in no respect from those of the Skilloots. Like
them too, these Eneeshurs are inhospitable and parsimonious, faithless
to their engagements, and in the midst of poverty and filth, retain
a degree of pride and arrogance which render our numbers our only
protection against insult, pillage, and even murder. We are, however,
assured by our Chopunnish guide, who appears to be a very sincere,
honest Indian, that the nations above will treat us with much more
hospitality.
Tuesday 22. Two of our horses broke loose in the night and straggled
to some distance, so that we were not able to retake them and begin
our march before seven o’clock. We had just reached the top of the
hill near the village, when the load of one of the horses turned, and
the animal taking fright at a robe which still adhered to him, ran
furiously towards the village: just as he came there the robe fell,
and an Indian hid it in his hut. Two men went back after the horse
which they soon took, but the robe was still missing, and the Indians
denied having seen it. These repeated acts of knavery now exhausted
our patience, and captain Lewis therefore set out for the village,
determined to make them deliver up the robe, or to burn the village to
the ground. This disagreeable alternative was rendered unnecessary, for
on his way he met one of our men, who had found the robe in an Indian
hut hid behind some baggage. We resumed our route, and soon after
halted at a hill, from the top of which we enjoyed a commanding view of
the range of mountains in which mount Hood stands, and which continue
south as far as the eye can reach, with their tops covered with snow:
mount Hood itself bears south 30° west, and the snowy summit of mount
Jefferson south 10° west. Towards the south and at no great distance
we discern some woody country, and opposite this point of view is the
mouth of the Towahnahiooks. This river receives, at the distance of
eighteen or twenty miles, a branch from the right, which takes its
rise in mount Hood, while the main stream comes in a course from the
southeast, and ten or fifteen miles is joined by a second branch from
mount Jefferson. From this place we proceeded with our baggage in the
centre, escorted both before and behind by those of the men who were
without the care of horses, and having crossed a plain eight miles in
extent, reached a village of Eneeshurs, consisting of six houses. Here
we bought some dogs on which we dined near the village, and having
purchased another horse, went up the river four miles further, to
another Eneeshur village of seven mat houses. Our guide now informed
us that the next village was at such a distance that we should not
reach it this evening, and as we should be able to procure both dogs
and wood at this place, we determined to encamp. We here purchased a
horse, and engaged for a second in exchange for one of our canoes, but
as they were on the opposite side of the river, and the wind very high,
they were not able to cross before sunset, at which time the Indian had
returned home to the next village above. This evening, as well as at
dinner-time, we were obliged to buy wood to cook our meat, for there
is no timber in the country, and all the fuel is brought from a great
distance. We obtained as much as answered our purposes on moderate
terms, but as we are too poor to afford more than a single fire, and
lie without any shelter, we find the nights disagreeably cold, though
the weather is warm during the daytime. The next morning,
Wednesday 23, two of the horses strayed away in consequence of
neglecting to tie them as had been directed. One of them was recovered,
but as we had a long ride to make before reaching the next village, we
could wait no longer than eleven o’clock for the other. Not being found
at that time we set out, and after marching for twelve miles over the
sands of a narrow rocky bottom on the north side of the river, came to
a village near the Rock rapid, at the mouth of a large creek, which we
had not observed in descending. It consisted of twelve temporary huts
of mat, inhabited by a tribe called Wahhowpum, who speak a language
very similar to that of the Chopunnish, whom they resemble also in
dress, both sexes being clad in robes and shirts as well as leggings
and moccasins. These people seemed much pleased to see us, and readily
gave us four dogs and some chapelell and wood in exchange for small
articles, such as pewter-buttons, strips of tin, iron, and brass, and
some twisted wire, which we had previously prepared for our journey
across the plains. These people, as well as some more living in five
huts a little below them, were waiting the return of the salmon. We
also found a Chopunnish returning home with his family and a dozen
young horses, some of which he wanted us to hire, but this we declined,
as in that case we should be obliged to maintain him and his family on
the route. After arranging the camp we assembled all the warriors, and
