Part 23 (1/2)
Soenerally at the same time what is called a ” blessings fro the for their fa; to avoid quarrelling or cheating in their play, and to be just and hospitable to all strangers whothem Prayers and exhortations are also , on week days
So slowly about the ca his exhortations with a loud voice On all occasions, the bystanders listen with profound attention; and at the end of every sentence respond one word in unison, apparently equivalent to an a on, every e by the place, he dismounts, holds his horse, and attends with reverence until all is done When the chief has finished his prayer or exhortation, he says, ”I have done,” upon which there is a general exclaious services, probably derived frole so to the cadence of a song or ballad, which is generally done in a large lodge provided for the purpose
Besides Sundays, they likewise observe the cardinal holidays of the Roman Catholic Church
Whoever has introduced these sies, has evidently understood their characters and capacities, and effected a great melioration of their manners Of this we speak not merely from the testimony of Captain Bonneville, but likewise fro ca the time I have been with the theht to you, if found; and often, things that have been throay Neither have I known any quarrelling, nor lying This absence of all quarrelling the more surprised iven rise to it ahteen hundred horses, which have to be driven into ca; the gathering of fuel in places where it is extremely scanty
All this, however, is done without confusion or disturbance
”They have adisposition; and this is portrayed in their countenances They are polite, and unobtrusive When one speaks, the rest pay strict attention: when he is done, another assents by 'yes,' or dissents by 'no;' and then states his reasons, which are listened to with equal attention Even the children are ry word ah there were, at least, five hundred of theether, and continually at play With all this quietness of spirit, they are brave when put to the test; and are an over observations, though gathered from Mr Wyeth as relative to the Flatheads, apply, in thehis sojourn with the latter, took constant occasion, in conversing with their principal ious habits; drawing a comparison between their peaceable and comfortable course of life and that of other tribes, and attributing it to their superior sense of ious services, with his people; always enjoining on the latter the most reverential deportment; and he observed that the poor Indians were always pleased to have the white men present
The disposition of these tribes is evidently favorable to a considerable degree of civilization A few farht lead them, Captain Bonneville thinks, to till the earth and cultivate grain; the country of the Skynses and Nez Perces is ad of cattle A Christian overnment, to protect theht lay the foundation of a Christian people in the reat western wilderness, ould ”wear the Americans near their hearts”
We must not omit to observe, however, in qualification of the sanctity of this Sabbath in the wilderness, that these tribes who are all ardently addicted to ga, make Sunday a peculiar day for recreations of the kind, not dee them in any wise out of season After prayers and pious ceremonies are over, there is scarce an hour in the day, says Captain Bonneville, that you do not see several horses racing at full speed; and in every corner of the ca upon the all-absorbing game of hand The Indians, says Wyeth, appear to enjoy their aamblers; and in proportion to their her than white , above noted, aes, has been at ti traders; who have derived great credit and influence aifted withis also at tiious charlatans, who are to be found in savage as well as civilized life One of these was noted by Wyeth, during his sojourn a in the cans under the a so those who are more simple than himself He has alreadyon the women, the children, and the weak- on the plain, to their own vocal h; thinking it all too foolish to do harm; but they will soon find that woe majority of every coht, or be considered a the profane As soon as a preacher or pseudo prophet of the kind gets followers enough, he either takes command of the tribe, or branches off and sets up an independent chief and ”medicine man”
46
Scarcity in the camp--Refusal of supplies by the Hudson's Bay Cory retreat--John Day's River--The Blue Mountains--Salers froration of buffalo--Danger of buffalo hunting--A wounded Indian--Eutaw Indians--A ”surround” of antelopes
PROVISIONS were noing scanty in the camp, and Captain Bonneville found it necessary to seek a new neighborhood Taking leave, therefore, of his friends, the Skynses, he set off to the ard, and, crossing a low range of mountains, enca noithin thirtypost of the Hudson's Bay Company, he sent a small detachment of men thither to purchase corn for the subsistence of his party The men ell received at the fort; but all supplies for their ca offers were made them, however, if they would leave their present employ, and enter into the service of the company; but they were not to be seduced
