"Immediately On Our Arrival Yellept, Who Proved To Be A Man Of
Much Influence, Not Only In His Own But
In the neighboring nations,
collected the inhabitants, and having made a harangue, the purport
of which was to induce the
Nations to treat us hospitably,
he set them an example by bringing himself an armful of wood,
and a platter containing three roasted mullets. They immediately
assented to one part, at least, of the recommendation,
by furnishing us with an abundance of the only sort of fuel
they employ, the stems of shrubs growing in the plains.
We then purchased four dogs, on which we supped heartily,
having been on short allowance for two days past. When we were
disposed to sleep, the Indians retired immediately on our request,
and indeed, uniformly conducted themselves with great propriety.
These people live on roots, which are very abundant in the plains,
and catch a few salmon-trout; but at present they seem to subsist
chiefly on a species of mullet, weighing from one to three pounds.
They informed us that opposite the village there was a route
which led to the mouth of the Kooskooskee, on the south side
of Lewis' River; that the road itself was good, and passed
over a level country well supplied with water and grass;
and that we should meet with plenty of deer and antelope.
We knew that a road in that direction would shorten the distance
at least eighty miles; and as the report of our guide was confirmed
by Yellept and other Indians, we did not hesitate to adopt
this route: they added, however, that there were no houses,
nor permanent Indian residences on the road and that it
would therefore be prudent not to trust wholly to our guns,
but to lay in a stock of provisions.
"Taking their advice, therefore, we next day purchased ten dogs.
While the trade for these was being conducted by our men,
Yellept brought a fine white horse, and presented him
to Captain Clark, expressing at the same time a wish to
have a kettle; but, on being informed that we had already
disposed of the last kettle we could spare, he said he would
be content with any present we chose to make him in return.
Captain Clark thereupon gave him his sword, for which the chief
had before expressed a desire, adding one hundred balls,
some powder, and other small articles, with which he appeared
perfectly satisfied. We were now anxious to depart, and requested
Yellept to lend us canoes for the purpose of crossing the river;
but he would not listen to any proposal of the kind.
He wished us to remain for two or three days; but, at all events,
would not consent to our going to-day, for he had already sent
to invite his neighbors, the Chimnapoos, to come down this
evening and join his people in a dance for our amusement.
We urged in vain that, by setting out sooner, we would
the earlier return with the articles they desired;
for a day, he observed, would make but little difference.
We at length mentioned that, as there was no wind it was
now the best time to cross the river, and we would merely
take the horses over and return to sleep at their village.
To this he assented; we then crossed with our horses, and having
hobbled them, returned to their camp.
"Fortunately, there was among these Wollwaollahs a prisoner belonging
to a tribe of Shoshonee or Snake Indians, residing to the south of
the Multnomah and visiting occasionally the heads of Wollawollah Creek.
Our Shoshonee woman, Sacajawea, though she belonged to a tribe near
the Missouri, spoke the same language as this prisoner; by their means
we were able to explain ourselves to the Indians, and answer all their
inquiries with respect to ourselves and the object of our journey.
Our conversation inspired them with much confidence, and they soon
brought several sick persons, for whom they requested our assistance.
We splintered [splinted] the broken arm of one, gave some relief
to another, whose knee was contracted by rheumatism, and administered
what we thought beneficial for ulcers and eruptions of the skin on
various parts of the body which are very common disorders among them.
But our most valuable medicine was eye-water, which we distributed,
and which, indeed, they required very much.
"A little before sunset the Chimnapoos, amounting to one hundred men
and a few women, came to the village, and, joining the Wollawollahs,
who were about the same number of men, formed themselves in a circle
round our camp, and waited very patiently till our men were
disposed to dance, which they did for about an hour, to the music
of the violin. They then requested the Indians to dance.
With this they readily complied; and the whole assemblage,
amounting, with the women and children of the village,
to several hundred, stood up, and sang and danced at the same time.
The exercise was not, indeed, very violent nor very graceful;
for the greater part of them were formed into a solid column,
round a kind of hollow square, stood on the same place,
and merely jumped up at intervals, to keep time to the music.
Some, however, of the more active warriors entered the square and
danced round it sideways, and some of our men joined in with them,
to the great satisfaction of the Indians. The dance continued
till ten o'clock."
By the thirtieth of April the expedition was equipped with
twenty-three horses, most of which were young and excellent animals;
but many of them were afflicted with sore backs. All Indians are cruel
masters and hard riders, and their saddles are so rudely made that it
is almost impossible for an Indian's horse to be free from scars;
yet they continue to ride after the animal's back is scarified
in the most horrible manner.
The expedition was now in what we know as Walla Walla County, Washington,
and they were travelling along the river Walla Walla, leaving
the Columbia, which has here a general direction of northerly.
The course of the party was northeast, their objective point
being that where Waitesburg is now built, near the junction
of Coppie Creek and the Touchet River.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 79 of 105
Words from 82200 to 83252
of 110166
