first across the continent-第41节

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r　knowledge　of　the　whites　seems　to　be　very　imperfect；　and　as　the　only　articles　which　they　carry　to　market；　such　as　pounded　fish；　bear…grass；　and　roots；　cannot　be　an　object　of　much　foreign　traffic；　their　intercourse　appears　to　be　an　intermediate　trade　with　the　natives　near　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia。　　From　them　these　people　obtain；　in　exchange　for　their　fish；　roots；　and　bear…grass；　blue　and　white　beads；　copper　tea…kettles；　brass　armbands；　some　scarlet　and　blue　robes；　and　a　few　articles　of　old　European　clothing。　　But　their　great　object　is　to　obtain　beads；　an　article　which　holds　the　first　place　in　their　ideas　of　relative　value；　and　to　procure　which　they　will　sacrifice　their　last　article　of　clothing　or　last　mouthful　of　food。　Independently　of　their　fondness　for　them　as　an　ornament；　these　beads　are　the　medium　of　trade；　by　which　they　obtain　from　the　Indians　still　higher　up　the　river；　robes；　skins；　chappelel　bread；　bear…grass；　etc。　Those　Indians　in　turn　employ　them　to　procure　from　the　Indians　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　bear…grass；　pachico…roots；　robes；　etc。

〃These　Indians　are　rather　below　the　common　size；　with　high　cheek…bones；　their　noses　are　pierced；　and　in　full　dress　ornamented　with　a　tapering　piece　of　white　shell　or　wampum　about　two　inches　long。　Their　eyes　are　exceedingly　sore　and　weak；　many　of　them　have　only　a　single　eye；　and　some　are　perfectly　blind。　　Their　teeth　prematurely　decay；　and　in　frequent　instances　are　altogether　worn　away。　Their　general　health；　however；　seems　to　be　good；　the　only　disorder　we　have　remarked　being　tumors　in　different　parts　of　the　body。〃

The　more　difficult　rapid　was　passed　on　the　second　day　of　November；　the　luggage　being　sent　down　by　land　and　the　empty　canoes　taken　down　with　great　care。　The　journal　of　that　date　says：

〃The　rapid　we　have　just　passed　is　the　last　of　all　the　descents　of　the　Columbia。　　At　this　place　the　first　tidewater　commences；　and　the　river　in　consequence　widens　immediately　below　the　rapid。　As　we　descended　we　reached；　at　the　distance　of　one　mile　from　the　rapid；　a　creek　under　a　bluff　on　the　left；　at　three　miles　is　the　lower　point　of　Strawberry　Island。　　To　this　immediately　succeed　three　small　islands　covered　with　wood。　　In　the　meadow　to　the　right；　at　some　distance　from　the　hills；　stands　a　perpendicular　rock　about　eight　hundred　feet　high　and　four　hundred　yards　around　the　base。　This　we　called　Beacon　Rock。　　Just　below　is　an　Indian　village　of　nine　houses；　situated　between　two　small　creeks。　At　this　village　the　river　widens　to　nearly　a　mile　in　extent；　the　low　grounds　become　wider；　and　they　as　well　as　the　mountains　on　each　side　are　covered　with　pine；　spruce…pine；　cottonwood；　a　species　of　ash；　and　some　alder。　　After　being　so　long　accustomed　to　the　dreary　nakedness　of　the　country　above；　the　change　is　as　grateful　to　the　eye　as　it　is　useful　in　supplying　us　with　fuel。　Four　miles　from　the　village　is　a　point　of　land　on　the　right；　where　the　hills　become　lower；　but　are　still　thickly　timbered。　The　river　is　now　about　two　miles　wide；　the　current　smooth　and　gentle；　and　the　effect　of　the　tide　has　been　sensible　since　leaving　the　rapid。　Six　miles　lower　is　a　rock　rising　from　the　middle　of　the　river　to　the　height　of　one　hundred　feet；　and　about　eighty　yards　at　its　base。　We　continued　six　miles　further；　and　halted　for　the　night　under　a　high　projecting　rock　on　the　left　side　of　the　river；　opposite　the　point　of　a　large　meadow。

〃The　mountains；　which；　from　the　great　shoot　to　this　place；　are　high；　rugged；　and　thickly　covered　with　timber；　chiefly　of　the　pine　species；　here　leave　the　river　on　each　side；　the　river　becomes　two　and　one…half　miles　in　width；　the　low　grounds　are　extensive　and　well　supplied　with　wood。　　The　Indians　whom　we　left　at　the　portage　passed　us　on　their　way　down　the　river；　and　seven　others；　who　were　descending　in　a　canoe　for　the　purpose　of　trading　below；　camped　with　us。　　We　had　made　from　the　foot　of　the　great　shoot　twenty…nine　miles　to…day。　The　ebb　tide　rose　at　our　camp　about　nine　inches；　the　flood　must　rise　much　higher。　We　saw　great　numbers　of　water…fowl；　such　as　swan；　geese；　ducks　of　various　kinds；　gulls；　plovers；　and　the　white　and　gray　brant；　of　which　last　we　killed　eighteen。〃



Chapter　XVII

From　Tidewater　to　the　Sea

Near　the　mouth　of　the　river　which　the　explorers　named　Quicksand　River　（now　Sandy）；　they　met　a　party　of　fifteen　Indians　who　had　lately　been　down　to　the　mouth　of　the　Columbia。　　These　people　told　the　white　men　that　they　had　seen　three　vessels　at　anchor　below；　and；　as　these　must　needs　be　American；　or　European；　the　far…voyaging　explorers　were　naturally　pleased。　When　they　had　camped　that　night；　they　received　other　visitors　of　whom　the　journal　makes　mention：

