INDIAN FEAST--ATTEMPT AT DRAMATIC REPRESENTATION--RELIGION--ORDERED TO
PORT ALEXANDRIA--ADVANTAGES OF THE SITUATION--SENT BACK TO FORT ST.
JAMES--SOLITUDE--PUNISHMENT OF INDIAN MURDERER--ITS CONSEQUENCES--HEROIC
ADVENTURE OF INTERPRETER.
Mr. Dease arrived from Fort Vancouver on the 5th of September, and
expressed himself highly gratified with the appearance our "gardens"
presented; an ample stock of salmon had also been laid in, so that we
had nothing to fear from want, which sometimes had been severely felt.
In the beginning of November, our despatches from the east side of the
mountains came to hand, usually a joyful event, but saddened this year
by the intelligence we received, that our excellent superintendent was
about to leave us, having obtained permission to visit the civilized
world for medical advice;--the doctor was only 5,000 miles off!
In the beginning of the winter we were invited to a feast held in
honour of a great chief, who died some years before. The person who
delivered the invitation stalked into the room with an air of vast
consequence, and strewing our heads with down, pronounced the name of
the presiding chief, and withdrew without uttering another syllable.
To me the invitation was most acceptable: although I had heard much of
Indian feasts, I never was present at any.
Late in the evening we directed our steps towards the "banqueting
house," a large hut temporarily erected for the occasion. We found the
numerous guests assembled and already seated around "the festive
board;" our place had been left vacant for us, Mr. Dease taking his
seat next to the great chief, Quaw, and we, his Meewidiyazees (little
chiefs), in succession. The company were disposed in two rows: the
chiefs and elders being seated next the wall, formed the outer, and
the young men the inner row; an open space of about three feet in
breadth intervening between them. Immense quantities of roasted meat,
bear, beaver, siffleu or marmot, were piled up at intervals, the whole
length of the building; berries mixed up with rancid salmon oil, fish
roe that had been buried underground a twelve-month, in order to give
it an _agreeable_ flavour, were the good things presented at this
feast of gluttony and flow of oil. The berry mixture, and roes were
served in wooden troughs, each having a large wooden spoon attached to
it. The enjoyments of the festival were ushered in with a song, in
which all joined:--
"I approach the village,
Ya ha he ha, ya ha ha ha;
And hear the voices of many people,
Ya ha, &c.
The barking of dogs,
Ya ha, &c.
Salmon is plentiful,
Ya ha, &c.
The berry season is good,
Ya ha, &c.
After the song commenced the demolition of the mountains of meat,
which was but slowly effected, notwithstanding the unremitting and
strenuous exertions of the guests. The greatest order, however, was
maintained; the relatives of the deceased acted as stewards, each of
them seizing a roasted beaver, or something else, squatted himself in
front of one of the guests, and presenting the meat, which he held
with both his hands (males and females officiating), desired him to
help himself. If the guest appeared backward in the attack, he was
pressed, in the politest terms, to eat. "Now, I pray you, tear away
with a good will;"--"I am glad to see you eat so strongly;"--"Come
now, stuff yourself with this fine piece of fat bear." And stuff
himself he must, or pay a forfeit, to avoid a catastrophe. But having
paid thus, and acknowledged himself fairly overcome by his host's
politeness, he is spared any further exertions, and his viands are no
longer presented to him in this way, but placed in a dish beside him.
Well aware of our inability to maintain the honour of our country in a
contest of this kind, we paid our forfeit at the commencement of the
onslaught, reserving our portions to be disposed of at home.
The gormandizing contest ended as it began, with songs and dances; in
the latter amusement, however, few were now able to join; afterwards
ensued a rude attempt at dramatic representation. Old Quaw, the chief
of Nekaslay, first appeared on the stage, in the character of a
bear--an animal he was well qualified to personate. Rushing from his
den, and growling fiercely, he pursued the huntsman, the chief of
Babine portage, who defended himself with a long pole; both parties
maintained a running fight, until they reached the far end of the
building, where they made their exit. Enter afterwards a jealous
husband and his wife, wearing masks (both being men). The part these
acted appeared rather dull; the husband merely sat down by the side of
his "frail rib," watching her motions closely, and neither allowing
her to speak to nor look at any of the young men. As to the other
characters, one personated a deer, another a wolf, a third a strange
Tsekany. The bear seemed to give the spectators most delight.
The scene was interesting, as exhibiting the first rude attempts at
dramatic representation of a savage people; and it served, in some
measure, to efface the impression made by the somewhat disgusting
spectacle previously witnessed. The affair concluded by an exchange of
presents, and the party broke up.
