personal memoirs-1-第7节

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a　point　about　two　hundred　yards　distant　from　the　party；　when；　relying

on　the　speed　of　our　horses　rather　than　on　the　peaceable　intentions　of

the　savages；　I　hoped　to　succeed　in　cutting　around　them　and　take　the

trail　beyond。　　Being　on　foot　they　could　not　readily　catch　us；　and

inasmuch　as　their　arrows　were　good　for　a　range　of　only　about　sixty

yards；　I　had　no　fear　of　any　material　damage　on　that　score。



On　reaching　the　place　selected　for　our　flank　movement　we　made　a　dash

to　the　left　of　the　trail；　through　the　widest　part　of　the　valley；　and

ran　our　horses　swiftly　by；　but　I　noticed　that　the　Indians　did　not

seem　to　be　disturbed　by　the　manoeuvre　and　soon　realized　that　this

indifference　was　occasioned　by　the　knowledge　that　we　could　not　cross

Hat　Creek；　a　deep　stream　with　vertical　banks；　too　broad　to　be　leaped

by　our　horses。　　We　were　obliged；　therefore；　to　halt；　and　the　Indians

again　made　demonstrations　of　friendship；　some　of　them　even　getting

into　the　stream　to　show　that　they　were　at　the　ford。　　Thus　reassured；

we　regained　our　confidence　and　boldly　crossed　the　river　in　the　midst

of　them。　　After　we　had　gained　the　bluff　on　the　other　side　of　the

creek；　I　looked　down　into　the　valley　of　Pit　River；　and　could　plainly

see　the　camp　of　the　surveying　party。　　Its　proximity　was　the　influence

which　had　doubtless　caused　the　peaceable　conduct　of　the　Indians。

Probably　the　only　thing　that　saved　us　was　their　ignorance　of　our

being　in　their　rear；　until　we　stumbled　on　them　almost　within　sight　of

the　large　party　under　Williamson。



The　Pit　River　Indians　were　very　hostile　at　that　time；　and　for　many

succeeding　years　their　treachery　and　cruelty　brought　misfortune　and

misery　to　the　white　settlers　who　ventured　their　lives　in　search　of

home　and　fortune　in　the　wild　and　isolated　section　over　which　these

savages　roamed。　　Not　long　after　Williamson's　party　passed　through

their　country；　the　Government　was　compelled　to　send　into　it　a

considerable　force　for　the　purpose　of　keeping　them　under　control。

The　outcome　of　this　was　a　severe　fightresulting　in　the　loss　of　a

good　many　livesbetween　the　hostiles　and　a　party　of　our　troops　under

Lieutenant　George　Crook。　　It　finally　ended　in　the　establishment　of　a

military　post　in　the　vicinity　of　the　battle…ground；　for　the　permanent

occupation　of　the　country。



A　great　load　was　lifted　from　my　heart　when　I　found　myself　so　near

Williamson's　camp；　which　I　joined　August　4；　1855；　receiving　a　warm

welcome　from　the　officers。　　During　the　afternoon　I　relieved

Lieutenant　Hood　of　the　command　of　the　personal　escort；　and　he　was

ordered　to　return；　with　twelve　of　the　mounted　men；　over　the　trail　I

had　followed。　　I　pointed　out　to　him　on　the　map　the　spot　where　he

would　find　the　two　men　left　on　the　roadside；　and　he　was　directed　to

take　them　into　Fort　Reading。　　They　were　found　without　difficulty；　and

carried　in　to　the　post。　　The　sick　manDuryeawhom　I　had　expected

never　to　see　again；　afterward　became　the　hospital　steward　at　Fort

Yamhill；　Oregon；　when　I　was　stationed　there。



The　Indians　that　I　had　passed　at　the　ford　came　to　the　bluff　above　the

camp；　and　arranging　themselves　in　a　squatting　posture；　looked　down

upon　Williamson's　party　with　longing　eyes；　in　expectation　of　a　feast。

They　were　a　pitiable　lot；　almost　naked；　hungry　and　cadaverous。

Indians　are　always　hungry；　but　these　poor　creatures　were　particularly

so；　as　their　usual　supply　of　food　had　grown　very　scarce　from　one

cause　and　another。



In　prosperity　they　mainly　subsisted　on　fish；　or　game　killed　with　the

bow　and　arrow。　　When　these　sources　failed　they　lived　on　grasshoppers；

and　at　this　season　the　grasshopper　was　their　principal　food。　　In

former　years　salmon　were　very　abundant　in　the　streams　of　the

Sacramento　Valley；　and　every　fall　they　took　great　quantities　of　these

fish　and　dried　them　for　winter　use；　but　alluvial　mining　had　of　late

years　defiled　the　water　of　the　different　streams　and　driven　the　fish

out。　　On　this　account　the　usual　supply　of　salmon　was　very　limited。

They　got　some　trout　high　up　on　the　rivers；　above　the　sluices　and

rockers　of　the　miners；　but　this　was　a　precarious　source　from　which　to

derive　food；　as　their　means　of　taking　the　trout　were　very　primitive。

They　had　neither　hooks　nor　lines；　but　depended　entirely　on　a

contrivance　made　from　long；　slender　branches　of　willow；　which　grew　on

the　banks　of　most　of　the　streams。　　One　of　these　branches　would　be

cut；　and　after　sharpening　the　butt…end　to　a　point；　split　a　certain

