first across the continent-第39节

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e　landed　at　the　huts　of　the　Indians；　who　went　with　us　to　the　top　of　the　rock；　from　which　we　had　a　view　of　all　the　difficulties　of　the　channel。　　We　were　now　no　longer　at　a　loss　to　account　for　the　rising　of　the　river　at　the　falls；　for　this　tremendous　rock　was　seen　stretching　across　the　river；　to　meet　the　high　hills　on　the　left　shore；　leaving　a　channel　of　only　forty…five　yards　wide；　through　which　the　whole　body　of　the　Columbia　pressed　its　way。　The　water；　thus　forced　into　so　narrow　a　passage；　was　thrown　into　whirls；　and　swelled　and　boiled　in　every　part　with　the　wildest　agitation。　But　the　alternative　of　carrying　the　boats　over　this　high　rock　was　almost　impossible　in　our　present　situation；　and　as　the　chief　danger　seemed　to　be；　not　from　any　obstructions　in　the　channel；　but　from　the　great　waves　and　whirlpools；　we　resolved　to　attempt　the　passage；　in　the　hope　of　being　able；　by　dexterous　steering；　to　descend　in　safety。　This　we　undertook；　and　with　great　care　were　able　to　get　through；　to　the　astonishment　of　the　Indians　in　the　huts　we　had　just　passed；　who　now　collected　to　see　us　from　the　top　of　the　rock。　　The　channel　continued　thus　confined　for　the　space　of　about　half　a　mile；　when　the　rock　ceased。　We　passed　a　single　Indian　hut　at　the　foot　of　it；　where　the　river　again　enlarges　to　the　width　of　two　hundred　yards；　and　at　the　distance　of　a　mile　and　a　half　stopped　to　view　a　very　bad　rapid；　this　is　formed　by　two　rocky　islands　which　divide　the　channel；　the　lower　and　larger　of　which　is　in　the　middle　of　the　river。　　The　appearance　of　this　place　was　so　unpromising　that　we　unloaded　all　the　most　valuable　articles；　such　as　guns；　ammunition；　our　papers；。　etc。；　and　sent　them　by　land；　with　all　the　men　that　could　not　swim；　to　the　extremity　of　these　rapids。　We　then　descended　with　the　canoes；　two　at　a　time；　though　the　canoes　took　in　some　water；　we　all　went　through　safely；　after　which　we　made　two　miles；　stopped　in　a　deep　bend　of　the　river　toward　the　right；　and　camped　a　little　above　a　large　village　of　twenty…one　houses。　Here　we　landed；　and　as　it　was　late　before　all　the　canoes　joined　us；　we　were　obliged　to　remain　this　evening；　the　difficulties　of　the　navigation　having　permitted　us　to　make　only　six　miles。〃

They　were　then　among　the　Echeloots；　a　tribe　of　the　Upper　Chinooks；　now　nearly　extinct。　　The　white　men　were　much　interested　in　the　houses　of　these　people；　which；　their　journal　set　forth；　were　〃the　first　wooden　buildings　seen　since　leaving　the　Illinois　country。〃　This　is　the　manner　of　their　construction：

〃A　large　hole；　twenty　feet　wide　and　thirty　in　length；　was　dug　to　the　depth　of　six　feet；　the　sides　of　which　were　lined　with　split　pieces　of　timber　rising　just　above　the　surface　of　the　ground；　and　smoothed　to　the　same　width　by　burning；　or　by　being　shaved　with　small　iron　axes。　　These　timbers　were　secured　in　their　erect　position　by　a　pole　stretched　along　the　side　of　the　building　near　the　eaves；　and　supported　on　a　strong　post　fixed　at　each　corner。　The　timbers　at　the　gable　ends　rose　gradually　higher；　the　middle　pieces　being　the　broadest。　　At　the　top　of　these　was　a　sort　of　semicircle；　made　to　receive　a　ridge…pole　the　whole　length　of　the　house；　propped　by　an　additional　post　in　the　middle；　and　forming　the　top　of　the　roof。　From　this　ridge…pole　to　the　eaves　of　the　house　were　placed　a　number　of　small　poles　or　rafters；　secured　at　each　end　by　fibres　of　the　cedar。　On　these　poles；　which　were　connected　by　small　transverse　bars　of　wood；　was　laid　a　covering　of　white　cedar；　or　arbor　vitae；　kept　on　by　strands　of　cedar　fibres；　but　a　small　space　along　the　whole　length　of　the　ridge…pole　was　left　uncovered；　for　the　purpose　of　light；　and　of　permitting　the　smoke　to　pass　out。　　The　roof；　thus　formed；　had　a　descent　about　equal　to　that　common　among　us；　and　near　the　eaves　it　was　perforated　with　a　number　of　small　holes；　made；　most　probably；　for　the　discharge　of　arrows　in　case　of　an　attack。　　The　only　entrance　was　by　a　small　door　at　the　gable　end；　cut　out　of　the　middle　piece　of　timber；　twenty…nine　and　a　half　inches　high；　fourteen　inches　broad；　and　reaching　only　eighteen　inches　above　the　earth。　　Before　this　hole　is　hung　a　mat；　on　pushing　it　aside　and　crawling　through；　the　descent　is　by　a　small　wooden　ladder；　made　in　the　form　of　those　used　among　us。　One…half　of　the　inside　is　used　as　a　place　of　deposit　for　dried　fish；　of　which　large　quantities　are　stored　away；　and　with　a　few　baskets　of　berries　form　the　only　family　provisions；　the　other　half；　adjoining　the　door；　remains　for　the　accommodation　of　the　family。　On　each　side　are　arranged　near　the　walls　small　beds　of　mats　placed　on　little　scaffolds　or　bedsteads；　raised　from　eighteen　inches　to　three　feet　from　the　ground；　and　in　the　middle　of　the　vacant　space　is　the　fire；　or　sometimes　two　or　three　fires；　when；　as　is　usually　the　case；　the　house　contains　three　families。〃

