five hundred yards wide, and studded with grassy islands, adorned with
groves of willow and cotton-wood. Here the Indians were assembled in
great numbers, and had barricaded the channels between the islands, to
enable them to spear the salmon with greater facility. They were a timid
race, and seemed unaccustomed to the sight of white men. Entering one
of the huts, Captain Bonneville found the inhabitants just proceeding
to cook a fine salmon. It is put into a pot filled with cold water, and
hung over the fire. The moment the water begins to boil, the fish is
considered cooked.
Taking his seat unceremoniously, and lighting his pipe, the captain
awaited the cooking of the fish, intending to invite himself to the
repast. The owner of the hut seemed to take his intrusion in good part.
While conversing with him the captain felt something move behind him,
and turning round and removing a few skins and old buffalo robes,
discovered a young girl, about fourteen years of age, crouched beneath,
who directed her large black eyes full in his face, and continued to
gaze in mute surprise and terror. The captain endeavored to dispel her
fears, and drawing a bright ribbon from his pocket, attempted repeatedly
to tie it round her neck. She jerked back at each attempt, uttering a
sound very much like a snarl; nor could all the blandishments of the
captain, albeit a pleasant, good-looking, and somewhat gallant man,
succeed in conquering the shyness of the savage little beauty. His
attentions were now turned toward the parents, whom he presented with
an awl and a little tobacco, and having thus secured their good-will,
continued to smoke his pipe, and watch the salmon. While thus seated
near the threshold, an urchin of the family approached the door, but
catching a sight of the strange guest, ran off screaming with terror and
ensconced himself behind the long straw at the back of the hut.
Desirous to dispel entirely this timidity, and to open a trade with the
simple inhabitants of the hut, who, he did not doubt, had furs somewhere
concealed, the captain now drew forth that grand lure in the eyes of
a savage, a pocket mirror. The sight of it was irresistible. After
examining it for a long time with wonder and admiration, they produced
a musk-rat skin, and offered it in exchange. The captain shook his head;
but purchased the skin for a couple of buttons--superfluous trinkets! as
the worthy lord of the hovel had neither coat nor breeches on which to
place them.
The mirror still continued the great object of desire, particularly in
the eyes of the old housewife, who produced a pot of parched flour and
a string of biscuit roots. These procured her some trifle in return;
but could not command the purchase of the mirror. The salmon being
now completely cooked, they all joined heartily in supper. A bounteous
portion was deposited before the captain by the old woman, upon some
fresh grass, which served instead of a platter; and never had he tasted
a salmon boiled so completely to his fancy.
Supper being over, the captain lighted his pipe and passed it to
his host, who, inhaling the smoke, puffed it through his nostrils
so assiduously, that in a little while his head manifested signs of
confusion and dizziness. Being satisfied, by this time, of the
kindly and companionable qualities of the captain, he became easy and
communicative; and at length hinted something about exchanging beaver
skins for horses. The captain at once offered to dispose of his steed,
which stood fastened at the door. The bargain was soon concluded,
whereupon the Indian, removing a pile of bushes under which his
valuables were concealed, drew forth the number of skins agreed upon as
the price.
Shortly afterward, some of the captain’s people coming up, he ordered
another horse to be saddled, and, mounting it, took his departure from
the hut, after distributing a few trifling presents among its simple
inhabitants. During all the time of his visit, the little Indian girl
had kept her large black eyes fixed upon him, almost without winking,
watching every movement with awe and wonder; and as he rode off,
remained gazing after him, motionless as a statue. Her father, however,
delighted with his new acquaintance, mounted his newly purchased horse,
and followed in the train of the captain, to whom he continued to be a
faithful and useful adherent during his sojourn in the neighborhood.
The cowardly effects of an evil conscience were evidenced in the conduct
of one of the captain’s men, who had been in the California expedition.
