Banks of the Wallah-Wallah.--Departure of David Stuart for
the Oakinagan.--Mr. Clarke’s Route Up Lewis River.--
Chipunnish, or Pierced-Nose Indians--Their Character,
Appearance, and Habits.-Thievish Habits.--Laying Up of the
Boats.--Post at Pointed Heart and Spokan Rivers.--M’Kenzie,
His Route Up the Camoenum.-Bands of Travelling Indians.--
Expedition of Reed to the Caches.--Adventures of Wandering
Voyageurs and Trappers.
THE course of our narrative now takes us back to the regions beyond
the mountains, to dispose of the parties that set out from Astoria, in
company with Mr. Robert Stuart, and whom he left on the banks of the
Wallah-Wallah. Those parties likewise separated from each other shortly
after his departure, proceeding to their respective destinations, but
agreeing to meet at the mouth of the Wallah-Wallah about the beginning
of June in the following year, with such peltries as they should
have collected in the winter, so as to convoy each other through the
dangerous passes of the Columbia.
Mr. David Stuart, one of the partners, proceeded with his men to the
post already established by him at the mouth of the Oakinagan; having
furnished this with goods and ammunition, he proceeded three hundred
miles up that river, where he established another post in a good trading
neighborhood.
Mr. Clarke, another partner, conducted his little band up Lewis River
to the mouth of a small stream coming in from the north, to which
the Canadians gave the name of the Pavion. Here he found a village or
encampment of forty huts or tents, covered with mats, and inhabited by
Nez Perces, or Pierced-nose Indians, as they are called by the traders;
but Chipunnish, as they are called by themselves. They are a hardy,
laborious, and somewhat knavish race, who lead a precarious life,
fishing and digging roots during the summer and autumn, hunting the deer
on snow-shoes during the winter, and traversing the Rocky Mountains in
the spring, to trade for buffalo skins with the hunting tribes of the
Missouri. In these migrations they are liable to be waylaid and attacked
by the Blackfeet, and other warlike and predatory tribes, and driven
back across the mountains with the loss of their horses, and of many of
their comrades.
A life of this unsettled and precarious kind is apt to render man
selfish, and such Mr. Clarke found the inhabitants of this village,
who were deficient in the usual hospitality of Indians; parting with
everything with extreme reluctance, and showing no sensibility to any
act of kindness. At the time of his arrival, they were all occupied in
catching and curing salmon. The men were stout, robust, active, and good
looking, and the women handsomer than those of the tribes nearer to the
coast.
It was the plan of Mr. Clarke to lay up his boats here, and proceed by
land to his place of destination, which was among the Spokan tribe
of Indians, about a hundred and fifty miles distant. He accordingly
endeavored to purchase horses for the journey, but in this he had to
contend with the sordid disposition of these people. They asked high
prices for their horses, and were so difficult to deal with, that Mr.
Clarke was detained seven days among them before he could procure
a sufficient number. During that time he was annoyed by repeated
pilferings, for which he could get no redress. The chief promised to
recover the stolen articles; but failed to do so, alleging that the
thieves belonged to a distant tribe, and had made off with their booty.
With this excuse Mr. Clarke was fain to content himself, though he laid
up in his heart a bitter grudge against the whole Pierced-nose race,
which it will be found he took occasion subsequently to gratify in a
signal manner.
Having made arrangements for his departure, Mr. Clarke laid up his barge
and canoes in a sheltered place, on the banks of a small bay, overgrown
with shrubs and willows, confiding them to the care of the Nez Perce
chief, who, on being promised an ample compensation, engaged to have a
guardian eye upon them; then mounting his steed, and putting himself
at the head of his little caravan, he shook the dust off his feet as he
turned his back upon this village of rogues and hard dealers. We shall
not follow him minutely in his journey; which lay at times over steep
and rocky hills, and among crags and precipices; at other times
over vast naked and sunburnt plains, abounding with rattlesnakes, in
traversing which, both men and horses suffered intolerably from heat and
thirst. The place on which he fixed for a trading post, was a fine point
of land, at the junction of the Pointed Heart and Spokan Rivers.
