The First Paragraph That Caught His Eye,
Announced The Arrival Of Mr. Stuart And His Party At St. Louis,
With Intelligence That Mr. Hunt And His Companions Had Effected
Their Perilous Expedition To The Mouth Of The Columbia.
This was
a gleam of sunshine that for a time dispelled every cloud, and he
now looked forward with sanguine hope to the accomplishment of
all his plans.
CHAPTER Lll.
Banks of the Wallah-Wallah.- Departure of David Stuart for the
Oakinagan.- Mr. Clarke's Route Up Lewis River.- Chipunnish, or
Pierced-Nose Indians- Their Character, Appearance, and Habits.-
Thievish Habits.- Laying Up of the Boats.- Post at Pointed Heart
and Spokan Rivers.- M'Kenzie, His Route Up the Camoenum.-Bands of
Travelling Indians.- Expedition of Reed to the Caches.-
Adventures of Wandering Voyageurs and Trappers.
THE course of our narrative now takes us back to the regions
beyond the mountains, to dispose of the parties that set out from
Astoria, in company with Mr. Robert Stuart, and whom he left on
the banks of the Wallah-Wallah. Those parties likewise separated
from each other shortly after his departure, proceeding to their
respective destinations, but agreeing to meet at the mouth of the
Wallah-Wallah about the beginning of June in the following year,
with such peltries as they should have collected in the winter,
so as to convoy each other through the dangerous passes of the
Columbia.
Mr. David Stuart, one of the partners, proceeded with his men to
the post already established by him at the mouth of the
Oakinagan; having furnished this with goods and ammunition, he
proceeded three hundred miles up that river, where he established
another post in a good trading neighborhood.
Mr. Clarke, another partner, conducted his little band up Lewis
River to the mouth of a small stream coming in from the north, to
which the Canadians gave the name of the Pavion. Here he found a
village or encampment of forty huts or tents, covered with mats,
and inhabited by Nez Perces, or Pierced-nose Indians, as they are
called by the traders; but Chipunnish, as they are called by
themselves. They are a hardy, laborious, and somewhat knavish
race, who lead a precarious life, fishing and digging roots
during the summer and autumn, hunting the deer on snow-shoes
during the winter, and traversing the Rocky Mountains in the
spring, to trade for buffalo skins with the hunting tribes of the
Missouri. In these migrations they are liable to be waylaid and
attacked by the Blackfeet, and other warlike and predatory
tribes, and driven back across the mountains with the loss of
their horses, and of many of their comrades.
A life of this unsettled and precarious kind is apt to render man
selfish, and such Mr. Clarke found the inhabitants of this
village, who were deficient in the usual hospitality of Indians;
parting with everything with extreme reluctance, and showing no
sensibility to any act of kindness. At the time of his arrival,
they were all occupied in catching and curing salmon. The men
were stout, robust, active, and good looking, and the women
handsomer than those of the tribes nearer to the coast.
It was the plan of Mr. Clarke to lay up his boats here, and
proceed by land to his place of destination, which was among the
Spokan tribe of Indians, about a hundred and fifty miles distant.
He accordingly endeavored to purchase horses for the journey, but
in this he had to contend with the sordid disposition of these
people. They asked high prices for their horses, and were so
difficult to deal with, that Mr. Clarke was detained seven days
among them before he could procure a sufficient number. During
that time he was annoyed by repeated pilferings, for which he
could get no redress. The chief promised to recover the stolen
articles; but failed to do so, alleging that the thieves belonged
to a distant tribe, and had made off with their booty. With this
excuse Mr. Clarke was fain to content himself, though he laid up
in his heart a bitter grudge against the whole Pierced-nose race,
which it will be found he took occasion subsequently to gratify
in a signal manner.
Having made arrangements for his departure, Mr. Clarke laid up
his barge and canoes in a sheltered place, on the banks of a
small bay, overgrown with shrubs and willows, confiding them to
the care of the Nez Perce chief, who, on being promised an ample
compensation, engaged to have a guardian eye upon them; then
mounting his steed, and putting himself at the head of his little
caravan, he shook the dust off his feet as he turned his back
upon this village of rogues and hard dealers. We shall not follow
him minutely in his journey; which lay at times over steep and
rocky hills, and among crags and precipices; at other times over
vast naked and sunburnt plains, abounding with rattlesnakes, in
traversing which, both men and horses suffered intolerably from
heat and thirst. The place on which he fixed for a trading post,
was a fine point of land, at the junction of the Pointed Heart
and Spokan Rivers. His establishment was intended to compete with
a trading post of the Northwest Company, situated at no great
distance, and to rival it in the trade with the Spokan Indians;
as well as with the Cootonais and Flatheads. In this neighborhood
we shall leave him for the present.
Mr. M'Kenzie, who conducted the third party from the Wallah-
Wallah, navigated for several days up the south branch of the
Columbia, named the Camoenum by the natives, but commonly called
Lewis River, in honor of the first explorer. Wandering bands of
various tribes were seen along this river, travelling in various
directions; for the Indians generally are restless, roving
beings, continually intent on enterprises of war, traffic, and
hunting. Some of these people were driving large gangs of horses,
as if to a distant market.
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