ROSS COX
II
It was October 17, the anniversary of the sailing from New York of the
“Beaver,” that Cox and Farnham set out on their trading expedition
to the Flatheads, and on the 10th of November they reached the small
village of these people. They were charmed with their frank and
hospitable reception, and with the superiority in cleanliness of these
Indians over other tribes that they had seen. They determined to remain
here for a while, and began the building of a log house in which to
winter. Meantime the Indians kept coming in, and they made quite a
trade in beaver. In December, Cox, having had a good canoe built of
cedar planks, took leave of Farnham, and with six men set out to
descend the river to Spokane, which was reached about New Year’s day.
During a trip to the Flatheads, Cox witnessed an extraordinary display
of fortitude by a Blackfoot prisoner whom they were torturing. It is a
graphic picture of the savage cruelty of the savage man, and is far too
horrible to print. An effort was made by the traders to put an end to
these tortures, and the Flatheads were induced to set free, and send
away to their people, a number of Blackfeet women. To these prisoners,
now being set free, it was explained that torture between the tribes
ought to cease, and as they were turned loose unharmed, it was hoped
that they would persuade their people on the prairies to abstain in
future from torturing Flathead captives. Cox is enthusiastic about the
attractiveness of the Flatheads. It was here that he was successfully
treated for rheumatism by an old Indian doctor; the cure being a
morning bath in the river, now frozen over, through a hole in the ice,
followed by rubbing of the affected parts by the old doctor. After
twenty-five days of the treatment the trouble had entirely disappeared.
In August, 1814, a party of sixty men, including proprietors and
clerks, left Fort George to go up the river with trade goods. On
the way they met some Indians, who attempted to steal various small
articles, and were warned to stop it, but paid no attention to the
orders. Three caught in the act of pilfering were flogged. At night
the party was attacked by Indians, and a Canadian was killed. There
were many narrow escapes. Passing up the river they met with the
Walla Wallas, who received them in their usual friendly way. A little
later the party separated, the division to which Cox was assigned
going to Spokane House, where the Indians, who had expended all their
ammunition, received them with great joy. An amusing sketch is given of
the personality and character of the Scotchman, McDonald, celebrated
for his great size, his flaming red hair, and his daring bravery. A
small tribe of Indians were camped between an immense fall in the
Columbia, known as La Chaudière, and Spokane House; their chief was
a philosopher, frugal, thrifty, opposed to gambling, and so in many
respects different from the average Indian.
In October the various parties returned to Fort George with the
proceeds of their trade, and on the 18th of November again set out
for the interior. Not far above the mouth of the Walla Walla they
met a number of Indians coming down. They stopped the first canoes
to ask for tobacco, and as they passed the last ones, endeavored to
take from them some bales of goods. The arms of the canoemen were not
within reach, but each of the proprietors or clerks carried his arms.
Every effort was made to avoid open hostilities. The canoemen tried to
beat the Indians off with their paddles, and the Indians had not yet
attempted to use their arms. When a tall Indian refused to let go the
bale of goods that he was trying to take from McDonald’s canoe, M’Kay
struck him with the butt end of his gun, and obliged him to drop the
bale. The Indian instantly placed an arrow on his bow, which he aimed
at McDonald, who quickly stretched forth his arm, seized the arrow,
broke it to pieces, and threw them into the Indian’s face. The Indian,
by this time very angry, had ordered his canoe to push off, and was
just about to shoot an arrow at McDonald when M’Kay fired and killed
him. His two companions were about to use their bows, but McDonald,
who had a double-barrelled gun, shot them both, killing one and
severely wounding the other. The fight was on, but the Indians threw
themselves in the bottom of their canoes out of sight, and the vessels
soon drifted down the river, and out of gunshot. The traders at once
went ashore and armed themselves. The Indians lurked about and shot at
them, but without effect. Embarking, the white men paddled to a narrow
island in the river, built breastworks, and prepared for defence. The
next day the wind blew hard, and they were obliged to pass the night
on the island. Meantime the Indians were signaling, and canoes could
be heard crossing and recrossing the river. The spirits of the white
men were low, and they believed that they were likely all to be killed.
