USA > Oregon > Sources of the history of Oregon > Part 27
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E. lay a heavy pile of snowy Mts. 5 mils distant ap[p]arently running N. & S. the rocks for a few days have been Sandstone mica slate this day saw a white bear which we surrounded to kill but he broke through and escaped earth in some places whitened with salt which makes the horses bad to drive horses getting fat grass good as also the bottom lands which are toler- ably extensive
27th Remained at same camp snowed a little this day the Inds went hunting and got one Deer
28th Abbot brought in one Beaver started Camp 2 mils S. E. 2 S.S.E.2 S.4 S.by W. thus far through woods and a defile crossing the vide between the creek which we were on and another going to
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that branch of the Flathead river to [which] we came this day. then into open plains snowy mts on each side 3 mils S. S. E. then 5 mils S E by E crossing two slews of the Flathead river and Camped on a third and larger one which we shall be obliged to raft over I judge it twice as large as the one we crossed some days since the river here runs S. W. a little snow today quarrelled and parted with my man Woodman he appeared to think that as I had but two he might take libertys under such circum- stances I will never yield an inch I paid him half as I conceive he had gone half the route with me here we met some Inds from the great Camp which they say is a moderate Camp distant
29th Forgot to mention in proper place that I saw Plumb trees at the place we left W. branch of the Flathead river these are said to be good about [one] inch through ripe in Sept. and found nowhere else but at this place I tried hard to get some stones but could not Moved this day S. S. W. we crossed by fording contrary to expectation by loading high and taking high horses at 8 miles struck another branch of same river as large as those already passed at 4 miles further a creek from opposite side ford tolerably good at 20 miles came to main Camp of 110 Lodges Containing upward of 1000 souls with all of which I had to shake hands the Custom in meeting these indians is for the Coming party to fire their arms then the other does the same then dismount and form single file both sides and passing each other shake hands with men women and children a tedious job buffaloe have come here and even further but they are killed at once and do not get wonted her[e] the racine amani or Spetulum is found this Camp is on the river good grass river direct S. S. W. six nights since the Blackfoot stole horses from this Camp here I found thre[e] Canadians one of whom was one who came to us the night be- fore we were fired on on the heads of the Spanish River this days march between two parralled ranges of Mts now Snowy but I think not always so there is much kamas in this region we find little meat in the Indian Camp and are therefore much short- [e]ned for food
30th went out to collect some flowers for friend Nuttall after- wards to see the Camp find 120 lodges of us today some having arrived they are collecting to go to the Buffaloe in force to meet the Blackfeet looked at their games one is played by two men at a time a level place is made on the ground about 15 feet long by 3 feet wide with a small log of wood at each end to stop a small iron ring which one of them rools from one end of the all[e]y to the other both following it each having an arrow which they endeavor to throw after and under it so that when stopped it will rest on one of them the one on whose arrow it is wins at least this is all I understand of the game the game is kept by a third by means of placing sticks on one side or the
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other another feat much in practice from the smallest to the largest in Camp is two with some arrows throw them so asto go as near the first thrown as possible advancing continually untill all are expended then throwing them back again in same manner another game is two or more opposite the one side having some small article in their hand keep changing it from one hand to the other as swift as possible accompanied by a tune and motion of body and limbs except feet (for they sit all the time) the get is for the other party to designate the band in which it rema[ijns at the last this is the most practised game and requires much dexterity ou both sides it is kept with sticks as the first every morning some important indian addresses either heaven or his countrymen or both I believe exhorting the one to good conduct to each other and to the strangers among them and the other to bestow its blessings he finishes with "I am done["] the whole set