Two young men, natives of Oregon, who had received a little education
at Red River, had, on their return to their own country, introduced a
sort of religion, whose groundwork seemed to be Christianity,
accompanied with some of the heathen ceremonies of the natives. This
religion spread with amazing rapidity all over the country. It reached
Fort Alexandria, the lower post of the district, in the autumn; and
was now embraced by all the Nekaslayans. The ceremonial consisted
chiefly in singing and dancing. As to the doctrines of our holy
religion, their minds were too gross to comprehend, and their manners
too corrupt to be influenced by them. They applied to us for
instruction, and our worthy chief spared no pains to give it. But,
alas! it is for the most part labour in vain. Yet, an impression
seemed to have been made on a few; and had there been missionaries
there at the time, their efforts might have proved successful. But the
influence of the "men of medicine," who strenuously withstand a
religion which exposes their delusive tricks, and consequently
deprives them of their gains,--together with the dreadful depravity
everywhere prevalent,--renders the conversion of the Tekallies an
object most difficult to accomplish.
It is a general opinion among Christians, that there exists no nation
or people on earth who are entirely ignorant of a Supreme Being. I
shall contrast the language of this tribe with that of the Sauteux or
Ojibbeway, and let the reader judge for himself.
I have heard a heathen Ojibbeway, when giving a feast, express himself
thus: "The great Master of Life, he who sees us and whom we cannot
see, having done me charity, I invite you, my brother, to partake of
it." On a like occasion, a Takelly describes the manner in which he
killed his game, but never alludes to a deity. When an Ojibbeway
wishes to confirm the truth of what he says beyond a doubt, he points
to heaven and exclaims, "He to whom we belong hears that what I say is
true." The Takelly says, "The toad hears me." You ask a Takelly what
becomes of him after death, he replies, "My life shall be _extinct_,
and I shall be dead." Not an idea has he of the soul, or of a future
state of rewards and punishments. The Ojibbeway answers, "After death
my soul goes either to a happy land, abounding with game and every
delight; or to a land of misery, where I shall suffer for ever from
want. Whether it go to the good or bad place depends on my good or bad
conduct here."
In fact the Takelly language has not a term in it to express the name
of Deity, spirit, or soul. When the Columbia religion was introduced
among them, our interpreters had to invent a term for the
Deity--Yagasita--the "Man of Heaven." The only expression I ever heard
them use that conveyed any idea whatever of a superior Being is, that
when the salmon fail, they say, "The Man who keeps the mouth of the
river has shut it up with his red keys, so that the salmon cannot get
up." One of our gentlemen, a member of the Roman Catholic Church,
teaching the Takellies to make the sign of the cross, with the words
used on the occasion, his interpreter translated them, "Au nom du
Père, de son Frère, et puis de son petit Garçon!" (In the name of the
Father, his Brother, and his little Boy!)
The accompts and despatches for head-quarters being finished in the
beginning of March, I was ordered to convey them to Fort Alexandria,
to the charge of which post I was now appointed. This post is
agreeably situated on the banks of Frazer's River, on the outskirts of
the great prairies. The surrounding country is beautifully diversified
by hill and dale, grove and plain; the soil is rich, yielding abundant
successive crops of grain and vegetable, unmanured; but the crops are
sometimes destroyed by frost. The charming locality, the friendly
disposition of the Indians, and better fare, rendered this post one of
the most agreeable situations in the Indian country. In spring,
moreover, the country swarms with game--pheasants and a small species
of curlieu in the immediate vicinity, and ducks and geese within a
short distance. The sport was excellent, and, with the amusement the
cultivation of my garden afforded me, enabled me to vegetate in great
comfort--a comfort I was not destined long to enjoy.
Mr. Ogden, chief factor, arrived from Fort Vancouver about the end of
May, and Mr. Fisher from Stuart's Lake a few days afterwards; and
having consulted together, determined that I should retrace my steps
to Stuart's Lake without delay. When I arrived at Fort St. James its
dreadful solitude almost drove me to despair. I found myself sitting
alone in the hall where my late excellent bourgeois and friends had
passed the time so happily, and I felt a depression of spirits such as
I never experienced before. Fortunately for me, my old friend Mr.
Fraser, a gentleman of a gay and lively disposition, arrived soon
after, and continued with me for the remainder of the season, and his
company soon drove melancholy away.
The particulars of an affair which had occurred here some years
before, and threatened the most serious consequences to the post, were
about this time related to me by Waccan, the interpreter.
A native of Frazer's Lake had murdered one of the Company's servants,
and, strange to say, no steps were taken to punish him; he concealed
himself some time, and finding he had nothing to apprehend, returned
to his village. At length he was led by his evil genius to visit
Stuart's Lake, then under the command of a Douglas. Douglas heard of
his being in the village, and though he had but a weak garrison,
determined that the blood of the white man should not be unavenged.
