first across the continent-第51节

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than　suffer　these　people　to　enjoy　them；　and　actually　began　to　split　them；　on　which　they　gave　us　several　strands　of　beads　for　each　canoe。　We　had　now　a　sufficient　number　of　horses　to　carry　our　baggage；　and　therefore　proceeded　wholly　by　land。〃

Next　day　the　party　camped　near　a　tribe　of　Indians　known　as　the　Pishquitpah。　　These　people　had　never　seen　white　men　before；　and　they　flocked　in　great　numbers　around　the　strangers；　but　were　very　civil　and　hospitable；　although　their　curiosity　was　rather　embarrassing。　These　people　were　famous　hunters；　and　both　men　and　women　were　excellent　riders。　　They　were　now　travelling　on　the　south　side　of　the　river；　in　Oregon；　and；　after　leaving　the　Pishquitpahs；　they　encountered　the　〃Wollawollahs；〃　as　they　called　them。　These　Indians　are　now　known　as　the　Walla　Walla　tribe；　and　their　name　is　given　to　a　river；　a　town；　and　a　fort　of　the　United　States。　　In　several　of　the　Indian　dialects　walla　means　〃running　water；〃　and　when　the　word　is　repeated；　it　diminishes　the　size　of　the　object；　so　that　Walla　Walla　means　〃little　running　water。〃　Near　here　the　explorers　passed　the　mouth　of　a　river　which　they　called　the　Youmalolam；　it　is　a　curious　example　of　the　difficulty　of　rendering　Indian　names　into　English。　　The　stream　is　now　known　as　the　Umatilla。　　Here　they　found　some　old　acquaintances　of　whom　the　journal　has　this　account：

〃Soon　after　we　were　joined　by　seven　Wollawollahs；　among　whom　we　recognized　a　chief　by　the　name　of　Yellept；　who　had　visited　us　on　the　nineteenth　of　October；　when　we　gave　him　a　medal　with　the　promise　of　a　larger　one　on　our　return。　He　appeared　very　much　pleased　at　seeing　us　again；　and　invited　us　to　remain　at　his　village　three　or　four　days；　during　which　he　would　supply　us　with　the　only　food　they　had；　and　furnish　us　with　horses　for　our　journey。　After　the　cold；　inhospitable　treatment　we　have　lately　received；　this　kind　offer　was　peculiarly　acceptable；　and　after　a　hasty　meal　we　accompanied　him　to　his　village；　six　miles　above；　situated　on　the　edge　of　the　low　country；　about　twelve　miles　below　the　mouth　of　Lewis'　River。

〃Immediately　on　our　arrival　Yellept；　who　proved　to　be　a　man　of　much　influence；　not　only　in　his　own　but　in　the　neighboring　nations；　collected　the　inhabitants；　and　having　made　a　harangue；　the　purport　of　which　was　to　induce　the　nations　to　treat　us　hospitably；　he　set　them　an　example　by　bringing　himself　an　armful　of　wood；　and　a　platter　containing　three　roasted　mullets。　　They　immediately　assented　to　one　part；　at　least；　of　the　recommendation；　by　furnishing　us　with　an　abundance　of　the　only　sort　of　fuel　they　employ；　the　stems　of　shrubs　growing　in　the　plains。　We　then　purchased　four　dogs；　on　which　we　supped　heartily；　having　been　on　short　allowance　for　two　days　past。　　When　we　were　disposed　to　sleep；　the　Indians　retired　immediately　on　our　request；　and　indeed；　uniformly　conducted　themselves　with　great　propriety。　These　people　live　on　roots；　which　are　very　abundant　in　the　plains；　and　catch　a　few　salmon…trout；　but　at　present　they　seem　to　subsist　chiefly　on　a　species　of　mullet；　weighing　from　one　to　three　pounds。　They　informed　us　that　opposite　the　village　there　was　a　route　which　led　to　the　mouth　of　the　Kooskooskee；　on　the　south　side　of　Lewis'　River；　that　the　road　itself　was　good；　and　passed　over　a　level　country　well　supplied　with　water　and　grass；　and　that　we　should　meet　with　plenty　of　deer　and　antelope。　We　knew　that　a　road　in　that　direction　would　shorten　the　distance　at　least　eighty　miles；　and　as　the　report　of　our　guide　was　confirmed　by　Yellept　and　other　Indians；　we　did　not　hesitate　to　adopt　this　route：　　they　added；　however；　that　there　were　no　houses；　nor　permanent　Indian　residences　on　the　road　and　that　it　would　therefore　be　prudent　not　to　trust　wholly　to　our　guns；　but　to　lay　in　a　stock　of　provisions。