having smoked with them, the violins were produced, and some of the men
danced. This civility was returned by the Indians in a style of dancing
such as we had not yet seen. The spectators formed a circle round the
dancers, who with their robes drawn tightly round the shoulders, and
divided into parties of five or six men, perform by crossing in a line
from one side of the circle to the other. All the parties, performers
as well as spectators, sang, and after proceeding in this way for some
time, the spectators join, and the whole concludes by a promiscuous
dance and song. Having finished, the natives retired at our request,
after promising to barter horses with us in the morning. The river is
by no means so difficult of passage nor obstructed by so many rapids as
it was in the autumn, the water being now sufficiently high to cover
the rocks in the bed. In the morning,
Thursday 24, we began early to look for our horses, but they were not
collected before one o’clock. In the meantime we prepared saddles for
three new horses which we purchased from the Wahhowpums, and agreed
to hire three more from the Chopunnish Indian who was to accompany
us with his family. The natives also had promised to take our canoes
in exchange for horses; but when they found that we were resolved on
travelling by land, they refused giving us any thing, in hopes that we
would be forced to leave them. Disgusted at this conduct, we determined
rather to cut them to pieces than suffer these people to enjoy them,
and actually began to split them, on which they gave us several strands
of beads for each canoe. We had now a sufficient number of horses to
carry our baggage, and therefore proceeded wholly by land. At two
o’clock we set out, and passing between the hills and the northern
shore of the river, had a difficult and fatiguing march over a road
alternately sandy and rocky. At the distance of four miles, we came to
four huts of the Metcowwee tribe, two miles further the same number of
huts, and after making twelve miles from our last night’s camp, halted
at a larger village of five huts of Metcowwees.
As we came along many of the natives passed and repassed without making
any advances to converse, though they behaved with distant respect. We
observed in our route no animals except the killdeer, the brown lizard,
and a moonax, which the people had domesticated as a favourite. Most of
the men complain of a soreness in their feet and legs, occasioned by
walking on rough stones and deep sands, after being accustomed for some
months past to a soft soil. We therefore determined to remain here this
evening, and for this purpose bought three dogs and some chapelell,
which we cooked with dry grass and willow boughs. The want of wood is
a serious inconvenience, on account of the coolness of the nights,
particularly when the wind sets from mount Hood, or in any western
direction: those winds being much colder than the winds from the Rocky
mountains. There are no dews in the plains, and from the appearance, we
presume, that no rain has fallen for several weeks. By nine o’clock the
following morning,
Friday 25, we collected our horses and proceeded eleven miles to a
large village of fifty-one mat houses, where we purchased some wood and
a few dogs, on which we made our dinner. The village contained about
seven hundred persons of a tribe called Pishquitpah, whose residence on
the river is only during the spring and summer, the autumn and winter
being passed in hunting through the plains, and along the borders of
the mountains. The greater part of them were at a distance from the
river as we descended, and never having seen white men before, they
flocked round us in great numbers; but although they were exceedingly
curious they treated us with great respect, and were very urgent that
we should spend the night with them. Two principal chiefs were pointed
out by our Chopunnish companion, and acknowledged by the tribe, and
we therefore invested each of them with a small medal. We were also
very desirous of purchasing more horses; but as our principal stock
of merchandise consists of a dirk, a sword, and a few old clothes,
the Indians could not be induced to traffic with us. The Pishquitpahs
are generally of a good stature and proportion, and as the heads of
neither males nor females are so much flattened as those lower down the
river, their features are rather pleasant. The hair is braided in the
manner practised by their western neighbours; but the generality of
the men are dressed in a large robe, under which is a shirt reaching
to the knees, where it is met by long leggings, and the feet covered
with moccasins: others, however, wear only the truss and robe. As they
unite the occupations of hunting and fishing life, both sexes ride very
dexterously, their caparison being a saddle or pad of dressed skin,
stuffed with goats’ hair, and from which wooden stirrups are suspended;
and a hair rope tied at both ends to the under jaw of the animal.
