first across the continent-第38节

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s　on　boards；　which　were　then　covered　with　a　mat。　　This　was　the　part　destined　for　those　who　had　recently　died；　a　little　further　on；　bones　half　decayed　were　scattered　about；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　building　was　a　large　pile　of　them　heaped　promiscuously　on　each　other。　At　the　eastern　extremity　was　a　mat；　on　which　twenty…one　skulls　were　placed　in　a　circular　form；　the　mode　of　interment　being　first　to　wrap　the　body　in　robes；　then　as　it　decays　to　throw　the　bones　into　the　heap；　and　place　the　skulls　together。　From　the　different　boards　and　pieces　of　canoes　which　form　the　vault　were　suspended；　on　the　inside；　fishing…nets；　baskets；　wooden　bowls；　robes；　skins；　trenchers；　and　trinkets　of　various　kinds；　obviously　intended　as　offerings　of　affection　to　deceased　relatives。　On　the　outside　of　the　vault　were　the　skeletons　of　several　horses；　and　great　quantities　of　their　bones　were　in　the　neighborhood；　which　induced　us　to　believe　that　these　animals　were　most　probably　sacrificed　at　the　funeral　rites　of　their　masters。〃

Just　below　this　stand　the　party　met　Indians　who　traded　with　tribes　living　near　the　great　falls　of　the　Columbia。　　That　place　they　designated　as　〃Tum…tum；〃　a　word　that　signifies　the　throbbing　of　the　heart。　One　of　these　Indians　had　a　sailor's　jacket；　and　others　had　a　blue　blanket　and　a　scarlet　blanket。　　These　articles　had　found　their　way　up　the　river　from　white　traders　on　the　seashore。

On　the　twenty…first　of　October　the　explorers　discovered　a　considerable　stream　which　appeared　to　rise　in　the　southeast　and　empty　into　the　Columbia　on　the　left。　　To　this　stream　they　gave　the　name　of　Lepage　for　Bastien　Lepage；　one　of　the　voyageurs　accompanying　the　party。　　The　watercourse；　however；　is　now　known　as　John　Day's　River。　　John　Day　was　a　mighty　hunter　and　backwoodsman　from　Kentucky　who　went　across　the　continent；　six　years　later；　with　a　party　bound　for　Astoria；　on　the　Columbia。　　From　the　rapids　below　the　John　Day　River　the　Lewis　and　Clark　party　caught　their　first　sight　of　Mount　Hood；　a　famous　peak　of　the　Cascade　range　of　mountains；　looming　up　in　the　southwest；　eleven　thousand　two　hundred　and　twenty…five　feet　high。　Next　day　they　passed　the　mouth　of　another　river　entering　the　Columbia　from　the　south　and　called　by　the　Indians　the　Towahnahiooks；　but　known　to　modern　geography　as　the　Des　Chutes；　one　of　the　largest　southern　tributaries　of　the　Columbia。　　Five　miles　below　the　mouth　of　this　stream　the　party　camped。　Near　them　was　a　party　of　Indians　engaged　in　drying　and　packing　salmon。　Their　method　of　doing　this　is　thus　described：

〃The　manner　of　doing　this　is　by　first　opening　the　fish　and　exposing　it　to　the　sun　on　scaffolds。　　When　it　is　sufficiently　dried　it　is　pounded　between　two　stones　till　it　is　pulverized；　and　is　then　placed　in　a　basket　about　two　feet　long　and　one　in　diameter；　neatly　made　of　grass　and　rushes；　and　lined　with　the　skin　of　a　salmon　stretched　and　dried　for　the　purpose。　　Here　the　fish　are　pressed　down　as　hard　as　possible；　and　the　top　is　covered　with　fish…skins；　which　are　secured　by　cords　through　the　holes　of　the　basket。　These　baskets　are　then　placed　in　some　dry　situation；　the　corded　part　upward；　seven　being　usually　placed　as　close　as　they　can　be　put　together；　and　five　on　the　top　of　these。　The　whole　is　then　wrapped　up　in　mats；　and　made　fast　by　cords；　over　which　mats　are　again　thrown。　　Twelve　of　these　baskets；　each　of　which　contains　from　ninety　to　one　hundred　pounds；　form　a　stack；　which　is　left　exposed　till　it　is　sent　to　market。　The　fish　thus　preserved　keep　sound　and　sweet　for　several　years；　and　great　quantities；　they　inform　us；　are　sent　to　the　Indians　who　live　below　the　falls；　whence　it　finds　its　way　to　the　whites　who　visit　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia。　　We　observe；　both　near　the　lodges　and　on　the　rocks　in　the　river；　great　numbers　of　stacks　of　these　pounded　fish。　　Besides　fish；　these　people　supplied　us　with　filberts　and　berries；　and　we　purchased　a　dog　for　supper；　but　it　was　with　much　difficulty　that　we　were　able　to　buy　wood　enough　to　cook　it。〃

On　the　twenty…third　the　voyagers　made　the　descent　of　the　great　falls　which　had　so　long　been　an　object　of　dread　to　them。　The　whole　height　of　the　falls　is　thirty…seven　feet；　eight　inches；　in　a　distance　of　twelve　hundred　yards。　A　portage　of　four　hundred　and　fifty　yards　was　made　around　the　first　fall；　which　is　twenty　feet　high；　and　perpendicular。　By　means　of　lines　the　canoes　were　let　down　the　rapids　below。　At　the　season　of　high　water　the　falls　become　mere　rapids　up　which　the　salmon　can　pass。　　On　this　point　the　journal　says：

