The Chief Showed
The Same Curiosity Evinced By His Tribe Generally, To Obtain
Information Concerning The United States, Of Which They Knew
Little But What They Derived Through Their Cousins, The Upper Nez
Perces; As Their Traffic Is Almost Exclusively With The British
Traders Of The Hudson's Bay Company.
Captain Bonneville did his
best to set forth the merits of his nation, and the importance of
their friendship
To the red men, in which he was ably seconded by
his worthy friend, the old chief with the hard name, who did all
that he could to glorify the Big Hearts of the East.
The chief, and all present, listened with profound attention, and
evidently with great interest; nor were the important facts thus
set forth, confined to the audience in the lodge; for sentence
after sentence was loudly repeated by a crier for the benefit of
the whole village.
This custom of promulgating everything by criers, is not confined
to the Nez Perces, but prevails among many other tribes. It has
its advantage where there are no gazettes to publish the news of
the day, or to report the proceedings of important meetings. And
in fact, reports of this kind, viva voce, made in the hearing of
all parties, and liable to be contradicted or corrected on the
spot, are more likely to convey accurate information to the
public mind than those circulated through the press. The office
of crier is generally filled by some old man, who is good for
little else. A village has generally several of these walking
newspapers, as they are termed by the whites, who go about
proclaiming the news of the day, giving notice of public
councils, expeditions, dances, feasts, and other ceremonials, and
advertising anything lost. While Captain Bonneville remained
among the Nez Perces, if a glove, handkerchief, or anything of
similar value, was lost or mislaid, it was carried by the finder
to the lodge of the chief, and proclamation was made by one of
their criers, for the owner to come and claim his property.
How difficult it is to get at the true character of these
wandering tribes of the wilderness! In a recent work, we have had
to speak of this tribe of Indians from the experience of other
traders who had casually been among them, and who represented
them as selfish, inhospitable, exorbitant in their dealings, and
much addicted to thieving; Captain Bonneville, on the contrary,
who resided much among them, and had repeated opportunities of
ascertaining their real character, invariably speaks of them as
kind and hospitable, scrupulously honest, and remarkable, above
all other Indians that he had met with, for a strong feeling of
religion. In fact, so enthusiastic is he in their praise, that he
pronounces them, all ignorant and barbarous as they are by their
condition, one of the purest hearted people on the face of the
earth.
Some cures which Captain Bonneville had effected in simple cases,
among the Upper Nez Perces, had reached the ears of their cousins
here, and gained for him the reputation of a great medicine man.
He had not been long in the village, therefore, before his lodge
began to be the resort of the sick and the infirm. The captain
felt the value of the reputation thus accidentally and cheaply
acquired, and endeavored to sustain it. As he had arrived at that
age when every man is, experimentally, something of a physician,
he was enabled to turn to advantage the little knowledge in the
healing art which he had casually picked up; and was sufficiently
successful in two or three cases, to convince the simple Indians
that report had not exaggerated his medical talents. The only
patient that effectually baffled his skill, or rather discouraged
any attempt at relief, was an antiquated squaw with a churchyard
cough, and one leg in the grave; it being shrunk and rendered
useless by a rheumatic affection. This was a case beyond his
mark; however, he comforted the old woman with a promise that he
would endeavor to procure something to relieve her, at the fort
on the Wallah-Wallah, and would bring it on his return; with
which assurance her husband was so well satisfied, that he
presented the captain with a colt, to be killed as provisions for
the journey: a medical fee which was thankfully accepted.
While among these Indians, Captain Bonneville unexpectedly found
an owner for the horse which he had purchased from a Root Digger
at the Big Wyer. The Indian satisfactorily proved that the horse
had been stolen from him some time previous, by some unknown
thief. "However," said the considerate savage, "you got him in
fair trade - you are more in want of horses than I am: keep him;
he is yours - he is a good horse; use him well."
Thus, in the continued experience of acts of kindness and
generosity, which his destitute condition did not allow him to
reciprocate, Captain Bonneville passed some short time among
these good people, more and more impressed with the general
excellence of their character.
33.
Scenery of the Way-lee-way A substitute for tobacco Sublime
scenery of Snake River The garrulous old chief and his cousin A
Nez Perce meeting A stolen skin The scapegoat dog Mysterious
conferences The little chief His hospitality The captain's
account of the United States His healing skill
IN RESUMING HIS JOURNEY, Captain Bonneville was conducted by the
same Nez Perce guide, whose knowledge of the country was
important in choosing the routes and resting places. He also
continued to be accompanied by the worthy old chief with the hard
name, who seemed bent upon doing the honors of the country, and
introducing him to every branch of his tribe. The Way-lee-way,
down the banks of which Captain Bonneville and his companions
were now travelling, is a considerable stream winding through a
succession of bold and beautiful scenes. Sometimes the landscape
towered into bold and mountainous heights that partook of
sublimity; at other times, it stretched along the water side in
fresh smiling meadows, and graceful undulating valleys.
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