"This," Says The Journal, "Was The Residence Of The Principal Chief
Of The Chilluckittequaw Nation, Who We Found Was The
Same between whom
and our two chiefs we had made a peace at the Echeloot village.
He received us, very
Kindly, and set before us pounded fish,
filberts, nuts, the berries of the sacacommis, and white bread
made of roots. We gave, in return, a bracelet of ribbon to each
of the women of the house, with which they were very much pleased.
The chief had several articles, such as scarlet and blue cloth, a sword,
a jacket, and a hat, which must have been procured from the whites,
and on one side of the room were two wide, split boards, placed together
so as to make space for a rude figure of a man cut and painted on them.
On pointing to this, and asking him what it meant, he said something,
of which all that we understood was `good,' and then stepped up
to the painting, and took out his bow and quiver, which, with some
other warlike instruments, were kept behind it.
"He then directed his wife to hand him his medicine-bag, from which he drew
out fourteen forefingers, which he told us had belonged to the same
number of his enemies, whom he had killed in fighting with the nations
to the southeast, in which direction he pointed; alluding, no doubt,
to the Snake Indians, the common enemy of the tribes on the Columbia.
This bag is usually about two feet in length, and contains roots,
pounded dirt, etc., which only the Indians know how to appreciate.
It is suspended in the middle of the lodge; and it is considered
as a species of sacrilege for any one but the owner to touch it.
It is an object of religious fear; and, from its supposed sanctity,
is the chief place for depositing their medals and more valuable articles.
They have likewise small bags, which they preserve in their great
medicine-bag, from whence they are taken, and worn around their
waists and necks as amulets against any real or imaginary evils.
This was the first time we had been apprised that the Indians
ever carried from the field any other trophy than the scalp.
These fingers were shown with great exultation; and, after an harangue,
which we were left to presume was in praise of his exploits,
the chief carefully replaced them among the valuable contents
of his red medicine-bag. The inhabitants of this village being part
of the same nation with those of the village we had passed above,
the language of the two was the same, and their houses were of similar
form and materials, and calculated to contain about thirty souls.
They were unusually hospitable and good-humored, so that we gave
to the place the name of the Friendly village. We breakfasted here;
and after purchasing twelve dogs, four sacks of fish, and a few
dried berries, proceeded on our journey.
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