During all their intercourse with the harmless people of this place,
he had manifested uneasiness and anxiety. While his companions mingled
freely and joyously with the natives, he went about with a restless,
suspicious look; scrutinizing every painted form and face and starting
often at the sudden approach of some meek and inoffensive savage, who
regarded him with reverence as a superior being. Yet this was ordinarily
a bold fellow, who never flinched from danger, nor turned pale at the
prospect of a battle. At length he requested permission of Captain
Bonneville to keep out of the way of these people entirely. Their
striking resemblance, he said, to the people of Ogden’s River, made
him continually fear that some among them might have seen him in that
expedition; and might seek an opportunity of revenge. Ever after this,
while they remained in this neighborhood, he would skulk out of the way
and keep aloof when any of the native inhabitants approached. “Such,”
observed Captain Bonneville, “is the effect of self-reproach, even upon
the roving trapper in the wilderness, who has little else to fear than
the stings of his own guilty conscience.”
44.
Outfit of a trapper--Risks to which he is subjected--
Partnership of trappers--Enmity of Indians--Distant smoke--A
country on fire--Gun Greek--Grand Rond--Fine pastures--
Perplexities in a smoky country--Conflagration of forests.
IT had been the intention of Captain Bonneville, in descending along
Snake River, to scatter his trappers upon the smaller streams. In this
way a range of country is trapped by small detachments from a main body.
The outfit of a trapper is generally a rifle, a pound of powder,
and four pounds of lead, with a bullet mould, seven traps, an axe,
a hatchet, a knife and awl, a camp kettle, two blankets, and, where
supplies are plenty, seven pounds of flour. He has, generally, two
or three horses, to carry himself and his baggage and peltries. Two
trappers commonly go together, for the purposes of mutual assistance and
support; a larger party could not easily escape the eyes of the Indians.
It is a service of peril, and even more so at present than formerly, for
the Indians, since they have got into the habit of trafficking peltries
with the traders, have learned the value of the beaver, and look
upon the trappers as poachers, who are filching the riches from their
streams, and interfering with their market. They make no hesitation,
therefore, to murder the solitary trapper, and thus destroy a
competitor, while they possess themselves of his spoils. It is
with regret we add, too, that this hostility has in many cases been
instigated by traders, desirous of injuring their rivals, but who have
themselves often reaped the fruits of the mischief they have sown.
When two trappers undertake any considerable stream, their mode of
proceeding is, to hide their horses in some lonely glen, where they can
graze unobserved. They then build a small hut, dig out a canoe from a
cotton-wood tree, and in this poke along shore silently, in the evening,
and set their traps. These they revisit in the same silent way at
daybreak. When they take any beaver they bring it home, skin it, stretch
the skins on sticks to dry, and feast upon the flesh. The body, hung up
before the fire, turns by its own weight, and is roasted in a superior
style; the tail is the trapper’s tidbit; it is cut off, put on the end
of a stick, and toasted, and is considered even a greater dainty than
the tongue or the marrow-bone of a buffalo.
With all their silence and caution, however, the poor trappers cannot
always escape their hawk-eyed enemies. Their trail has been discovered,
perhaps, and followed up for many a mile; or their smoke has been seen
curling up out of the secret glen, or has been scented by the savages,
whose sense of smell is almost as acute as that of sight. Sometimes they
are pounced upon when in the act of setting their traps; at other times,
they are roused from their sleep by the horrid war-whoop; or, perhaps,
have a bullet or an arrow whistling about their ears, in the midst of
one of their beaver banquets. In this way they are picked off, from time
to time, and nothing is known of them, until, perchance, their bones are
found bleaching in some lonely ravine, or on the banks of some nameless
stream, which from that time is called after them. Many of the small
streams beyond the mountains thus perpetuate the names of unfortunate
trappers that have been murdered on their banks.
