"We Had Scarcely Fixed The Camp And Got The Fires Prepared,
When A Chief Came From The Indian Camp About
A quarter of a mile
up the Columbia, at the head of nearly two hundred men.
They formed a regular
Procession, keeping time to the music,
or, rather, noise of their drums, which they accompanied
with their voices; and as they advanced, they ranged themselves
in a semicircle around us, and continued singing for some time.
We then smoked with them all, and communicated, as well as we
could by signs, our friendly intentions towards every nation,
and our joy at finding ourselves surrounded by our children.
After this we proceeded to distribute presents among them,
giving the principal chief a large medal, a shirt, and a handkerchief;
to the second chief, a medal of a smaller size; and to a third,
who had come down from some of the upper villages, a small
medal and a handkerchief. This ceremony being concluded,
they left us; but in the course of the afternoon several
of them returned, and remained with us till a late hour.
After they had dispersed, we proceeded to purchase provisions,
and were enabled to collect seven dogs, to which some of the Indians
added small presents of fish, and one of them gave us twenty
pounds of fat dried horse-flesh."
The explorers were still in the country which is now the State of Washington,
at a point where the counties of Franklin, Yakima, and Walla Walla
come together, at the junction of the Snake and the Columbia. We quote
now from the journal: -
"From the point of junction the country is a continued plain, low near
the water, from which it rises gradually, and the only elevation to be seen
is a range of high country running from northeast to southwest, where it
joins a range of mountains from the southwest, and is on the opposite
side about two miles from the Columbia. There is on this plain no tree,
and scarcely any shrubs, except a few willow-bushes; even of smaller plants
there is not much more than the prickly-pear, which is in great abundance,
and is even more thorny and troublesome than any we have yet seen.
During this time the principal chief came down with several of his warriors,
and smoked with us. We were also visited by several men and women,
who offered dogs and fish for sale; but as the fish was out of season,
and at present abundant in the river, we contented ourselves with purchasing
all the dogs we could obtain.
"The nation among which we now are call themselves Sokulks;
with them are united a few of another nation, who reside on a western
branch which empties into the Columbia a few miles above the mouth
of the latter river, and whose name is Chimnapum. The languages
of these two nations, of each of which we obtained a vocabulary,
differ but little from each other, or from that of the Chopunnish
who inhabit the Kooskooskee and Lewis' rivers. In their dress
and general appearance they also much resemble those nations;
the men wearing a robe of deer- or antelope-skin, under which a few
of them have a short leathern shirt. The most striking difference is
among the females, the Sokulk women being more inclined to corpulency
than any we have yet seen. Their stature is low, their faces are broad,
and their heads flattened in such a manner that the forehead
is in a straight line from the nose to the crown of the head.
Their eyes are of a dirty sable, their hair is coarse and black,
and braided without ornament of any kind. Instead of wearing,
as do the Chopunnish, long leathern shirts highly decorated with beads
and shells, the Sokulk women have no other covering but a truss or piece
of leather tied round the hips, and drawn tight between the legs.
The ornaments usually worn by both sexes are large blue or white beads,
either pendant from their ears, or round the neck, wrists, and arms;
they have likewise bracelets of brass, copper, and born, and some
trinkets of shells, fishbones, and curious feathers.
"The houses of the Sokulks are made of large mats of rushes, and are generally
of a square or oblong form, varying in length from fifteen to sixty feet,
and supported in the inside by poles or forks about six feet high.
The top is covered with mats, leaving a space of twelve or fifteen
inches the whole length of the house, for the purpose of admitting
the light and suffering the smoke to escape. The roof is nearly flat,
which seems to indicate that rains are not common in this open country;
and the house is not divided into apartments, the fire being in the
middle of the enclosure, and immediately under the bole in the roof.
The interior is ornamented with their nets, gigs, and other fishing-tackle,
as well as the bow of each inmate, and a large quiver of arrows,
which are headed with flint.
"The Sokulks seem to be of a mild and peaceable disposition,
and live in a state of comparative happiness. The men,
like those on the Kimooenim, are said to content themselves with a
single wife, with whom the husband, we observe, shares the labors
of procuring subsistence much more than is common among savages.
What may be considered an unequivocal proof of their good disposition,
is the great respect which is shown to old age. Among other marks
of it, we noticed in one of the houses an old woman perfectly blind,
and who, we were told, had lived more than a hundred winters.
In this state of decrepitude, she occupied the best position
in the house, seemed to be treated with great kindness,
and whatever she said was listened to with much attention.
They are by no means obtrusive; and as their fisheries supply them
with a competent, if not an abundant subsistence, although they
receive thankfully whatever we choose to give, they do not
importune us by begging.
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