〃From　the　marks　everywhere　perceivable　at　the　falls；　it　is　obvious　that　in　high　floods；　which　must　be　in　the　spring；　the　water　below　the　falls　rises　nearly　to　a　level　with　that　above　them。　Of　this　rise；　which　is　occasioned　by　some　obstructions　which　we　do　not　as　yet　know；　the　salmon　must　avail　themselves　to　pass　up　the　river　in　such　multitudes　that　this　fish　is　almost　the　only　one　caught　in　great　abundance　above　the　falls；　but　below　that　place　we　observe　the　salmon…trout；　and　the　heads　of　a　species　of　trout　smaller　than　the　salmon…trout；　which　is　in　great　quantities；　and　which　they　are　now　burying；　to　be　used　as　their　winter　food。　A　hole　of　any　size　being　dug；　the　sides　and　bottom　are　lined　with　straw；　over　which　skins　are　laid；　on　these　the　fish；　after　being　well　dried；　are　laid；　covered　with　other　skins；　and　the　hole　is　closed　with　a　layer　of　earth　twelve　or　fifteen　inches　deep。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

We　saw　no　game　except　a　sea…otter；　which　was　shot　in　the　narrow　channel　as　we　were　coming　down；　but　we　could　not　get　it。　　Having；　therefore；　scarcely　any　provisions；　we　purchased　eight　small　fat　dogs：　a　food　to　which　we　were　compelled　to　have　recourse；　as　the　Indians　were　very　unwilling　to　sell　us　any　of　their　good　fish；　which　they　reserved　for　the　market　below。　　Fortunately；　however；　habit　had　completely　overcome　the　repugnance　which　we　felt　at　first　at　eating　this　animal；　and　the　dog；　if　not　a　favorite　dish；　was　always　an　acceptable　one。　The　meridian　altitude　of　to…day　gave　45'0　42'　57。3〃　north　as　the　latitude　of　our　camp。

〃On　the　beach；　near　the　Indian　huts；　we　observed　two　canoes　of　a　different　shape　and　size　from　any　which　we　had　hitherto　seen。　One　of　these　we　got　by　giving　our　smallest　canoe　a　hatchet；　and　a　few　trinkets　to　the　owner；　who　said　he　had　obtained　it　from　a　white　man　below　the　falls　in　exchange　for　a　horse。　These　canoes　were　very　beautifully　made：　　wide　in　the　middle；　and　tapering　towards　each　end；　with　curious　figures　carved　on　the　bow。　They　were　thin；　but；　being　strengthened　by　crossbars　about　an　inch　in　diameter；　tied　with　strong　pieces　of　bark　through　holes　in　the　sides；　were　able　to　bear　very　heavy　burdens；　and　seemed　calculated　to　live　in　the　roughest　water。〃

At　this　point　the　officers　of　the　expedition　observed　signs　of　uneasiness　in　the　two　friendly　Indian　chiefs　who　had　thus　far　accompanied　them。　They　also　heard　rumors　that　the　warlike　Indians　below　them　were　meditating　an　attack　as　the　party　went　down。　　The　journal　says：

〃Being　at　all　times　ready　for　any　attempt　of　that　sort；　we　were　not　under　greater　apprehensions　than　usual　at　this　intelligence。　　We　therefore　only　re…examined　our　arms；　and　increased　the　ammunition　to　one　hundred　rounds。　Our　chiefs；　who　had　not　the　same　motives　of　confidence；　were　by　no　means　so　much　at　their　ease；　and　when　at　night　they　saw　the　Indians　leave　us　earlier　than　usual；　their　suspicions　of　an　intended　attack　were　confirmed；　and　they　were　very　much　alarmed。

〃The　Indians　approached　us　with　apparent　caution；　and　behaved　with　more　than　usual　reserve。　　Our　two　chiefs；　by　whom　these　circumstances　were　not　observed；　now　told　us　that　they　wished　to　return　home；　that　they　could　be　no　longer　of　any　service　to　us；　that　they　could　not　understand　the　language　of　the　people　below　the　falls；　that　those　people　formed　a　different　nation　from　their　own；　that　the　two　people　had　been　at　war　with　each　other；　and　that　as　the　Indians　had　expressed　a　resolution　to　attack　us；　they　would　certainly　kill　them。　　We　endeavored　to　quiet　their　fears；　and　requested　them　to　stay　two　nights　longer；　in　which　time　we　would　see　the　Indians　below；　and　make　a　peace　between　the　two　nations。　They　replied　that　they　were　anxious　to　return　and　see　their　horses。　We　however　insisted　on　their　remaining　with　us；　not　only　in　hopes　of　bringing　about　an　accommodation　between　them　and　their　enemies；　but　because　they　might　be　able　to　detect　any　hostile　designs　against　us；　and　also　assist　us　in　passing　the　next　falls；　which　are　not　far　off；　and　represented　as　very　difficult。　They　at　length　agreed　to　stay　with　us　two　nights　longer。〃

The　explorers　now　arrived　at　the　next　fall　of　the　Columbia。　　Here　was　a　quiet　basin；　on　the　margin　of　which　were　three　Indian　huts。　The　journal　tells　the　rest　of　the　story：

〃At　the　extremity　of　this　basin　stood　a　high　black　rock；　which；　rising　perpendicularly　from　the　right　shore；　seemed　to　run　wholly　across　the　river：　so　totally；　indeed；　did　it　appear　to　stop　the　passage；　that　we　could　not　see　where　the　water　escaped；　except　that　the　current　was　seemingly　drawn　with　more　than　usual　velocity　to　the　left　of　the　rock；　where　was　heard　a　great　roaring。　　We　landed　at　the　huts　of　the　Indians；　who　went　with　us　to　the　top　of　the　rock；　from　which　we　had　a　vi