A knowledge of these dangers deterred Captain Bonneville, in the present
instance, from detaching small parties of trappers as he had intended;
for his scouts brought him word that formidable bands of the Banneck
Indians were lying on the Boisee and Payette Rivers, at no great
distance, so that they would be apt to detect and cut off any
stragglers. It behooved him, also, to keep his party together, to guard
against any predatory attack upon the main body; he continued on his
way, therefore, without dividing his forces. And fortunate it was that
he did so; for in a little while he encountered one of the phenomena of
the western wilds that would effectually have prevented his scattered
people from finding each other again. In a word, it was the season of
setting fire to the prairies. As he advanced he began to perceive great
clouds of smoke at a distance, rising by degrees, and spreading over the
whole face of the country. The atmosphere became dry and surcharged
with murky vapor, parching to the skin, and irritating to the eyes. When
travelling among the hills, they could scarcely discern objects at the
distance of a few paces; indeed, the least exertion of the vision was
painful. There was evidently some vast conflagration in the direction
toward which they were proceeding; it was as yet at a great distance,
and during the day they could only see the smoke rising in larger and
denser volumes, and rolling forth in an immense canopy. At night the
skies were all glowing with the reflection of unseen fires, hanging in
an immense body of lurid light high above the horizon.
Having reached Gun Creek, an important stream coming from the left,
Captain Bonneville turned up its course, to traverse the mountain and
avoid the great bend of Snake River. Being now out of the range of the
Bannecks, he sent out his people in all directions to hunt the antelope
for present supplies; keeping the dried meats for places where game
might be scarce.
During four days that the party were ascending Gun Creek, the smoke
continued to increase so rapidly that it was impossible to distinguish
the face of the country and ascertain landmarks. Fortunately, the
travellers fell upon an Indian trail which led them to the head-waters
of the Fourche de Glace or Ice River, sometimes called the Grand
Rond. Here they found all the plains and valleys wrapped in one vast
conflagration; which swept over the long grass in billows of flame, shot
up every bush and tree, rose in great columns from the groves, and set
up clouds of smoke that darkened the atmosphere. To avoid this sea of
fire, the travellers had to pursue their course close along the foot
of the mountains; but the irritation from the smoke continued to be
tormenting.
The country about the head-waters of the Grand Rond spreads out into
broad and level prairies, extremely fertile, and watered by mountain
springs and rivulets. These prairies are resorted to by small bands of
the Skynses, to pasture their horses, as well as to banquets upon the
salmon which abound in the neighboring waters. They take these fish in
great quantities and without the least difficulty; simply taking them
out of the water with their hands, as they flounder and struggle in
the numerous long shoals of the principal streams. At the time the
travellers passed over these prairies, some of the narrow, deep streams
by which they were intersected were completely choked with salmon, which
they took in great numbers. The wolves and bears frequent these streams
at this season, to avail themselves of these great fisheries.
The travellers continued, for many days, to experience great
difficulties and discomforts from this wide conflagration, which seemed
to embrace the whole wilderness. The sun was for a great part of the
time obscured by the smoke, and the loftiest mountains were hidden from
view. Blundering along in this region of mist and uncertainty, they were
frequently obliged to make long circuits, to avoid obstacles which they
could not perceive until close upon them. The Indian trails were their
safest guides, for though they sometimes appeared to lead them out of
their direct course, they always conducted them to the passes.
On the 26th of August, they reached the head of the Way-lee-way River.
Here, in a valley of the mountains through which this head-water makes
its way, they found a band of the Skynses, who were extremely sociable,
and appeared to be well disposed, and as they spoke the Nez Perce
language, an intercourse was easily kept up with them.
In the pastures on the bank of this stream, Captain Bonneville encamped
for a time, for the purpose of recruiting the strength of his horses.