When Captain Bonneville saw his ers return empty-handed, he ordered an instant er of famine He pushed forward down the course of the Ottolais, which runs diagonal to the Columbia, and falls into it about fifty h a beautiful undulating country, covered with horses belonging to the Skynses, who sent the the Columbia, Captain Bonneville hoped to open a trade with the natives, for fish and other provisions, but to his surprise they kept aloof, and even hid themselves on his approach He soon discovered that they were under the influence of the Hudson's Bay Company, who had forbidden the the Columbia, but it was everywhere the same; not an article of provisions was to be obtained froed to kill a couple of his horses to sustain his fa people
He now came to a halt, and consulted as to be done The broad and beautiful Columbia lay before the would take theion; to the noble valley of the Wallamut, their projected winter quarters To advance under present circumstances would be to court starvation The resources of the country were locked against them, by the influence of a jealous and powerful monopoly If they reached the Wallamut, they could scarcely hope to obtain sufficient supplies for the winter; if they lingered any longer in the country the snoould gather upon thetheir return, they would be able to reach the Blue Mountains just in tihorn; and after they had supplied theh the mountains before they were entirely blocked by snow Influenced by these considerations, Captain Bonneville reluctantly turned his back a second time on the Columbia, and set off for the Blue Mountains He took his course up John Day's River, so called froinal Astorian enterprise As famine was at his heels, he travelled fast, and reached theed and difficult defile, but he and his men had become accustomed to hard scrauished the fires which recently spread over these regions; and the er wrapped in srandeur and sublimity to the eye
They were disappointed in their expectation of finding abundant gae bands of the natives had passed through, returning froame before the in sufficient to keep the party from starvation
To add to their distress, they h and bald hills of clay At length, after much perplexity, theythe course of which, they were sure to reach their place of destination
It was the 20th of October when they found themselves once more upon this noted stream The Shoshokoes, whom they had met with in such scanty nued its banks to profit by the abundance of salmon, and lay up a stock for winter provisions Scaffolds were everywhere erected, and i upon them At this season of the year, however, the salmon are extreer to give them a relish
In some places the shores were completely covered with a stratu the river, or destroyed at the falls; the fetid odor of which tainted the air
It was not until the travellers reached the head-waters of the Portneuf that they really found theion of abundance Here the buffaloes were in i and cooking, and feasting, and inde and hungry Lent Their horses, too, found good pasturage, and enjoyed a little rest after a severe spell of hard travelling
During this period, two horseers sent express for supplies from Montero's party; which had been sent to beat up the Crow country and the Black Hills, and to winter on the Arkansas They reported that all ith the party, but that they had not been able to accomplish the whole of their mission, and were still in the Crow country, where they should re The captain retained thereached the caches on Bear River, and procured thence the required supplies, he sent the a rendezvous toward the last of June following, on the forks of Wind River Valley, in the Crow country
He now re discovered a shborhood, purchased froes, furs, and other articles of winter co the winter
The place designed by the captain for the wintering ground was on the upper part of Bear River, so as possible, in order to avoid driving off the buffaloes, which would be needed for winter provisions He accordingly rass obliged him to shi+ft his position The weather had already become extremely cold, and the snow lay to a considerable depth To enable the horses to carry as much dried meat as possible, he caused a cache to be e that could be spared was deposited This done, the party continued to move slowly toward their winter quarters
They were not doo the present winter The people upon Snake River having chased off the buffaloes before the snow had beco over thedark masses on their sides, fro sounded like the low peals andthunder-cloud In effect, the cloud broke, and down ca into the valley It is utterly i to Captain Bonneville, to convey an idea of the effect produced by the sight of such countless throngs of ani forward as if swept on by a ind
The long privation which the travellers had suffered gave unco One of the Indians attached to the party, finding himself on horseback in the midst of the buffaloes, without either rifle, or bow and arrows, dashed after a fine cow that was passing close by hied his knife into her side with such lucky ai deed; but hunger had made him almost desperate