His establishment was intended to compete with a trading post of the
Northwest Company, situated at no great distance, and to rival it in
the trade with the Spokan Indians; as well as with the Cootonais and
Flatheads. In this neighborhood we shall leave him for the present.
Mr. M’Kenzie, who conducted the third party from the Wallah-Wallah,
navigated for several days up the south branch of the Columbia, named
the Camoenum by the natives, but commonly called Lewis River, in honor
of the first explorer. Wandering bands of various tribes were seen along
this river, travelling in various directions; for the Indians generally
are restless, roving beings, continually intent on enterprises of war,
traffic, and hunting. Some of these people were driving large gangs of
horses, as if to a distant market. Having arrived at the mouth of the
Shahaptan, he ascended some distance up that river, and established his
trading post upon its banks. This appeared to be a great thoroughfare
for the tribes from the neighborhood of the Falls of the Columbia, in
their expeditions to make war upon the tribes of the Rocky Mountains; to
hunt buffalo on the plains beyond, or to traffic for roots and buffalo
robes. It was the season of migration, and the Indians from various
distant parts were passing and repassing in great numbers.
Mr. M’Kenzie now detached a small band, under the conduct of Mr. John
Reed, to visit the caches made by Mr. Hunt at the Caldron Linn, and to
bring the contents to his post; as he depended, in some measure, on them
for his supplies of goods and ammunition. They had not been gone a week,
when two Indians arrived of the Pallatapalla tribe, who live upon a
river of the same name. These communicated the unwelcome intelligence
that the caches had been robbed. They said that some of their tribe had,
in the course of the preceding spring, been across the mountains, which
separated them from Snake River, and had traded horses with the Snakes
in exchange for blankets, robes and goods of various descriptions. These
articles the Snakes had procured from caches to which they were guided
by some white men who resided among them, and who afterwards accompanied
them across the Rocky Mountains. This intelligence was extremely
perplexing to Mr. M’Kenzie, but the truth of part of it was confirmed
by the two Indians, who brought them an English saddle and bridle, which
was recognized as having belonged to Mr. Crooks. The perfidy of the
white men who revealed the secret of the caches, was, however, perfectly
inexplicable. We shall presently account for it in narrating the
expedition of Mr. Reed.
That worthy Hibernian proceeded on his mission with his usual alacrity.
His forlorn travels of the preceding winter had made him acquainted with
the topography of the country, and he reached Snake River without any
material difficulty. Here, in an encampment of the natives, he met with
six white men, wanderers from the main expedition of Mr. Hunt, who,
after having had their respective shares of adventures and mishaps,
had fortunately come together at this place. Three of these men were
Turcotte, La Chapelle, and Francis Landry; the three Canadian voyageurs
who, it may be recollected, had left Mr. Crooks in February, in the
neighborhood of Snake River, being dismayed by the increasing hardships
of the journey, and fearful of perishing of hunger. They had returned to
a Snake encampment, where they passed the residue of the winter.
Early in the spring, being utterly destitute, and in great extremity,
and having worn out the hospitality of the Snakes, they determined to
avail themselves of the buried treasures within their knowledge. They
accordingly informed the Snake chieftains that they knew where a great
quantity of goods had been left in caches, enough to enrich the whole
tribe; and offered to conduct them to the place, on condition of being
rewarded with horses and provisions. The chieftains pledged their faith
and honor as great men and Snakes, and the three Canadians conducted
them to the place of deposit at the Caldron Linn. This is the way that
the savages got knowledge of the caches, and not by following the tracks
of wolves, as Mr. Stuart had supposed. Never did money diggers turn up a
miser’s hoard with more eager delight, than did the savages lay open
the treasures of the caches. Blankets and robes, brass trinkets and blue
beads were drawn forth with chuckling exultation, and long strips of
scarlet cloth produced yells of ecstasy.