Scouts were now sent out to explore the surrounding country, and search
for a convenient pass through the mountains toward the Wallamut or
Multnomah. After an absence of twenty days they returned weary and
discouraged. They had been harassed and perplexed in rugged mountain
defiles, where their progress was continually impeded by rocks and
precipices. Often they had been obliged to travel along the edges of
frightful ravines, where a false step would have been fatal. In one of
these passes, a horse fell from the brink of a precipice, and would have
been dashed to pieces had he not lodged among the branches of a tree,
from which he was extricated with great difficulty. These, however, were
not the worst of their difficulties and perils. The great conflagration
of the country, which had harassed the main party in its march, was
still more awful the further this exploring party proceeded. The flames
which swept rapidly over the light vegetation of the prairies assumed
a fiercer character and took a stronger hold amid the wooded glens and
ravines of the mountains. Some of the deep gorges and defiles sent up
sheets of flame, and clouds of lurid smoke, and sparks and cinders that
in the night made them resemble the craters of volcanoes. The groves and
forests, too, which crowned the cliffs, shot up their towering columns
of fire, and added to the furnace glow of the mountains. With these
stupendous sights were combined the rushing blasts caused by the
rarefied air, which roared and howled through the narrow glens, and
whirled forth the smoke and flames in impetuous wreaths. Ever and anon,
too, was heard the crash of falling trees, sometimes tumbling from crags
and precipices, with tremendous sounds.
In the daytime, the mountains were wrapped in smoke so dense and
blinding, that the explorers, if by chance they separated, could only
find each other by shouting. Often, too, they had to grope their way
through the yet burning forests, in constant peril from the limbs and
trunks of trees, which frequently fell across their path. At length
they gave up the attempt to find a pass as hopeless, under actual
circumstances, and made their way back to the camp to report their
failure.
45.
The Skynses--Their traffic--Hunting--Food--Horses--A horse-
race--Devotional feeling of the Skynses, Nez Perces and
Flatheads--Prayers--Exhortations--A preacher on horseback
Effect of religion on the manners of the tribes--A new
light.
DURING the absence of this detachment, a sociable intercourse had been
kept up between the main party and the Skynses, who had removed into
the neighborhood of the camp. These people dwell about the waters of
the Way-lee-way and the adjacent country, and trade regularly with
the Hudson’s Bay Company; generally giving horses in exchange for the
articles of which they stand in need. They bring beaver skins, also, to
the trading posts; not procured by trapping, but by a course of internal
traffic with the shy and ignorant Shoshokoes and Too-el-icans, who keep
in distant and unfrequented parts of the country, and will not venture
near the trading houses. The Skynses hunt the deer and elk occasionally;
and depend, for a part of the year, on fishing. Their main subsistence,
however, is upon roots, especially the kamash. This bulbous root is said
to be of a delicious flavor, and highly nutritious. The women dig it
up in great quantities, steam it, and deposit it in caches for winter
provisions. It grows spontaneously, and absolutely covers the plains.
This tribe was comfortably clad and equipped. They had a few rifles
among them, and were extremely desirous of bartering for those of
Captain Bonneville’s men; offering a couple of good running horses for
a light rifle. Their first-rate horses, however, were not to be procured
from them on any terms. They almost invariably use ponies; but of a
breed infinitely superior to any in the United States. They are fond of
trying their speed and bottom, and of betting upon them.
As Captain Bonneville was desirous of judging of the comparative merit
of their horses, he purchased one of their racers, and had a trial of
speed between that, an American, and a Shoshonie, which were supposed to
be well matched. The race-course was for the distance of one mile and a
half out and back. For the first half mile the American took the lead
by a few hands; but, losing his wind, soon fell far behind; leaving the
Shoshonie and Skynse to contend together. For a mile and a half they
went head and head: but at the turn the Skynse took the lead and won the
race with great ease, scarce drawing a quick breath when all was over.
The Skynses, like the Nez Perces and the Flatheads, have a strong
devotional feeling, which has been successfully cultivated by some
of the resident personages of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Sunday is
invariably kept sacred among these tribes. They will not raise their
camp on that day, unless in extreme cases of danger or hunger: neither
will they hunt, nor fish, nor trade, nor perform any kind of labor on
that day. A part of it is passed in prayer and religious ceremonies.
Some chief, who is generally at the same time what is called a “medicine
man,” assembles the community. After invoking blessings from the Deity,
he addresses the assemblage, exhorting them to good conduct; to be
diligent in providing for their families; to abstain from lying and
stealing; to avoid quarrelling or cheating in their play, and to be
just and hospitable to all strangers who may be among them. Prayers
and exhortations are also made, early in the morning, on week days.