The horses, however, though good, suffer much, us do in fact all Indian
horses, from sore backs. Finding them not disposed to barter with us,
we left the Pishquitpahs at four o’clock, accompanied by eighteen or
twenty of their young men on horseback. At the distance of four miles,
we passed, without halting, five houses belonging to the Wollawollahs;
and five miles further, observing as many willows as would answer the
purpose of making fires, availed ourselves of the circumstance, by
encamping near them. The country through which we passed bore the same
appearance as that of yesterday. The hills on both sides of the river
are about two hundred and fifty feet high, generally abrupt and craggy,
and in many places presenting a perpendicular face of black, hard, and
solid rock. From the top of these hills, the country extends itself in
level plains to a very great distance, and though not as fertile as the
land near the falls, produces an abundant supply of low grass, which
is an excellent food for horses. This grass must indeed be unusually
nutritious, for even at this season of the year, after wintering on
the dry grass of the plains, and being used with greater severity than
is usual among the whites, many of these horses are perfectly fat, nor
have we, indeed, seen a single one who was poor. In the course of the
day we killed several rattlesnakes, like those of the United States,
and saw many of the common as well as the horned-lizard. We also killed
six ducks, one of which proved to be of a different species from any we
had yet seen, being distinguished by yellow legs, and feet webbed like
those of the duckinmallard. The Pishquitpahs passed the night with us,
and at their request, the violin was played; and some of the men amused
themselves with dancing. At the same time we succeeded in obtaining two
horses at nearly the same prices which had already been refused in the
village. In the morning,
Saturday 26, we set out early. At the distance of three miles, the
river hills become low, and retiring to a great distance, leave a low,
level, extensive plain, which on the other side of the river, had begun
thirteen miles lower. As we were crossing this plain, we were overtaken
by several families travelling up the river with a number of horses,
and although their company was inconvenient, for the weather was warm,
the roads dusty, and their horses crowded in and broke our line of
march, yet we were unwilling to displease the Indians by any act of
severity. The plain possesses much grass and a variety of herbaceous
plants and shrubs; but after going twelve miles, we were fortunate
enough to find a few willows, which enabled us to cook a dinner of
jerked elk, and the remainder of the dogs purchased yesterday. We then
went on sixteen miles further, and six miles above our camp of the
nineteenth of October, encamped in the rain, about a mile below three
houses of Wollawollahs. Soon after we halted, an Indian boy took a
piece of bone, which he substituted for a fish-hook, and caught several
chub, nine inches long.
Sunday, 27. We were detained till nine o’clock, before a horse,
which broke loose in the night, could be recovered. We then passed,
near our camp, a small river, called Youmalolam, proceeded through a
continuation, till at the distance of fifteen miles, the abrupt and
rocky hills three hundred feet high, return to the river. These we
ascended, and then crossed a higher plain for nine miles, when we again
came to the water side. We had been induced to make this long march
because we had but little provisions, and hoped to find a Wollawollah
village, which our guide had told us we should reach when next we met
the river. There was, however, no village to be seen, and as both the
men and horses were fatigued, we halted, and collecting some dry stalks
of weeds and the stems of a plant resembling southern wood, cooked a
small quantity of jerked meat for dinner. Soon after we were joined
by seven Wollawollahs, among whom we recognised a chief by the name
of Yellept, who had visited us on the nineteenth of October, when we
gave him a medal with the promise of a larger one on our return. He
appeared very much pleased at seeing us again, and invited us to remain
at his village three or four days, during which he would supply us with
the only food they had, and furnish us with horses for our journey.