The next day the traders sent out a flag of truce to the enemy, and
asked for a talk, being determined to pay the relatives of the dead
for the loss, rather than to have any fighting. The Indians refused
this, however, and declared that two white men must be delivered to
them to be treated as they thought best. One of these white men, it was
explained, must be McDonald. The offers made by the traders had been
sufficiently liberal, but the sentiment of the savages seemed to be
that these offers must be refused, and that white men must be killed
to accompany the dead Indians on their way to the home of the dead.
After a heated discussion, it became evident that there was little
hope of a compromise or of peace. One by one the Indians sulkily drew
away from the council and joined their friends who were sitting at a
distance behind them. Just before the conference was over, however, it
was interrupted by the arrival of a dozen mounted Indians, who dashed
into the space between the two parties, and halted there. These men
were under the leadership of a young chief whose courage and wisdom
was respected by all the Indians of the country. He made a strong plea
for a peaceful settlement of the difficulty, finally declaring that no
one of the Indians should dare to attack the whites. This speech put
a different look on matters, and the Indians presently consented to
the proposed compromise, and smoked with the traders. The wounded and
the relatives of the dead proved quite willing to accept the payments
offered, and friendly relations were renewed.
In May, 1816, the author found himself once more at Okinagan, and
this time occupying the chief position there. He at once set to work
to rebuild the post, where he spent the summer. The point between the
Okinagan River and the Columbia, where the trading post was built,
was absolutely free from rattlesnakes, although the surrounding
country abounded with them. The snakes were frequently eaten by the
Canadians, who skinned them as eels are skinned, and then spitted
them on a stick run through the body, and roasted them before a fire.
Cox tells a curious story of the treatment by an old Indian of a
young woman supposed to have consumption. The treatment consisted in
killing a dog and placing the foot and leg of the patient within the
newly killed carcass until the flesh became cold. They were then taken
out and bandaged with warm flannel. Besides this, she took daily a
small quantity of bark in a glass of port-wine. The result was that
her condition greatly improved; she regained her appetite, and in
the autumn was strong enough to travel across the mountains with her
husband. The following summer Cox met her at Rainy Lake in the full
enjoyment of health. Cox also tells of a white man, absolutely dying
of a decline, who was cured by being placed at short intervals in
the body of a newly killed horse. After two treatments of this kind,
at intervals of a few days, he began to regain his strength, and by
adhering to simple and careful living, was finally restored to his
ordinary health.
Wolves were very abundant here, and were very troublesome to the
horses. “These destructive animals annually destroy numbers of
horses,” Cox writes, “particularly during the winter season, when
the latter get entangled in the snow, in which situation they become
an easy prey to their light-footed pursuers, ten or fifteen of which
will often fasten on one animal, and with their long fangs in a few
minutes separate the head from the body. If, however, the horses are
not prevented from using their legs, they sometimes punish the enemy
severely; as an instance of this, I saw one morning the bodies of two
of our horses which had been killed the night before, and around were
lying eight dead and maimed wolves; some with their brains scattered
about, and others with their limbs and ribs broken by the hoofs of the
furious animals in their vain attempts to escape from their sanguinary
assailants.
“While I was at Spokane I went occasionally to the horse prairie, which
is nearly surrounded by partially wooded hills, for the purpose of
watching the manœuvres of the wolves in their combined attacks. The
first announcement of their approach was a few shrill currish barks
at intervals, like the outpost firing of skirmishing parties. These
were answered by similar barking from an opposite direction, until the
sounds gradually approximated, and at length ceased on the junction of
the different parties. We prepared our guns, and concealed ourselves
behind a thick cover. In the meantime, the horses, sensible of the
approaching danger, began to paw the ground, snort, toss up their
heads, look wildly about them, and exhibit all the symptoms of fear.
One or two stallions took the lead, and appeared to await with a degree
of comparative composure for the appearance of the enemy.
“The allies at length entered the field in a semi-circular form, with
their flanks extended for the evident purpose of surrounding their
prey. They were between two and three hundred strong. The horses, on
observing their movement, knew from experience its object, and dreading
to encounter so numerous a force, instantly turned around and galloped
off in a contrary direction. Their flight was the signal for the wolves
to advance; and immediately uttering a simultaneous yell, they charged
after the fugitives, still preserving their crescent form. Two or three
of the horses, which were not in the best condition, were quickly
overtaken by the advanced guard of the enemy. The former, finding
themselves unable to keep up with the band, commenced kicking at their
pursuers, several of which received some severe blows; but these
being reinforced by others, they would have shortly despatched the
horses, had we not just in time emerged from our place of concealment
and discharged a volley at the enemy’s center, by which a few were
brought down. The whole battalion instantly wheeled about and fled
toward the hills in the utmost disorder; while the horses, on hearing
the fire, changed their course, and galloped up to us. Our appearance
saved several of them from the fangs of their foes; and by their
neighing they seemed to express their joy and gratitude at our timely
interference.”