up an exclamation in concord during the whole time Sunday there is more parade of prayer as above nothing is done Sun- day in the way of trade with these Indians nor in playing games and they seldom fish or kill game or raise camp while prayers are be- ing said on week days everyone ceases whatever vocation he is about if on horseback he dismounts and holds his horse on the spot un- til all is done Theft is a thing almost unknown among them and is punished by flogging as I am told but have never known an in- stance of theft among them the least thing even to a bead or pin is brought you if found and things that we throw away this is sometimes troublesome I have never seen an Indian get in an- ger with each other or strangers. I think you would find among 20 whites as many scoundrels as among 1000 of these Indians they have a mild playful laughing disposition and their qualities are strongly portrayed in their countenances. They are polite and unob- trusive and however poor never beg except as pay for services and in this way they are moderate and faithful but not industrious. they a re very brave and fight the blackfeet who continually steal their horses and kill their straglers with great success beating hollow equal numbers They wear as little clothing as the weather will permit sometimes nothing on excep[t] a little thing to cover the privates and sometimes but rare this is ommitted at play but not when there are women and allways at a race the women are close- ly covered and chaste never cohabiting promisc[u]ously with the men the pox is not much and perhaps never known among them it dies here of itself when brought from the coast where it is rife
the young women are good looking and with dress and cleanliness would be lovely today about 100 of them with their root diggers in their hands in single file went out to get roots they staid about two hours and returned in the same order each time passing the chief's lodge it was evidently a ceremony but the import I could not learn in a lodge or other place when one speaks the rest pay strict attention When he is done another assents by "yes" or
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dissents by "no" and then states his reasons which are heard as attentively it is a practice when a woman has her courses to make a little lodge outside her husbands lodge and there remain until they are finished. The more peaceable dispositions of the Indians than the whites is plainly seen in the children I have never heard an angry word among them nor any quarrelling altho there are here at least 500 of them together and at play the whole time at foot ball bandy and the like sports which give occasion to so many quarrells among white children
May Ist. Same camp the day reminds me of home and its customs it is a fine and almost summer day altho the nights have been frosty of late but the days are warm This morning the squaws left camp with their root diggers singing in good accord the tunes of their country Yesterday] Mr. Ermatinger traded 29 beavers I find an Indian Camp a place of much novelty the Indians appear to enjoy their amusements with more zest than the whites altho they are simple they are great gamblers in proportion to their means bolder than the whites 2nd Moved Camp 2 miles S. E. by E. 4 miles S by E. over a hilly but open country and diverging a little from the main river to the Eastward and Camped on a small river going to the same river the two parallel ranges of Mts. still continue on either side of the river It rained a little of the last night and some this morning the day is cloudy and moderately warm The absence of quarrells in an Indian Camp more and more surprises me when I come and see the various occasions which would give rise to them among the whites the crowding together of from 12 to 1800 horses which have to be driven into Camp at night to stake in mng. to load the starting of horses and turning of loads the seizing of fuel when scarce, often the case, the plays of men and Boys &c. At the Camp yesterday saw the bones of a buffalo bull not old being the first sign of buffaloe yet seen.
3d. Same Camp.
4th Same Camp To day heard a sound like a heavy piece of ordonance and I suppose arising from the fall of some mighty fragment of rock from the mountains The sound seemed to come from the N. I suppose the sound heard in the Snake coun- try arose from the same cause altho then no heavy mountains were in sight but there were cut rocks enough weather some- what smokey but warm and clear A party of hunters who pro- posed to go out for beaver deferred the thing on acc. of the water being too high to set a trap. A Thunder storm in the afternoon with high wind from the S. W. and Rain.