Sometimes, all this is done by the chief from horseback; moving slowly
about the camp, with his hat on, and uttering his exhortations with
a loud voice. On all occasions, the bystanders listen with profound
attention; and at the end of every sentence respond one word in unison,
apparently equivalent to an amen. While these prayers and exhortations
are going on, every employment in the camp is suspended. If an Indian
is riding by the place, he dismounts, holds his horse, and attends with
reverence until all is done. When the chief has finished his prayer
or exhortation, he says, “I have done,” upon which there is a general
exclamation in unison. With these religious services, probably derived
from the white men, the tribes above-mentioned mingle some of their old
Indian ceremonials, such as dancing to the cadence of a song or ballad,
which is generally done in a large lodge provided for the purpose.
Besides Sundays, they likewise observe the cardinal holidays of the
Roman Catholic Church.
Whoever has introduced these simple forms of religions among these poor
savages, has evidently understood their characters and capacities, and
effected a great melioration of their manners. Of this we speak not
merely from the testimony of Captain Bonneville, but likewise from
that of Mr. Wyeth, who passed some months in a travelling camp of the
Flatheads. “During the time I have been with them,” says he, “I have
never known an instance of theft among them: the least thing, even to
a bead or pin, is brought to you, if found; and often, things that have
been thrown away. Neither have I known any quarrelling, nor lying. This
absence of all quarrelling the more surprised me, when I came to see the
various occasions that would have given rise to it among the whites: the
crowding together of from twelve to eighteen hundred horses, which have
to be driven into camp at night, to be picketed, to be packed in the
morning; the gathering of fuel in places where it is extremely scanty.
All this, however, is done without confusion or disturbance.
“They have a mild, playful, laughing disposition; and this is portrayed
in their countenances. They are polite, and unobtrusive. When one
speaks, the rest pay strict attention: when he is done, another assents
by ‘yes,’ or dissents by ‘no;’ and then states his reasons, which are
listened to with equal attention. Even the children are more peaceable
than any other children. I never heard an angry word among them, nor
any quarrelling; although there were, at least, five hundred of them
together, and continually at play. With all this quietness of spirit,
they are brave when put to the test; and are an overmatch for an equal
number of Blackfeet.”
The foregoing observations, though gathered from Mr. Wyeth as relative
to the Flatheads, apply, in the main, to the Skynses also. Captain
Bonneville, during his sojourn with the latter, took constant occasion,
in conversing with their principal men, to encourage them in the
cultivation of moral and religious habits; drawing a comparison between
their peaceable and comfortable course of life and that of other tribes,
and attributing it to their superior sense of morality and religion. He
frequently attended their religious services, with his people; always
enjoining on the latter the most reverential deportment; and he observed
that the poor Indians were always pleased to have the white men present.
The disposition of these tribes is evidently favorable to a considerable
degree of civilization. A few farmers settled among them might lead
them, Captain Bonneville thinks, to till the earth and cultivate grain;
the country of the Skynses and Nez Perces is admirably adapted for the
raising of cattle. A Christian missionary or two, and some trifling
assistance from government, to protect them from the predatory and
warlike tribes, might lay the foundation of a Christian people in the
midst of the great western wilderness, who would “wear the Americans
near their hearts.”
We must not omit to observe, however, in qualification of the sanctity
of this Sabbath in the wilderness, that these tribes who are all
ardently addicted to gambling and horseracing, make Sunday a peculiar
day for recreations of the kind, not deeming them in any wise out of
season. After prayers and pious ceremonies are over, there is scarce an
hour in the day, says Captain Bonneville, that you do not see several
horses racing at full speed; and in every corner of the camp are groups
of gamblers, ready to stake everything upon the all-absorbing game of
hand. The Indians, says Wyeth, appear to enjoy their amusements with
more zest than the whites. They are great gamblers; and in proportion to
their means, play bolder and bet higher than white men.