"We Were Visited During The Day By A Chief Of The Clahclellahs,
Who Seemed Mortified At The Behavior Of The
Indians,
and told us that the persons at the head of their outrages
were two very bad men who belonged
To the Wahclellah tribe,
but that the nation did not by any means wish to displease us.
This chief seemed very well-disposed, and we had every reason to believe
was much respected by the neighboring Indians. We therefore gave
him a small medal and showed him all the attention in our power,
with which he appeared very much gratified."
The portage of these rapids was very difficult and tiresome.
The total distance of the first stage was twenty-eight hundred yards
along a narrow way rough with rocks and now slippery with rain.
One of the canoes was lost here by being driven out into the strong current,
where the force of the water was so great that it could not be held
by the men; the frail skiff drifted down the rapids and disappeared.
They now had two canoes and two periogues left, and the loads were divided
among these craft. This increased the difficulties of navigation,
and Captain Lewis crossed over to the south side of the river in search
of canoes to be purchased from the Indians, who lived in a village
on that side of the stream. The narrative continues:
"The village now consisted of eleven houses, crowded with inhabitants,
and about sixty fighting men. They were very well disposed, and we found no
difficulty in procuring two small canoes, in exchange for two robes and four
elk-skins. He also purchased with deer-skins three dogs, - an animal which has
now become a favorite food, for it is found to be a strong, healthy diet,
preferable to lean deer or elk, and much superior to horseflesh in any state.
With these he proceeded along the south side of the river, and joined us
in the evening."
Above the rapids the party encountered two tribes of Indians from
whom they endeavored to buy horses, for they were now approaching
a point when they must leave the river and travel altogether by land.
One of these tribes was known as the Weocksockwillacurns,
and the other was the Chilluckittequaws. These jaw-breaking
names are commended to those who think that the Indian names
of northern Maine are difficult to handle. Trees were now
growing scarcer, and the wide lowlands spread out before
the explorers stretched to the base of the Bitter Root Mountains
without trees, but covered with luxuriant grass and herbage.
After being confined so long to the thick forests and mountains
of the seacoast, the party found this prospect very exhilarating,
notwithstanding the absence of forests and thickets.
The climate, too, was much more agreeable than that to which they
had lately been accustomed, being dry and pure.
Chapter XX
The Last Stage of the Columbia
On the thirteenth of April the party reached the series of falls
and rapids which they called the Long Narrows. At the point
reached the river is confined, for a space of about fourteen miles,
to narrow channels and rocky falls. The Long Narrows
are now known as the Dalles. The word "dalles" is French,
and signifies flagstones, such as are used for sidewalks.
Many of the rocks in these narrows are nearly flat on top,
and even the precipitous banks look like walls of rock.
At the upper end of the rapids, or dalles, is Celilo City,
and at the lower end is Dalles City, sometimes known as
"The Dalles." Both of these places are in Oregon; the total fall
of the water from Celilo to the Dalles is over eighty feet.
Navigation of these rapids is impossible. As the explorers had
no further use for their pirogues, they broke them up for fuel.
The merchandise was laboriously carried around on the river bank.
They were able to buy four horses from the Skilloots for which
they paid well in goods. It was now nearly time for the salmon
to begin to run, and under date of April 19 the journal
has this entry: -
"The whole village was filled with rejoicing to-day at having caught
a single salmon, which was considered as the harbinger of vast
quantities in four or five days. In order to hasten their arrival
the Indians, according to custom, dressed the fish and cut it into
small pieces, one of which was given to each child in the village.
In the good humor excited by this occurrence they parted,
though reluctantly, with four other horses, for which we gave
them two kettles, reserving only a single small one for a mess
of eight men. Unluckily, however, we lost one of the horses
by the negligence of the person to whose charge he was committed.
The rest were, therefore, hobbled and tied; but as the nations here
do not understand gelding, all the horses but one were stallions;
this being the season when they are most vicious, we had great difficulty
in managing them, and were obliged to keep watch over them all night.
. . . . . . . . . .
As it was obviously our interest to preserve the goodwill of
these people, we passed over several small thefts which they committed,
but this morning we learnt that six tomahawks and a knife had been
stolen during the night. We addressed ourselves to the chief,
who seemed angry with his people, and made a harangue to them;
but we did not recover the articles, and soon afterward two of our
spoons were missing. We therefore ordered them all from our camp,
threatening to beat severely any one detected in purloining.
This harshness irritated them so much that they left us in an
ill-humor, and we therefore kept on our guard against any insult.
Besides this knavery, the faithlessness of the people
is intolerable; frequently, after receiving goods in exchange
for a horse, they return in a few hours and insist on
revoking the bargain or receiving some additional value.
We discovered, too, that the horse which was missing yesterday
had been gambled away by the fellow from whom we had purchased him,
to a man of a different nation, who had carried him off.
We succeeded in buying two more horses, two dogs, and some chappelell,
and also exchanged a couple of elk-skins for a gun belonging
to the chief . . . One of the canoes, for which the Indians would
give us very little, was cut up for fuel; two others, together with
some elk-skins and pieces of old iron, we bartered for beads,
and the remaining two small ones were despatched early next morning,
with all the baggage which could not be carried on horseback.
We had intended setting out at the same time, but one of our horses
broke loose during the night, and we were under the necessity
of sending several men in search of him.
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