distance；　and　by　a　wedge　the　prongs　divided　sufficiently　to　admit　a

fish　between。　　The　Indian　fisherman　would　then　slyly　put　the　forked

end　in　the　water　over　his　intended　victim；　and　with　a　quick　dart

firmly　wedge　him　between　the　prongs。　　When　secured　there；　the　work　of

landing　him　took　but　a　moment。　　When　trout　were　plentiful　this

primitive　mode　of　taking　them　was　quite　successful；　and　I　have　often

known　hundreds　of　pounds　to　be　caught　in　this　way；　but　when　they　were

scarce　and　suspicious　the　rude　method　was　not　rewarded　with　good

results。



The　band　looking　down　on　us　evidently　had　not　had　much　fish　or　game

to　eat　for　some　time；　so　when　they　had　made　Williamson　understand

that　they　were　suffering　for　food　he　permitted　them　to　come　into

camp；　and　furnished　them　with　a　supply；　which　they　greedily　swallowed

as　fast　as　it　was　placed　at　their　service；　regardless　of　possible

indigestion。　　When　they　had　eaten　all　they　could　hold；　their

enjoyment　was　made　complete　by　the　soldiers；　who　gave　them　a　quantity

of　strong　plug　tobacco。　　This　they　smoked　incessantly；　inhaling　all

the　smoke；　so　that　none　of　the　effect　should　be　lost。　　When　we

abandoned　this　camp　the　next　day；　the　miserable　wretches　remained　in

it　and　collected　the　offal　about　the　cooks'　fires　to　feast　still

more；　piecing　out　the　meal；　no　doubt；　with　their　staple　article　of

foodgrasshoppers。



On　the　morning　of　August　5　Lieutenant　Hood　started　back　to　Fort

Reading；　and　Lieutenant　Williamson　resumed　his　march　for　the　Columbia

River。　　Our　course　was　up　Pit　River；　by　the　lower　and　upper　canons；

then　across　to　the　Klamath　Lakes；　then　east；　along　their　edge　to　the

upper　lake。　　At　the　middle　Klamath　Lake；　just　after　crossing　Lost

River　and　the　Natural　Bridge；　we　met　a　small　party　of　citizens　from

Jacksonville；　Oregon；　looking　for　hostile　Indians　who　had　committed

some　depredations　in　their　neighborhood。　　From　them　we　learned　that

the　Rogue　River　Indians　in　southern　Oregon　were　on　the　war…path；　and

that　as　the　〃regular　troops　up　there　were　of　no　account；　the　citizens

had　taken　matters　in　hand；　and　intended　cleaning　up　the　hostiles。〃

They　swaggered　about　our　camp；　bragged　a　good　deal；　cursed　the

Indians　loudly；　and　soundly　abused　the　Government　for　not　giving　them

better　protection。　　It　struck　me；　however；　that　they　had　not　worked

very　hard　to　find　the　hostiles；　indeed；　it　could　plainly　be　seen　that

their　expedition　was　a　town…meeting　sort　of　affair；　and　that　anxiety

to　get　safe　home　was　uppermost　in　their　thoughts。　　The　enthusiasm

with　which　they　started　had　all　oozed　out；　and　that　night　they

marched　back　to　Jacksonville。　　The　next　day；　at　the　head　of　the　lake；

we　came　across　an　Indian　village；　and　I　have　often　wondered　since

what　would　have　been　the　course　pursued　by　these　valiant　warriors

from　Jacksonville　had　they　gone　far　enough　to　get　into　its　vicinity。



When　we　reached　the　village　the　tepeesmade　of　grasswere　all

standing；　the　fires　burning　and　pots　boilingthe　pots　filled　with

camas　and　tula　rootsbut　not　an　Indian　was　to　be　seen。　　Williamson

directed　that　nothing　in　the　village　should　be　disturbed；　so　guards

were　placed　over　it　to　carry　out　his　instructions　and　we　went　into

camp　just　a　little　beyond。　　We　had　scarcely　established　ourselves

when　a　very　old　Indian　rose　up　from　the　high　grass　some　distance　off；

and　with　peaceable　signs　approached　our　camp；　evidently　for　the

purpose　of　learning　whether　or　not　our　intentions　were　hostile。

Williamson　told　him　we　were　friendly；　that　we　had　passed　through　his

village　without　molesting　it；　that　we　had　put　a　guard　there　to　secure

the　property　his　people　had　abandoned　in　their　fright；　and　that　they

might　come　back　in　safety。　　The　old　man　searchingly　eyed　everything

around　for　some　little　time；　and　gaining　confidence　from　the

peaceable　appearance　of　the　men；　who　were　engaged　in　putting　up　the

tents　and　preparing　their　evening　meal；　he　concluded　to　accept　our

professions　of　friendship；　and　bring　his　people　in。　　Going　out　about

half　a　mile　from　the　village　he　gave　a　peculiar　yell；　at　which

between　three　and　four　hundred　Indians　arose　simultaneously　from　the

ground；　and　in　answer　to　his　signal　came　out　of　the　tall　grass　like　a

swarm　of　locusts　and　soon　overran　our　camp　in　search　of　food；　for

like　all　Indians　they　were　hungry。　　They　too；　proved　to　be　Pit

Rivers；　and　were　not　less　repulsive　than　those　of　their　tribe　we　had

met　before。　　They　were　aware　of　the　hostilities　going　on　between　the

Rogue　R