In portions of the country inhabited by the Walla Wallas, Nez Percés,
and Shoshones, wild horses were at this time very abundant. Sometimes
from seven hundred to a thousand were seen in a band, and persons who
had crossed the continent by the Missouri route told Cox that in the
Snake Indian country bands varying from three to four thousand were
frequently seen. The Spaniards at San Francisco informed the traders of
the Northwest Company that in the year 1812 they were obliged to kill
upward of thirty thousand horses in California in order to preserve
sufficient grass for the buffalo. Just what is meant by California in
this connection is uncertain, since it is not known that the buffalo
were ever found in the California of modern times.
In his description of the horses of the country, Cox tells of a ride of
seventy-two miles which he made between twelve o’clock in the morning
and soon after dark, to outstrip some rival traders who were on their
way to the Flatheads. The Flatheads were out of tobacco, but Farnham,
who was in charge of the party, felt sure that if a supply of this
commodity were brought them at once, they would promise their skins to
him. Cox, riding a splendid horse, known as Le Bleu, reached Farnham
two hours in advance of his rivals, and secured the trade.
In the summer of 1816 Cox determined to abandon Indian trading, and
applied to the proprietors for leave, which was granted with regret.
Nevertheless, he wintered at Okinagan.
In April, 1817, Cox joined a party of eighty-six men who embarked in
two barges and nine canoes from Fort George to ascend the Columbia.
They continued up the river with various adventures, seeing Indians
constantly, but having no trouble with them, and on the seventeenth
day twenty-three of the party who were to cross the Rocky Mountains
to the plains left the loaded canoes and continued up the Columbia,
past Okinagan, the mouth of the Spokane River, to Great Kettle Falls.
Continuing, they passed through the lakes on the Columbia. The river
grew narrower and narrower, and the current swifter, and at length
they reached the Rocky Mountain portage, where they were to leave
their canoes. The hard work done on the trip had so far exhausted
many of the men, that they were now practically unable to work; and
seven men, six Canadians and an Englishman, were sent back in the
best canoe to Spokane House. Only one of them reached there alive,
having been found by two Indians on the borders of the upper lake, and
by them transported to Spokane House. Now came an overland journey
on foot, where the nine remaining men were obliged to carry loads of
about ninety pounds each. The journey was very difficult, over steep
mountains, across rapid streams, and through deep snow fields. On
the 31st of May they reached two small lakes on the summit of the
mountains, at which they encamped. From these lakes a stream joins a
branch of the Columbia River, while another, called Rocky Mountain
River, empties into Peace River, and so takes its way to the Arctic
Ocean.
The next day they reached a beautiful meadow ground, where five of the
company’s horses were found grazing, and their pack saddles were placed
conspicuously near a large fire which was still burning. The animals
had been sent up from Rocky Mountain House to meet them.
The next day, in crossing the Rocky Mountain River, a series of
accidents happened, by which the first raft made was lost, and the
second got away, carrying several men with it, the result being that
the party was now separated. From this time on until they reached Rocky
Mountain House, they did not get together, and there was some suffering
from hunger and cold. Nor was their situation much better at Rocky
Mountain House, for they were unable there to obtain provisions, the
people here being themselves on short allowance. On the 7th of June
they left Rocky Mountain House, and soon entered the Athabasca River,
and followed it down until they reached Elk River, which they ascended,
and at last met Alexander Stewart and the Slave Lake brigade. From here
they proceeded eastward, down the Beaver River to Isle à la Crosse,
reached the English River, Cumberland House, and the Saskatchewan, and
thence went through Lake Winepic to Fort Alexander and by way of Rat
Portage to Rainy Lake and Fort William.
From here eastward their way led through the more or less settled
country occupied largely by Canadian farmers. The party continued
eastward, until on September 19, five months and three days after
leaving the Pacific Ocean, Cox reached Montreal, and his journeyings
were at an end.