5th. Sunday according to our reconing there is a new great man no[w] getting up in the Camp and like the rest of the w[o]rld [he] covers his designs under the great cloak religion his followers are now dancing to their own vocal music in the plain perhaps 1-5 of the Camp follow him when he gets enough followers he
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will branch off and be an independent chief he is getting up some new form of religion among the Indians more simple than himself like others of his class he works with the fools women and children first while he is doing this the men of sense thinking it too foolish to do harm stand by and laugh but they will soon find that women fools and children form so large a majority that with a bad grace they will have to yield. These things make me think of the new lights and revivals of New England rains a lit- tle today
6th. Bright and clear found all of my horses three of which had been missing Moved 4 mils S. and encamped on a creek of the main river about 1 1/2 mils from the latter
7th. Same Camp cloudy all night and today but warm
8th. Same Camp last night had a false alarm Some Inds. of the camp who were gambling for a gun discharged it before laying [it] on the stakes This though a common occurrence gave the horses a fright and one frightens another in those cases until all are alarmed the running of those that have got loose the snorting stamping and rearing of those who cannot when there are at least 1500 the Howling of dogs men running with guns the contrast of firelights with the darkness of the night make altogether a scene of confusion to be recollected This day hunters went out 2 only one returned sun two hours high with one antelope the other at night with 4 To day a small boy broke his arm but as I understood that the Indians reduce frac- tures well and as I am quite ignorant I did not meddle with it
9th. Moved S. by E 6 mils and camped on the main river on the march saw two bla[c]kfeet who ran with all the speed of their horses to the mountains a little rain but warm high wind and somewhat dusty The rain does not seem to lay the dust in the least The country covered for the first time with sage and so far the same kind of minerals as near the Ponderay Lake This afternoon came to us a Snake a Nez Perce and a Flat head on foot they came from Salmon River and bring 10 news except that the Nez Perce Camp is at Salmon river and that they are mostly without horses
Ioth Mooved 7 mils E. by E. [?] rained a little shower but clear in the afternoon. This moment Chief Guineo is saying the usual afternoon prayers I observe that he first makes a long one which is responded to by the usual note in accord then a short one followed by the same note on horse back the whole time walking about the Camp hat on in an audible voice and directed as though addressing the men below rather than "him" above To day 1I Flatheads started on foot to steal horses from the Blackfeet
IIth Started out early hunting for the first time this trip We are now short of provisions. The Camp moved to mils S. by E. and camped on the river the wide bot[t]om of which is
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done it is now jammed in between the hills during this dis- tance passed two small creeks big enough for beaver only saw four antelope killed nothing saw two olived green snakes about 2 1/2 feet long blunt tail but slender afternoon clear and warm
12th Being Sunday remained at same Camp the hills here are of Granite with large bed of quartz. Mica slate is common Gneiss also in some places the same rock as at Kittle falls ob- served in one place a black mineral like that found at Franconis[?] covering iron ore it looks like horse hair in a mass combed straight the hills are now well covered with grass the river is now at its highest but is fordable this morning long prayers in form as usual at some lodges the Inds. are singing as an act of devotion
13th Went out hunting killed one N. E. pa[r]tridge only saw 4 cubs 4 deer Camp moved 6 mils S. S. E. and camped on the W. side we approach the head of this river fast
14th. remained at same Camp snow and sleet all day An Indian died in camp to day but I do not think the Camp was de- layed on that account it was a bad day which I think the reason his friends are now singing over him according to their custom 15th Made 6 miles S. S.E. and crossed the river and camped on a little creek crossing two on the W. side all too small at low water for beaver. snowed last night and until 8 this mng. altho as much as 4 inches of snow has fallen it is at 11 oclock all gone except the hills which are white grass good Granite country and fertile in the bottoms and and on the hills and mountain sides
16th Made 9 mils S. E. following a creek of the main river about 1/3 the size of the same this we crossed 6 times during the day this morning 4 inches snow which fell during the night but all gone at 9 ock fair at 4 in afternoon this day finishes all our provisions in above distance river crooked .
17th. 2 miles S. E. 3 E and cutting a high mountain I mile S by E. and struck the river again in a large and fertile plain here crossed the main branch of it and followed 2 miles a creek running S by E at the place where we left the river it receives a small creek from the S and where we struck it again another quite small from the N. The main branch appears to run about E. from the plain when arrived at Camp finding no meat I took my traps out to catch beaver when returning saw the squaw bringing in moss and roots when I came in found the hunters had come in with one bear one Elk and several deer and 5 beaver this makes a timely supply Indians are gone ahead to see the mountain is passiable This mountain divides us from the heads of the Missouri.