〃A　canoe　soon　after　arrived　from　the　village　at　the　foot　of　the　last　rapid；　with　an　Indian　and　his　family；　consisting　of　a　wife；　three　children；　and　a　woman　who　had　been　taken　prisoner　from　the　Snake　Indians；　living　on　a　river　from　the　south；　which　we　afterward　found　to　be　the　Multnomah。　　Sacajawea　was　immediately　introduced　to　her；　in　hopes　that；　being　a　Snake　Indian；　they　might　understand　each　other；　but　their　language　was　not　sufficiently　intelligible　to　permit　them　to　converse　together。　The　Indian　had　a　gun　with　a　brass　barrel　and　cock；　which　he　appeared　to　value　highly。〃

The　party　had　missed　the　Multnomah　River　in　their　way　down；　although　this　is　one　of　the　three　largest　tributaries　of　the　Columbia；　John　Day's　River　and　the　Des　Chutes　being　the　other　two。　　A　group　of　islands　near　the　mouth　of　the　Multnomah　hides　it　from　the　view　of　the　passing　voyager。　The　stream　is　now　more　generally　known　as　the　Willamette；　or　Wallamet。　　The　large　city　of　Portland；　Oregon；　is　built　on　the　river；　about　twelve　miles　from　its　junction　with　the　Columbia。　　The　Indian　tribes　along　the　banks　of　the　Multnomah；　or　Willamette；　subsisted　largely　on　the　wappatoo；　an　eatable　root；　about　the　size　of　a　hen's　egg　and　closely　resembling　a　potato。　This　root　is　much　sought　after　by　the　Indians　and　is　eagerly　bought　by　tribes　living　in　regions　where　it　is　not　to　be　found。　The　party　made　great　use　of　the　wappatoo　after　they　had　learned　how　well　it　served　in　place　of　bread。　They　bought　here　all　that　the　Indians　could　spare　and　then　made　their　way　down　the　river　to　an　open　prairie　where　they　camped　for　dinner　and　found　many　signs　of　elk　and　deer。　The　journal　says：

〃When　we　landed　for　dinner；　a　number　of　Indians　from　the　last　village　came　down　for　the　purpose；　as　we　supposed；　of　paying　us　a　friendly　visit；　as　they　had　put　on　their　favorite　dresses。　In　addition　to　their　usual　covering　they　had　scarlet　and　blue　blankets；　sailors'　jackets　and　trousers；　shirts　and　hats。　They　had　all　of　them　either　war…axes；　spears；　and　bows　and　arrows；　or　muskets　and　pistols；　with　tin　powder…flasks。　We　smoked　with　them　and　endeavored　to　show　them　every　attention；　but　we　soon　found　them　very　assuming　and　disagreeable　companions。　While　we　were　eating；　they　stole　the　pipe　with　which　they　were　smoking；　and　the　greatcoat　of　one　of　the　men。　We　immediately　searched　them　all；　and　discovered　the　coat　stuffed　under　the　root　of　a　tree　near　where　they　were　sitting；　but　the　pipe　we　could　not　recover。　　Finding　us　determined　not　to　suffer　any　imposition；　and　discontented　with　them；　they　showed　their　displeasure　in　the　only　way　which　they　dared；　by　returning　in　an　ill…humor　to　their　village。

〃We　then　proceeded　and　soon　met　two　canoes；　with　twelve　men　of　the　same　Skilloot　nation；　who　were　on　their　way　from　below。　The　larger　of　the　canoes　was　ornamented　with　the　figure　of　a　bear　in　the　bow　and　a　man　in　the　stern；　both　nearly　as　large　as　life；　both　made　of　painted　wood　and　very　neatly　fixed　to　the　boat。　In　the　same　canoe　were　two　Indians；　finely　dressed　and　with　round　hats。　This　circumstance　induced　us　to　give　the　name　of　Image…canoe　to　the　large　island；　the　lower　end　of　which　we　now　passed　at　the　distance　of　nine　miles　from　its　head。〃

Here　they　had　their　first　full　view　of　Mt。　　St。　Helen's；　sometimes　called　Mt。　　Ranier。　　The　peak　is　in　Washington　and　is　9；750　feet　high。　It　has　a　sugar…loaf；　or　conical；　shape　and　is　usually　covered　with　snow。　The　narrative　of　the　expedition　continues　as　follows：

〃The　Skilloots　that　we　passed　to…day　speak　a　language　somewhat　different　from　that　of　the　Echeloots　or　Chilluckittequaws　near　the　long　narrows。　　Their　dress；　however；　is　similar；　except　that　the　Skilloots　possess　more　articles　procured　from　the　white　traders；　and　there　is　this　farther　difference　between　them；　that　the　Skilloots；　both　males　and　females；　have　the　head　flattened。　Their　principal　food　is　fish；　wappatoo　roots；　and　some　elk　and　deer；　in　killing　which　with　arrows　they　seem　to　be　very　expert；　for　during　the　short　time　we　remained　at　the　village；　three　deer　were　brought　in。　We　also　observed　there　a　tame　blaireau；　＇badger＇。〃

The　journal；　November　5；　says：

〃Our　choice　of　a　camp　had　been　very　unfortunate；　for　on　a　sand…island　opposite　us　were　immense　numbers　of　geese；　swan；　ducks；　and　other　wild　fowl；　which　during　the　whole　night　serenaded　us　with　a　confusion　of　noises　which　completely　prevented　our　sleeping。　During　the　latter　part　of　the　night　it　rained；　and　we　therefore　willingly　left　camp　at　an　early　hour。　　We　passed　at　three　miles　a　small　prairie；　where　the　river　is　only　three…quarters　of　a　mi