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forty　to　fifty　canoes　in　a　fair　state　of　preservation。　　According　to

the　custom　of　all　Indian　tribes　on　the　Pacific　coast；　when　one　of

their　number　died　all　his　worldly　effects　were　buried　with　him；　so

that　the　canoes　were　filled　with　old　clothes；　blankets；　pieces　of

calico　and　the　like；　intended　for　the　use　of　the　departed　in　the

happy　hunting　grounds。



I　made　known　to　the　Indians　that　we　would　have　to　take　this　piece　of

ground　for　the　blockhouse。　　They　demurred　at　first；　for　there　is

nothing　more　painful　to　an　Indian　than　disturbing　his　dead；　but　they

finally　consented　to　hold　a　council　next　day　on　the　beach；　and　thus

come　to　some　definite　conclusion。　　Next　morning　they　all　assembled；

and　we　talked　in　the　Chinook　language　all　day　long；　until　at　last

they　gave　in；　consenting；　probably；　as　much　because　they　could　not

help　themselves；　as　for　any　other　reason。　　It　was　agreed　that　on　the

following　day　at　12　o'clock；　when　the　tide　was　going　out；　I　should

take　my　men　and　place　the　canoes　in　the　bay；　and　let　them　float　out

on　the　tide　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy　hunting…grounds：



At　that　day　there　existed　in　Oregon　in　vast　numbers　a　species　of

wood…rat；　and　our　inspection　of　the　graveyard　showed　that　the　canoes

were　thickly　infested　with　them。　　They　were　a　light　gray　animal；

larger　than　the　common　gray　squirrel；　with　beautiful　bushy　tails；

which　made　them　strikingly　resemble　the　squirrel；　but　in　cunning　and

deviltry　they　were　much　ahead　of　that　quick…witted　rodent。　　I　have

known　them　to　empty　in　one　night　a　keg　of　spikes　in　the　storehouse　in

Yamhill；　distributing　them　along　the　stringers　of　the　building；　with

apparently　no　other　purpose　than　amusement。　　We　anticipated　great　fun

watching　the　efforts　of　these　rats　to　escape　the　next　day　when　the

canoes　should　be　launched　on　the　ocean；　and　I　therefore　forbade　any

of　the　command　to　visit　the　graveyard　in　the　interim；　lest　the　rats

should　be　alarmed。　　I　well　knew　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　by

the　Indians；　who　held　the　sacred　spot　in　awe。　　When　the　work　of

taking　down　the　canoes　and　carrying　them　to　the　water　began；

expectation　was　on　tiptoe；　but；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　not　a　rat　was

to　be　seen。　　This　unexpected　development　was　mystifying。　　They　had

all　disappeared；　there　was　not　one　in　any　of　the　canoes；　as

investigation　proved；　for　disappointment　instigated　a　most　thorough

search。　　The　Indians　said　the　rats　understood　Chinook；　and　that　as

they　had　no　wish　to　accompany　the　dead　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy

hunting…grounds；　they　took　to　the　woods　for　safety。　　However　that　may

be；　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　preceding　visits　to　the　burial…ground；