18th 2 miles up the creek S. by E. then assending the mountain S. E. 2 more then 2 S by E down the mountain and struck a little thread of water which during 28 mils
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increased gradually to a little river and S. E. to another coming from the S. and both go off together N. this is one of the heads of the Missouri we crossed it and camped here we found both Bulls and cows which makes all merry this pass is good going when there is no snow now there was about one foot in places drifted more we took 8 hours to pass there is a visible change in the apppearance vegetation is not so forward the trees appear stinted and small the land poorer and covered with Sedge
the other side there is little on the W. side all is granite as soon as I passed the divide I saw Pudding Stone we had showers of snow and rain this day but this I believe is con- stant in this region at this time of the year the Mt. is much higher [on] the W. than [on] the E. side This I observed also at the Trois Tetons The grass is poor and has started but little the prairie in some places has snow The vall[e]y runs N and S. and is bounded E. and W. by a range of Mts. this day my horse keeper left me taking an offence at some misinterpretation about a horse. The 16th. Woodman came to camp from his hunt for beaver tired and famished having eated nothing for three days
19th Same Camp snowed by fits most of the day being Sunday the medicine chief had devotional exercises with his fol- lowers he formed them into a ring men women and children and after an address they danced to a tune in dancing the[y] keep the feet in the same position the whole time mer[elly jumping up to the tune keeping the hands in front of them at intervals he addressed them at night Blackfeet were seen prowling about the camp at least so the Indians say erected myself a lodge for the first time in the country and paid a treat of rum &c to the whites in Camp and some of the principal Indians to wet the same as it is called.
29th. Snowing hard in the morning one horse so lame that if we move Camp to day he will remain for the Blackfoot or wolves. Much the same. Started at half past 12 found the horse could be drove a little got him along about four miles
shall return for him to morrow this day 9 miles E. S. E. over a level plain of rich deep soil wet and miry in the extreme saw our Indians running buffaloe ahead At 5 mils crossed a little brook running N by E and camped on a considerable creek run- ning N. by E. and all falling in to the same as the creek we left
At about the junction it doubles round a point of mountains and apparently takes a north[?]eastwardly course rain snow and and sunshine as usual today. 4 hunters left us to day to hunt beaver in the Blackfoot country, Pellew, Charloi, Narbesse, Rivey. 21st. Same Camp sent back and brought the lame horse into Camp Went out to the mountain to cut log poles found a Blackfoot lodge recently occupied snow as usual saw the Indians
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cooking a root resembling the yellow dock, but not so yel- low tasted like parsnip raw, informed by them that it is bad before being cooked suppose it is more or less poisonous
22d Same camp Blue Devils all Day Turned in
23d 6 miles S. S. E. and up the valley 3 S E by S. 3 S. E. This valley is all good land about four miles wide and perhaps 50 long and how much further it goes N. I cannot say. Went out to hunt buffaloe killed one Elk out of a large band mountains with snow each side of valley snowed a little as usual
24th A double portion of the usual weather viz. rain Hail snow wind rain and Thunder into the bargain we are so near where they make weather that they send it as if cost nothing Course S. E. 6 miles up the creek then by N. E. 3 cutting a height of land but low and perfectly good going to the head of an- other river running S. E. down this two miles and camped hunted today killed one cow saw some hundreds
25th. Followed the creek 5 miles S. S. E. then it turned round a point more eastwardly We continued same course 4 mils and struck a creek going into the same about 2 mils below the point spoken of rain snow & Hail today with sunshine grass better to day had a long ride before sunrise after the lame horse which I brought to Camp.
26th Same Camp A blackfoot Trail discovered in our vicini- ty a numerous camp of them better weather than usual to day Sun- day according to our reconing. At night one of two Indians who started on an express to the Nez Perces Camp returned with three blankets one white shirt and [some] tobacco and powder which articles they found buried with a Blackfoot Indian who was unscalped two bullets through his head and one through his body We apprehend that there has been a battle between the Blackfoot Indians and perhaps the whites.
