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"When We Landed For Dinner, A Number Of Indians From The Last
Village Came Down For The Purpose, As We
Supposed, of paying us
a friendly visit, as they had put on their favorite dresses.
In addition to their usual
Covering they had scarlet and
blue blankets, sailors' jackets and trousers, shirts and hats.
They had all of them either war-axes, spears, and bows and arrows,
or muskets and pistols, with tin powder-flasks. We smoked
with them and endeavored to show them every attention, but we
soon found them very assuming and disagreeable companions.
While we were eating, they stole the pipe with which they
were smoking, and the greatcoat of one of the men.
We immediately searched them all, and discovered the coat
stuffed under the root of a tree near where they were sitting;
but the pipe we could not recover. Finding us determined
not to suffer any imposition, and discontented with them,
they showed their displeasure in the only way which they dared,
by returning in an ill-humor to their village.
"We then proceeded and soon met two canoes, with twelve men
of the same Skilloot nation, who were on their way from below.
The larger of the canoes was ornamented with the figure of a bear
in the bow and a man in the stern, both nearly as large as life,
both made of painted wood and very neatly fixed to the boat.
In the same canoe were two Indians, finely dressed and with round hats.
This circumstance induced us to give the name of Image-canoe
to the large island, the lower end of which we now passed at
the distance of nine miles from its head."
Here they had their first full view of Mt. St. Helen's, sometimes
called Mt. Ranier. The peak is in Washington and is 9,750 feet high.
It has a sugar-loaf, or conical, shape and is usually covered with snow.
The narrative of the expedition continues as follows: -
"The Skilloots that we passed to-day speak a language somewhat
different from that of the Echeloots or Chilluckittequaws
near the long narrows. Their dress, however, is similar,
except that the Skilloots possess more articles procured from
the white traders; and there is this farther difference between them,
that the Skilloots, both males and females, have the head flattened.
Their principal food is fish, wappatoo roots, and some elk and deer,
in killing which with arrows they seem to be very expert; for during
the short time we remained at the village, three deer were brought in.
We also observed there a tame blaireau, [badger]."
The journal, November 5, says: -
"Our choice of a camp had been very unfortunate; for on a sand-island
opposite us were immense numbers of geese, swan, ducks, and other
wild fowl, which during the whole night serenaded us with a
confusion of noises which completely prevented our sleeping.
During the latter part of the night it rained, and we therefore
willingly left camp at an early hour.
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