After the cold, inhospitable treatment we have lately received, this
kind offer was peculiarly acceptable, and after a hasty meal, we
accompanied him to his village, six miles above, situated on the edge
of the low country, and about twelve miles below the mouth of Lewis’s
river. Immediately on our arrival, Yellept, who proved to be a man of
much influence, not only in his own, but in the neighbouring nations,
collected the inhabitants, and after having made an harangue, the
purport of which was to induce the nations to treat us hospitably,
set them an example, by bringing himself an armfull of wood, and a
platter containing three roasted mullets. They immediately assented
to one part, at least of the recommendation, by furnishing us with an
abundance of the only sort of fuel they employ, the stems of shrubs
growing in the plains. We then purchased four dogs, on which we supped
heartily, having been on short allowance for two days past. When we
were disposed to sleep, the Indians retired immediately on our request,
and indeed, uniformly conducted themselves with great propriety. These
people live on roots, which are very abundant in the plains, and
catch a few salmon-trout; but at present they seem to subsist chiefly
on a species of mullet, weighing from one to three pounds. They now
informed us that opposite to the village, there was a route which led
to the mouth of the Kooskooskee, on the south side of Lewis’s river,
that the road itself was good, and passed over a level country, well
supplied with water and grass, and that we should meet with plenty of
deer and antelope. We knew that a road in that direction would shorten
the distance at least eighty miles, and as the report of our guide
was confirmed by Yellept and other Indians, we did not hesitate to
adopt that course; they added, however, that there were no houses or
permanent residence of Indians on the road, and it was therefore deemed
prudent not to trust wholly to our guns, but to lay in a stock of
provisions. In the morning,
Monday, 28, therefore we purchased ten dogs. While this trade was
carrying on by our men, Yellept brought a fine white horse, and
presented him to captain Clarke, expressing at the same time, a wish
to have a kettle; but on being informed that we had already disposed
of the last kettle we could spare, he said he would be content with
any present we should make in return. Captain Clarke therefore gave
his sword, for which the chief had before expressed a desire, adding
one hundred balls, some powder, and other small articles, with which
he appeared perfectly satisfied. We were now anxious to depart,
and requested Yellept to lend us canoes for the purpose of crossing
the river. But he would not listen to any proposal of leaving the
village. He wished us to remain two or three days; but would not let
us go to-day, for he had already sent to invite his neighbours, the
Chimnapoos, to come down this evening and join his people in a dance
for our amusement. We urged, in vain, that by setting out sooner, we
would the earlier return with the articles they desired; for a day, he
observed, would make but little difference. We at length mentioned,
that as there was no wind, it was now the best time to cross the river,
and would merely take the horses over, and return to sleep at their
village. To this he assented, and we then crossed with our horses, and
having hobbled them, returned to their camp. Fortunately there was
among these Wollawollahs, a prisoner belonging to a tribe of Shoshonee
or Snake Indians, residing to the south of the Multnomah, and visiting
occasionally the heads of the Wollawollah creek. Our Shoshonee woman,
Sacajaweah, though she belonged to a tribe near the Missouri, spoke
the same language as this prisoner, and by their means we were able to
explain ourselves to the Indians, and answer all their inquiries with
respect to ourselves and the object of our journey. Our conversation
inspired them with much confidence, and they soon brought several
sick persons, for whom they requested our assistance. We splintered
the broken arm of one, gave some relief to another, whose knee was
contracted by rheumatism, and administered what we thought beneficial
for ulcers and eruptions of the skin, on various parts of the body,
which are very common disorders among them. But our most valuable
medicine was eye-water, which we distributed, and which, indeed, they
required very much: the complaint of the eyes, occasioned by living
on the water, and increased by the fine sand of the plains, being now
universal.
A little before sunset, the Chimnapoos, amounting to one hundred men,
and a few women, came to the village, and joining the Wollawollahs,
who were about the same number of men, formed themselves in a circle
round our camp, and waited very patiently till our men were disposed
to dance, which they did for about an hour, to the tune of the violin.
They then requested to see the Indians dance. With this they readily
complied, and the whole assemblage, amounting, with the women and
children of the village, to several hundred, stood up, and sang and
danced at the same time. The exercise was not, indeed, very violent
nor very graceful, for the greater part of them were formed into a
solid column, round a kind of hollow square, stood on the same place,
and merely jumped up at intervals, to keep time to the music. Some,
however, of the more active warriors, entered the square, and danced
round it sidewise, and some of our men joined in the dance, to the
great satisfaction of the Indians. The dance continued till ten
o’clock. The next morning,
Tuesday 29, Yellept supplied us with two canoes in which we crossed
with all our baggage by eleven o’clock, but the horses having strayed
to some distance, we could not collect them in time to reach any fit
place to encamp if we began our journey, as night would overtake us
before we came to water. We therefore thought it adviseable to encamp
about a mile from the Columbia, on the mouth of the Wollawollah river.