27th 17 mils S. crossing two small forks of the Missouri and camping on the third of small size near Camp found a red blankett Hat and some small articles but no body. soon after Camp arrived one Indian with news and soon after 2 more and three squaws comprising the only survivor[s] of the battle which happened thus 21 Nez Perces 18 Flathead and two Iroquois and I Ponderai started with intent to steal horses from the Black- feet near the head of Salmon River they saw 4 and some horses these they attacked just at this moment a horse threw one of the Flatheads lie seized on one of the horses of the Black- feet and ran after him up a mountain he looked back and saw a large number of Blackfeet killing his companions not one surviv- ed but himself he made the best of his way to the Nez Perce Camp to tell the sad tale to the wives and children of the dead
in this Camp [where] the relatives of the deceased Flathead are there is weeping and wailing. Fair all day and comfortably warm. there were 46 lodges of the Blackft. do not know if women were
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with it or not if not it is a much larger Camp than ours, the blanketts &c found are accounted for in the practice that the Blkft. have of cutting a piece of flesh from near the shoulder tying it to an article and throwing it away to propitiate the Deity the circumstance of the flesh being tied with them I did not at first know.
28th Moved S. 8 miles following the left branch of the creek which forks atour last nights camp then S. S. W. 4 miles and camped on the same creek a little rain just after we came to camp a band of Buffaloe passed the camp which gave a fine chance to the Indians to run them one of them they chased into camp and then killed her a fine cow.
29th Moved S. by E. 6 miles cutting the divide of waters and struck a small creek going into Salmon river then 7 miles S by E. following the creek through high hills of lime rock on which we found plenty of sheep some of which were killed then 3 miles S. W. and struck Salmon River here a small creek run- ning through a fine open plain valley about 6 miles wide and ex- tending each way as far as the eye could reach the river runs here about W. by N. On the S. side is a high range of snowy mountains perhaps not covered the whole year this range is parrallel with the river. the country I should call for two days back volcanic flints are found in abundance some of the stones have a white crust on the outside of them whether of lime or Epsom salts can not say both abound the lime rock is most- ly slate blue but is found in layers of all shades from white to deep blue and very much contorted and forming frequent caves and holes. It is the intention of the chiefs to remain at this camp until the Nez Perces come to us and then to move together. This morning left my wounded horse.
30th. Same Camp rained all last night and all day Went up into the mountains to hunt sheep wounded one but a snow storm coming on his trail was covered and I lost him Saw plenty
it is surprising to view the places where they go no one would imagine it possible for an animal to climb the rocks they do Got nothing and hearing a firing hast[en]ed to the top of a hill to see if the Camp was attacked but found that the Nez Perces had ar- rived with 9 whites a Mr. Hodgskins at their head. This party is 16 lodges and only escaped the Blkft. by the latter falling in with 31 Indians 30 of whom they killed It is supposed the 30 killed about 50 of the Blkft. They mustered about 700 all men and were sufficient to cut off all our Camps if they would trade man for man.
31st Got news that 20 lodges of Blkft. are now camped at our camp of 21st Inst. and I think likely that these are the same who killed the 30 Indians and as usual 10 times over rated. This day moved 7 miles S. E. up the river and following a small creek near our camp of last night a creek comes in from the S. one
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which we followed coming from N. W. this one fro[m] the S. S. F. the main river S. E. went into the mts. saw antelope kill- ed nothing in the mountains heavy thunder with a snow and hail storm and high wind.
June Ist Same Camp some snow on Mts. got wet.
2nd 17 miles S. E. I E. by N. through an open plain nearly level finished the streams of Salmon river and struck one called little Goddin it terminates near the three butes in a little lake here goes S. E. through the valley the mts. appear terminat- ing on both sides a fair day the S. r ange comprises much more of a stone which I will call quartz the same as is found at Kettle falls there is also lime stone Blue and without organic remains.
3d 15 miles S. E. through the same vall[e]y gradually de- cending the stream became a rapid and pretty large one as large as some that pass 300 miles We camped at a narrow pass formed of low hills here is between the hills a slough of clay saturated with Epsom salts the hills are of Basaltic rock in collumns the first I have seen in this region lime rock is found here in pudding rock Killed plenty of Buffaloe here
4th. Moved through the vall[e]y following the river called as I am informed little Goddin in a S. E. by E. 6 miles during which space I found the lower hills of Basalt the mts. are ot lime rock the same as passed her[e]tofor[e] Wind high N. W. which brings warm weather here and clear grass very bad.
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