and　our　long　talk　of　the　day　before；　with　the　unusual　stir　and

bustle；　had　so　alarmed　the　rats　that；　impelled；　by　their　suspicious

instincts；　they　fled　a　danger；　the　nature　of　which　they　could　not

anticipate；　but　which　they　felt　to　be　none　the　less　real　and

impending。









CHAPTER　VII。



LEARNING　THE　CHINOOK　LANGUAGESTRANGE　INDIAN　CUSTOMSTHEIR　DOCTORS…

…SAM　PATCHTHE　MURDER　OF　A　WOMANIN　A　TIGHT　PLACESURPRISING　THE

INDIANSCONFLICTING　REPORTS　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　BULL　RUNSECESSION

QUESTION　IN　CALIFORNIAAPPOINTED　A　CAPTAINTRANSFERRED　TO　THE　EAST。



The　troubles　at　the　Siletz　and　Yaquina　Bay　were　settled　without

further　excitement　by　the　arrival　in　due　time　of　plenty　of　food；　and

as　the　buildings；　at　Fort　Haskins　were　so　near　completion　that　my

services　as　quartermaster　were　no　longer　needed；　I　was　ordered　to

join　my　own　company　at　Fort　Yamhill；　where　Captain　Russell　was　still

in　command。　　I　returned　to　that　place　in　May；　1857；　and　at　a　period　a

little　later；　in　consequence　of　the　close　of　hostilities　in　southern

Oregon；　the　Klamaths　and　Modocs　were　sent　back　to　their　own　country；

to　that　section　in　which　occurred；　in　1873；　the　disastrous　war　with

the　latter　tribe。　　This　reduced　considerably　the　number　of　Indians　at

the　Grande　Ronde；　but　as　those　remaining　were　still　somewhat　unruly；

from　the　fact　that　many　questions　requiring　adjustment　were

constantly　arising　between　the　different　bands；　the　agent　and　the

officers　at　the　post　were　kept　pretty　well　occupied。　　Captain　Russell

assigned　to　me　the　special　work　of　keeping　up　the　police　control；　and

as　I　had　learned　at　an　early　day　to　speak　Chinook　（the　〃court

language〃　among　the　coast　tribes）　almost　as　well　as　the　Indians

themselves；　I　was　thereby　enabled　to　steer　my　way　successfully　on

many　critical　occasions。



For　some　time　the　most　disturbing　and　most　troublesome　element　we　had

was　the　Rogue　River　band。　　For　three　or　four　years　they　had　fought

our　troops　obstinately；　and　surrendered　at　the　bitter　end　in　the

belief　that　they　were　merely　overpowered；　not　conquered。　　They　openly

boasted　to　the　other　Indians　that　they　could　whip　the　soldiers；　and

that　they　did　not　wish　to　follow　the　white　man's　ways；　continuing

consistently　their　wild　habits；　unmindful　of　all　admonitions。

Indeed；　they　often　destroyed　their　household　utensils；　tepees　and

clothing；　and　killed　their　horses　on　the　graves　of　the　dead；　in　the

fulfillment　of　a　superstitious　custom；　which　demanded　that　they

should　undergo；　while　mourning　for　their　kindred；　the　deepest

privation　in　a　property　sense。　　Everything　the　loss　of　which　would

make　them　poor　was　sacrificed　on　the　graves　of　their　relatives　or

distinguished　warriors；　and　as　melancholy　because　of　removal　from

their　old　homes　caused　frequent　deaths；　there　was　no　lack　of　occasion

for　the　sacrifices。　　The　widows　and　orphans　of　the　dead　warriors　were

of　course　the　chief　mourners；　and　exhibited　their　grief　in　many

peculiar　ways。　　I　remember　one　in　particular　which　was　universally

practiced　by　the　near　kinsfolk。　　They　would　crop　their　hair　very

close；　and　then　cover　the　head　with　a　sort　of　hood　or　plaster　of

black　pitch；　the　composition　being　clay；　pulverized　charcoal；　and　the

resinous　gum　which　exudes　from　the　pine…tree。　　The　hood；　nearly　an

inch　in　thickness；　was　worn　during　a　period　of　mourning　that　lasted

through　the　time　it　would　take　nature；　by　the　growth　of　the　hair；

actually　to　lift　from　the　head　the　heavy　covering　of　pitch　after　it

had　become　solidified　and　hard　as　stone。　　It　must　be　admitted　that

they　underwent　considerable　discomfort　in　memory　of　their　relatives。

It　took　all　the　influence　we　could　bring　to　bear　to　break　up　these

absurdly　superstitious　practices；　and　it　looked　as　if　no　permanent

improvement　could　be　effected；　for　as　soon　as　we　got　them　to　discard

one；　another　would　be　invented。　　When　not　allowed　to　burn　down　their

tepees　or　houses；　those　poor　souls　who　were　in　a　dying　condition

would　be　carried　out　to　the　neighboring　hillsides　just　before

dissolution；　and　there　abandoned　to　their　sufferings；　with　little　or

no　attention；　unless　the　placing　under　their　heads　of　a　small　stick

of　woodwith　possibly　some　laudable　object；　but　doubtless　great

discomfort　to　their　victimmight　be　considered　such。



To　uproot　these　senseless　and　monstrous　practices　was　indeed　most

difficult。　　The　most　pernicious　of　all　was　one　which　was　likely　to

bring　about　tragic　results。　　They　believed　firmly　in　a　class　of

doctors　among　their　people　who　professed　that　they　could　procure　the

illness　of　an　individual　at　will；　and　that　by　certain　incantations

they　could　kill　or　cure　the　sick　person。　　Their　faith　in　this

superstition　was　so　steadfast　that　there　was　no　doubting　its

sincerity；　many　indulging　at　times　in　the　most　trying　privations；

that　their　relatives　might　be　saved　from　death　at　the　hands　of　the

doctors。　　I　often　talked　with　them　on　the　subject；　and　tried　to

reason　them　out　of　the　superstitious　belief；　defying　the　doctors　to

kill　me；　or　even　make　me　ill；　but　my　talks　were　unavailing；　and　they

always　met　my　arguments　with　the　remark　that　I　was　a　white　man；　of　a

race　wholly　different　from　the　red　man；　and　that　that　was　the　reason

the　medicine　of　the　doctors　would　not　affect　me。　　These　villainous

doctors　might　be　either　men　or　women；　and　any　one　of　them　finding　an

Indian　ill；　at　once　averred　that　his　influence　was　the　cause；

offering　at　the　same　time　to　cure　the　invalid　for　a　fee；　which

generally　amounted　to　about　all　the　ponies　his　family　possessed。　　If

the　proposition　was　accepted　and　the　fee　paid　over；　the　family；　in

case　the　man　died；　was　to　have　indemnity　through　the　death　of　the

doctor；　who　freely　promised　that　they　might　take　his　life　in　such

event；　relying　on　his　chances　of　getting　protection　from　the　furious

relatives　by　fleeing　to　the　military　post　till　time　had　so　assuaged

their　grief　that　matters　could　be　compromised　or　settled　by　a

restoration　of　a　part　of　the　property；　when　the　rascally　leeches

could　again　resume　their　practice。　　Of　course　the　services　of　a

doctor　were　always　accepted　when　an　Indian　fell　ill；　otherwise　the

invalid's　death　would　surely　ensue；　brought　about　by　the　evil

influence　that　was　unpropitiated。　　Latterly　it　had　become　quite　the

thing；　when　a　patient　di