The opportunity was favourable, the Indians of the village were out on
a hunting excursion, the murderer was nearly alone. He proceeded to
the camp accompanied by two of his men, and executed justice[1] on the
murderer. On their return in the evening, the Indians learned what had
happened, and enraged, determined to retaliate. Aware, however, that
Douglas was on his guard, that the gates were shut and could not be
forced, they resolved to employ Indian stratagem.
[1] "Wild justice,"--Bacon.
The old chief accordingly proceeded to the Fort alone, and knocking at
the gate desired to be admitted, which was granted. He immediately
stated the object of his visit, saying that a deed had been done in
the village which subjected himself and his people to a heavy
responsibility to the relatives of the dead; that he feared the
consequences, and hoped that a present would be made to satisfy them;
and continuing to converse thus calmly, Mr. Douglas was led to believe
that the matter could easily be arranged. Another knock was now heard
at the gate: "It is my brother," said the chief, "you may open the
gate; he told me he intended to come and hear what you had to say on
this business."
The gate was opened, and in rushed the whole Nekasly tribe, the
chief's brother at their head; and the men of the Fort were
overpowered ere they had time to stand on their defence. Douglas,
however, seized a wall-piece that was mounted in the hall, and was
about to discharge it on the crowd that was pouring in upon him, when
the chief seized him by the arms, and held him fast. For an instant
his life was in the utmost peril. Surrounded by thirty or forty
Indians, their knives drawn, and brandishing them over his head with
frantic gestures, and calling out to the chief, "Shall we strike?
shall we strike?"
The chief hesitated; and at this critical moment the interpreter's
wife[1] stepped forward, and by her presence of mind saved him and the
establishment.
[1] This woman is the daughter of Mr. James MacDougal, a
gentleman who had a chief hand in the settlement of the
district. He served the Company for a period of thirty-five
years, enduring all the hardships that were in his time
inseparable from an Indian trader's life; and was dismissed
from their service, in old age, without a pension, to starve
on such little savings as he had effected out of his salary.
He is still alive (1841), struggling with adversity.
Observing one of the inferior chiefs, who had always professed the
greatest friendship for the whites, standing in the crowd, she
addressed herself to him, exclaiming, "What! you a friend of the
whites, and not say a word in their behalf at such a time as this!
Speak! you know the murderer deserved to die; according to your own
laws the deed was just; it is blood for blood. The white men are not
dogs; they love their kindred as well as you; why should they not
avenge their murder?"
The moment the heroine's voice was heard the tumult subsided; her
boldness struck the savages with awe; the chief she addressed, acting
on her suggestion, interfered; and being seconded by the old chief,
who had no serious intention of injuring the whites, was satisfied
with showing them that they were fairly in his power. Mr. Douglas and
his men were set at liberty; and an amicable conference having taken
place, the Indians departed much elated with the issue of their
enterprise.
A personal adventure of Waccan's is worth recording. An interpreter, a
Cree half-breed, had been murdered by the Indians of Babine post with
circumstances of great barbarity; and the perpetrators of the deed
were allowed to exult in the shedding of innocent blood with impunity,
one feeble, ineffectual attempt only having been made to chastise
them. Waccan, however, determined that the matter should not end thus,
the victim being his adopted brother. Having been sent to Babine post
with an Indian lad, he learned from him that the murderers were
encamped in a certain bay on Stuart's Lake, and resolved to seize the
long wished-for opportunity of revenge; but fearing for his
companion's safety more than his own, he landed him at a considerable
distance from the camp, directing him to make the best of his way home
if he should hear many shots.
He then paddled down as near the camp as he could without being
discovered, and landing, threw off every article of clothing save a
shred round his loins; and with his gun in the one hand, and dagger in
the other, proceeded to the spot. Having approached sufficiently near
to see all that passed in the encampment, he squatted among the
bushes, and watching his opportunity, "picked off" the ringleader;
then rushing from his covert, and giving the war whoop, he planted his
dagger in his heart almost before the Indians had time to know what
had happened. Seeing the infuriated "avenger of blood" in the midst of
them, they fled precipitately to the woods. Waccan dared them to
revenge the death of the "dead dog" who had murdered his brother.
"Come," said he, "you that were so brave at Babine Lake, and danced
round the body of him whom you did not face, but knocked down when his
back was to you, now is your time to show yourselves _men_."
No one answering the challenge, he shouldered his gun, walked along
the beach to his canoe, and paddling leisurely off from the shore,
sang the Cree song of triumph.