The rifling of the caches effected a change in the fortunes and
deportment of the whole party. The Snakes were better clad and equipped
than ever were Snakes before, and the three Canadians, suddenly finding
themselves with horse to ride and weapon to wear, were like beggars
on horseback, ready to ride on any wild scamper. An opportunity soon
presented. The Snakes determined on a hunting match on the buffalo
prairies, to lay in a supply of beef, that they might live in plenty,
as became men of their improved condition. The three newly mounted
cavaliers, must fain accompany them. They all traversed the Rocky
Mountains in safety, descended to the head waters of the Missouri, and
made great havoc among the buffaloes.
Their hunting camp was full of meat; they were gorging themselves,
like true Indians, with present plenty, and drying and jerking great
quantities for a winter’s supply. In the midst of their revelry and good
cheer, the camp was surprised by the Blackfeet. Several of the Snakes
were slain on the spot; the residue, with their three Canadian allies,
fled to the mountains, stripped of horses, buffalo meat, everything; and
made their way back to the old encampment on Snake River, poorer than
ever, but esteeming themselves fortunate in having escaped with their
lives. They had not been long there when the Canadians were cheered by
the sight of a companion in misfortune, Dubreull, the poor voyageur who
had left Mr. Crooks in March, being too much exhausted to keep on with
him. Not long afterwards, three other straggling members of the main
expedition made their appearance. These were Carson, St. Michael, and
Pierre Delaunay, three of the trappers who, in company with Pierre
Detaye, had been left among the mountains by Mr. Hunt, to trap beaver,
in the preceding month of September. They had departed from the main
body well armed and provided, with horses to ride, and horses to carry
the peltries they were to collect. They came wandering into the Snake
camp as ragged and destitute as their predecessors. It appears that they
had finished their trapping, and were making their way in the spring to
the Missouri, when they were met and attacked by a powerful band of the
all-pervading Crows. They made a desperate resistance, and killed seven
of the savages, but were overpowered by numbers. Pierre Detaye was
slain, the rest were robbed of horses and effects, and obliged to turn
back, when they fell in with their old companions as already mentioned.
We should observe, that at the heels of Pierre Delaunay came draggling
an Indian wife, whom he had picked up in his wanderings; having grown
weary of celibacy among the savages.
The whole seven of this forlorn fraternity of adventurers, thus
accidentally congregated on the banks of Snake River, were making
arrangements once more to cross the mountains, when some Indian scouts
brought word of the approach of the little band headed by John Reed.
The latter, having heard the several stories of these wanderers, took
them all into his party, and set out for the Caldron Linn, to clear out
two or three of the caches which had not been revealed to the Indians.
At that place he met with Robinson, the Kentucky veteran, who, with his
two comrades, Rezner and Hoback, had remained there when Mr. Stuart went
on. This adventurous trio had been trapping higher up the river, but
Robinson had come down in a canoe, to await the expected arrival of the
party, and obtain horses and equipments. He told Reed the story of
the robbery of his party by the Arapahays, but it differed, in some
particulars, from the account given by him to Mr. Stuart. In that, he
had represented Cass as having shamefully deserted his companions in
their extremity, carrying off with him a horse; in the one now given,
he spoke of him as having been killed in the affray with the Arapahays.
This discrepancy, of which, of course, Reed could have had no knowledge
at the time, concurred with other circumstances, to occasion afterwards
some mysterious speculations and dark surmises as to the real fate
of Cass; but as no substantial grounds were ever adduced for them, we
forbear to throw any deeper shades into this story of sufferings in the
wilderness.
Mr. Reed, having gathered the remainder of the goods from the caches,
put himself at the head of his party, now augmented by the seven men
thus casually picked up, and the squaw of Pierre Delaunay, and made his
way successfully to M’Kenzie’s Post, on the waters of the Shahaptan.