This is a handsome stream, about fifty yards wide, and four and a half
feet in depth: its waters, which are clear, roll over a bed composed
principally of gravel, intermixed with some sand and mud, and though
the banks are low they do not seem to be overflowed. It empties
into the Columbia, about twelve or fifteen miles from the entrance
of Lewis’s river, and just above a range of high hills crossing the
Columbia. Its sources, like those of the Towahnahiooks, Lapage,
Youmalolam, and Wollawollah, come, as the Indians inform us, from
the north side of a range of mountains which we see to the east and
southeast, and which, commencing to the south of mount Hood, stretch in
a northeastern direction to the neighbourhood of a southern branch of
Lewis’s river, at some distance from the Rocky mountains. Two principal
branches however of the Towahnahiooks take their rise in mount
Jefferson and mount Hood, which in fact appear to separate the waters
of the Multnomah and Columbia. They are now about sixty-five or seventy
miles from this place, and although covered with snow, do not seem
high. To the south of these mountains the Indian prisoner says there
is a river, running towards the northwest, as large as the Columbia at
this place, which is nearly a mile. This account may be exaggerated,
but it serves to show that the Multnomah must be a very large river,
and that with the assistance of a southeastern branch of Lewis’s river,
passing round the eastern extremity of that chain of mountains in which
mounts Hood and Jefferson are so conspicuous, waters the vast tract of
country to the south, till its remote sources approach those of the
Missouri and Rio del Norde.
Near our camp is a fish-weir, formed of two curtains of small willow
switches, matted together with wythes of the same plant, and extending
across the river in two parallel lines, six feet asunder. These are
supported by several parcels of poles, in the manner already described,
as in use among the Shoshonees, and are either rolled up or let down
at pleasure for a few feet, so as either to suffer the fish to pass
or detain them. A seine of fifteen or eighteen feet in length is
then dragged down the river by two persons, and the bottom drawn up
against the curtain of willows. They also employ a smaller seine like
a scooping net, one side of which is confined to a semicircular bow
five feet long, and half the size of a man’s arm, and the other side is
held by a strong rope, which being tied at both ends to the bow, forms
the chord to the semicircle. This is used by one person, but the only
fish which they can take at this time is a mullet of from four to five
pounds in weight, and this is the chief subsistence of a village of
twelve houses of Wollawollahs, a little below us on this river, as well
as of others on the opposite side of the Columbia. In the course of
the day we gave small medals to two inferior chiefs, each of whom made
us a present of a fine horse. We were in a poor condition to make an
adequate acknowledgment for this kindness, but gave several articles,
among which was a pistol, with some hundred rounds of ammunition. We
have indeed been treated by these people with an unusual degree of
kindness and civility. They seem to have been successful in their
hunting during the last winter, for all of them, but particularly the
women, are much better clad than when we saw them last; both sexes
among the Wollawollahs, as well as the Chimnapoos, being provided with
good robes, moccasins, long shirts, and leggings. Their ornaments are
similar to those used below, the hair cut in the forehead, and queues
falling over the shoulders in front of the body: some have some small
plaits at the earlocks, and others tie a bundle of the docked foretop
in front of the forehead.
They were anxious that we should repeat our dance of last evening, but
as it rained a little and the wind was high, we found the weather too
cold for such amusement.
Wednesday 30. Although we had hobbled and secured our new purchases, we
found some difficulty in collecting all our horses. In the meantime we
purchased several dogs, and two horses, besides exchanging one of our
least valuable horses for a very good one belonging to the Chopunnish
who is accompanying us with his family. The daughter of this man is now
about the age of puberty, and being incommoded by the disorder incident
to that age, she is not permitted to associate with the family, but
sleeps at a distance from her father’s camp, and on the route always
follows at some distance alone. This delicacy or affectation is
common to many nations of Indians, among whom a girl in that state is
separated from her family, and forbidden to use any article of the
household or kitchen furniture, or to engage in any occupation. We
have now twenty-three horses, many of whom are young and excellent
animals, but the greater part of them are afflicted with sore backs.