Houses　very　like　these　are　built　by　the　Ahts　or　Nootkas；　a　tribe　of　Indians　inhabiting　parts　of　Vancouver　Island　and　the　adjacent　mainland。　A　Nootka　calls　his　house　an　ourt。

The　good　offices　of　Lewis　and　Clark；　who　were　always　ready　to　make　peace　between　hostile　tribes；　were　again　successful　here。　The　Echeloots　received　the　white　men　with　much　kindness；　invited　them　to　their　houses；　and　returned　their　visits　after　the　explorers　had　camped。　Lewis　and　Clark　told　the　Echeloot　chiefs　that　the　war　was　destroying　them　and　their　industries；　bringing　want　and　privation　upon　them。　The　Indians　listened　with　attention　to　what　was　said；　and　after　some　talk　they　agreed　to　make　peace　with　their　ancient　enemies。　Impressed　with　the　sincerity　of　this　agreement；　the　captains　of　the　expedition　invested　the　principal　chief　with　a　medal　and　some　small　articles　of　clothing。　　The　two　faithful　chiefs　who　had　accompanied　the　white　men　from　the　headwaters　of　the　streams　now　bade　farewell　to　their　friends　and　allies；　the　explorers。　They　bought　horses　of　the　Echeloots　and　returned　to　their　distant　homes　by　land。

Game　here　became　more　abundant；　and　on　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　the　journal　records　the　fact　that　they　received　from　the　Indians　a　present　of　deer…meat；　and　on　that　day　their　hunters　found　plenty　of　tracks　of　elk　and　deer　in　the　mountains；　and　they　brought　in　five　deer；　four　very　large　gray　squirrels；　and　a　grouse。　Besides　these　delicacies；　one　of　the　men　killed　in　the　river　a　salmon…trout　which　was　fried　in　bear's　oil　and；　according　to　the　journal；　〃furnished　a　dish　of　a　very　delightful　flavor；〃　doubtless　a　pleasing　change　from　the　diet　of　dog's　flesh　with　which　they　had　so　recently　been　regaled。

Two　of　the　Echeloot　chiefs　remained　with　the　white　men　to　guide　them　on　their　way　down　the　river。　　These　were　joined　by　seven　others　of　their　tribe；　to　whom　the　explorers　were　kind　and　attentive。　But　the　visitors　could　not　resist　the　temptation　to　pilfer　from　the　goods　exposed　to　dry　in　the　sun。　　Being　checked　in　this　sly　business；　they　became　ill…humored　and　returned；　angry；　down　the　river。

The　explorers　noticed　here　that　the　Indians　flattened　the　heads　of　males　as　well　as　females。　　Higher　up　the　river；　only　the　women　and　female　children　had　flat　heads。　　The　custom　of　artificially　flattening　the　heads　of　both　men　and　women；　in　infancy；　was　formerly　practised　by　nearly　all　the　tribes　of　the　Chinook　family　along　the　Columbia　River。　　Various　means　are　used　to　accomplish　this　purpose；　the　most　common　and　most　cruel　being　to　bind　a　flat　board　on　the　forehead　of　an　infant　in　such　a　way　that　it　presses　on　the　skull　and　forces　the　forehead　up　on　to　the　top　of　the　head。　As　a　man　whose　head　has　been　flattened　in　infancy　grows　older；　the　deformity　partly　disappears；　but　the　flatness　of　the　head　is　always　regarded　as　a　tribal　badge　of　great　merit。

〃On　the　morning　of　the　twenty…eighth；〃　says　the　journal；　having　dried　our　goods；　we　were　about　setting　out；　when　three　canoes　came　from　above　to　visit　us；　and　at　the　same　time　two　others　from　below　arrived　for　the　same　purpose。　　Among　these　last　was　an　Indian　who　wore　his　hair　in　a　que；　and　had　on　a　round　hat　and　a　sailor's　jacket；　which　he　said　he　had　obtained　from　the　people　below　the　great　rapids；　who　bought　them　from　the　whites。　This　interview　detained　us　till　nine　o'clock；　when　we　proceeded　down　the　river；　which　is　now　bordered　with　cliffs　of　loose　dark　colored　rocks　about　ninety　feet　high；　with　a　thin　covering　of　pines　and　other　small　trees。　At　the　distance　of　four　miles　we　reached　a　small　village　of　eight　houses　under　some　high　rocks　on　the　right　with　a　small　creek　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river。

〃We　landed　and　found　the　houses　similar　to　those　we　had　seen　at　the　great　narrows；　on　entering　one　of　them　we　saw　a　British　musket；　a　cutlass；　and　several　brass　tea…kettles；　of　which　they　seemed　to　be　very　fond。　There　were　figures　of　men；　birds；　and　different　animals；　which　were　cut　and　painted　on　the　boards　which　form　the　sides　of　the　room；　though　the　workmanship　of　these　uncouth　figures　was　very　rough；　they　were　highly　esteemed　by　the　Indians　as　the　finest　frescos　of　more　civilized　people。　This　tribe　is　called　the　Chilluckittequaw；　their　language；　though　somewhat　different　from　that　of　the　Echeloots；　has　many　of　the　same　words；　and　is　sufficiently　intelligible　to　the　neighboring　Indians。　　We　procured　from　them　a　vocabulary；　and　then；　after　buying　five　small　dogs；　some　dr