The Indians in general are cruel masters; they ride very hard, and
as the saddles are so badly constructed that it is almost impossible
to avoid wounding the back, yet they continue to ride when the poor
creatures are scarified in a dreadful manner. At eleven o’clock we
left these honest, worthy people, accompanied by our guide and the
Chopunnish family, and directed our course north 30° east, across
an open level sandy plain, unbroken except by large banks of pure
sand, which have drifted in many parts of the plain to the height of
fifteen or twenty feet. The rest of the plain is poor in point of soil,
but throughout is generally short grass interspersed with aromatic
shrubs, and a number of plants, the roots of which supply the chief
sustenance of the natives. Among these we observe a root something
like the sweet potatoe. At the distance of fourteen miles we reached
a branch of Wollawollah river, rising in the same range of mountains,
and empties itself six miles above the mouth of the latter. It is a
bold deep stream, about ten yards wide, and seems to be navigable for
canoes. The hills of this creek are generally abrupt and rocky, but
the narrow bottom is very fertile, and both possess twenty times as
much timber as the Columbia itself; indeed, we now find, for the first
time since leaving Rock-fort, an abundance of firewood. The growth
consists of cottonwood, birch, the crimson haw, red and sweet willow,
choke-cherry, yellow currants, gooseberry, the honeysuckle with a white
berry, rosebushes, sevenbark, sumac, together with some corn-grass and
rushes. The advantage of a comfortable fire induced us, as the night
was come, to halt at this place. We were soon supplied by Drewyer with
a beaver and an otter, of which we took only a part of the beaver, and
gave the rest to the Indians. The otter is a favourite food, though
much inferior, at least in our estimation, to the dog, which they will
not eat. The horse too is seldom eaten, and never except when absolute
necessity compels them to eat it, as the only alternative to prevent
their dying of hunger. This fastidiousness does not, however, seem to
proceed so much from any dislike to the food, as from attachment to the
animal itself, for many of them eat very heartily of the horse-beef
which we give them. At an early hour in the morning,
Thursday, May 1, 1805, we collected our horses, and after breakfast set
out about seven o’clock, and followed the road up the creek. The low
grounds and plains presented the same appearance as that of yesterday,
except that the latter were less sandy. At the distance of nine miles,
the Chopunnish Indian, who was in front, pointed out an old unbeaten
road to the left, which he informed us was our shortest route. Before
venturing, however, to quit our present road, which was level, and not
only led us in the proper direction, but was well supplied with wood
and water, we halted to let our horses graze till the arrival of our
other guide, who happened to be at some distance behind. On coming up
he seemed much displeased with the other Indian, and declared that the
road we were pursuing was the proper one; that if we decided on taking
the left road, it would be necessary to remain till to-morrow morning,
and then make an entire day’s march before we could reach either water
or wood. To this the Chopunnish assented, but declared that he himself
meant to pursue that route, and we therefore gave him some powder and
lead which he requested.
Four hunters whom we had sent out in the morning, joined us while we
halted, and brought us a beaver for dinner. We then took our leave of
the Chopunnish at one o’clock, and pursued our route up the creek,
through a country similar to that we had passed in the morning. But
at the distance of three miles, the hills on the north side became
lower, and the bottoms of the creek widened into a pleasant country,
two or three miles in extent. The timber too, is now more abundant,
and our guide tells us that we shall not want either wood or game from
this place as far as the Kooskooskee. We have already seen a number
of deer, of which we killed one, and observed great quantities of the
curlew, as well as some cranes, ducks, prairie larks, and several
species of sparrow, common to the prairies. There is, in fact, very
little difference in the general face of the country here from that
of the plains on the Missouri, except that the latter are enlivened
by vast herds of buffaloe, elk and other animals, which give it an
additional interest. Over these wide bottoms we continued on a course
north, 75° east, till, at the distance of seventeen miles from where
we dined, and twenty-six from our last encampment, we halted for
the night. We had scarcely encamped, when three young men came up
from the Wollawollah village, with a steel trap, which had been left
behind inadvertently, and which they had come a whole day’s journey
in order to restore. This act of integrity was the more pleasing,
because, though very rare among Indians, it corresponds perfectly with
the general behaviour of the Wollawollahs, among whom we had lost
carelessly several knives, which were always returned as soon as found.
We may, indeed, justly affirm, that of all the Indians whom we have
met since leaving the United States, the Wollawollahs were the most
hospitable, honest and sincere.