〃Taking　their　advice；　therefore；　we　next　day　purchased　ten　dogs。　While　the　trade　for　these　was　being　conducted　by　our　men；　Yellept　brought　a　fine　white　horse；　and　presented　him　to　Captain　Clark；　expressing　at　the　same　time　a　wish　to　have　a　kettle；　but；　on　being　informed　that　we　had　already　disposed　of　the　last　kettle　we　could　spare；　he　said　he　would　be　content　with　any　present　we　chose　to　make　him　in　return。　Captain　Clark　thereupon　gave　him　his　sword；　for　which　the　chief　had　before　expressed　a　desire；　adding　one　hundred　balls；　some　powder；　and　other　small　articles；　with　which　he　appeared　perfectly　satisfied。　　We　were　now　anxious　to　depart；　and　requested　Yellept　to　lend　us　canoes　for　the　purpose　of　crossing　the　river；　but　he　would　not　listen　to　any　proposal　of　the　kind。　He　wished　us　to　remain　for　two　or　three　days；　but；　at　all　events；　would　not　consent　to　our　going　to…day；　for　he　had　already　sent　to　invite　his　neighbors；　the　Chimnapoos；　to　come　down　this　evening　and　join　his　people　in　a　dance　for　our　amusement。　We　urged　in　vain　that；　by　setting　out　sooner；　we　would　the　earlier　return　with　the　articles　they　desired；　for　a　day；　he　observed；　would　make　but　little　difference。　We　at　length　mentioned　that；　as　there　was　no　wind　it　was　now　the　best　time　to　cross　the　river；　and　we　would　merely　take　the　horses　over　and　return　to　sleep　at　their　village。　To　this　he　assented；　we　then　crossed　with　our　horses；　and　having　hobbled　them；　returned　to　their　camp。

〃Fortunately；　there　was　among　these　Wollwaollahs　a　prisoner　belonging　to　a　tribe　of　Shoshonee　or　Snake　Indians；　residing　to　the　south　of　the　Multnomah　and　visiting　occasionally　the　heads　of　Wollawollah　Creek。　Our　Shoshonee　woman；　Sacajawea；　though　she　belonged　to　a　tribe　near　the　Missouri；　spoke　the　same　language　as　this　prisoner；　by　their　means　we　were　able　to　explain　ourselves　to　the　Indians；　and　answer　all　their　inquiries　with　respect　to　ourselves　and　the　object　of　our　journey。　Our　conversation　inspired　them　with　much　confidence；　and　they　soon　brought　several　sick　persons；　for　whom　they　requested　our　assistance。　We　splintered　＇splinted＇　the　broken　arm　of　one；　gave　some　relief　to　another；　whose　knee　was　contracted　by　rheumatism；　and　administered　what　we　thought　beneficial　for　ulcers　and　eruptions　of　the　skin　on　various　parts　of　the　body　which　are　very　common　disorders　among　them。　But　our　most　valuable　medicine　was　eye…water；　which　we　distributed；　and　which；　indeed；　they　required　very　much。

〃A　little　before　sunset　the　Chimnapoos；　amounting　to　one　hundred　men　and　a　few　women；　came　to　the　village；　and；　joining　the　Wollawollahs；　who　were　about　the　same　number　of　men；　formed　themselves　in　a　circle　round　our　camp；　and　waited　very　patiently　till　our　men　were　disposed　to　dance；　which　they　did　for　about　an　hour；　to　the　music　of　the　violin。　　They　then　requested　the　Indians　to　dance。　With　this　they　readily　complied；　and　the　whole　assemblage；　amounting；　with　the　women　and　children　of　the　village；　to　several　hundred；　stood　up；　and　sang　and　danced　at　the　same　time。　The　exercise　was　not；　indeed；　very　violent　nor　very　graceful；　for　the　greater　part　of　them　were　formed　into　a　solid　column；　round　a　kind　of　hollow　square；　stood　on　the　same　place；　and　merely　jumped　up　at　intervals；　to　keep　time　to　the　music。　Some；　however；　of　the　more　active　warriors　entered　the　square　and　danced　round　it　sideways；　and　some　of　our　men　joined　in　with　them；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　the　Indians。　　The　dance　continued　till　ten　o'clock。〃

By　the　thirtieth　of　April　the　expedition　was　equipped　with　twenty…three　horses；　most　of　which　were　young　and　excellent　animals；　but　many　of　them　were　afflicted　with　sore　backs。　　All　Indians　are　cruel　masters　and　hard　riders；　and　their　saddles　are　so　rudely　made　that　it　is　almost　impossible　for　an　Indian's　horse　to　be　free　from　scars；　yet　they　continue　to　ride　after　the　animal's　back　is　scarified　in　the　most　horrible　manner。

The　expedition　was　now　in　what　we　know　as　Walla　Walla　County；　Washington；　and　they　were　travelling　along　the　river　Walla　Walla；　leaving　the　Columbia；　which　has　here　a　general　direction　of　northerly。　The　course　of　the　party　was　northeast；　their　objective　point　being　that　where　Waitesburg　is　now　built；　near　the　junction　of　Coppie　Creek　and　the　Touchet　River。　　They　were　in　a　region　of　wood　in　plenty；　and　for　the　first　time　since　leaving　the　Long　Narrows；　or　Dalles；　they　had　as　much　fuel　as　they　needed。　On　the　Touchet；　accordingly；　they　camped　for　the　sake　of　having　a　comfortable　night；　the　nights　were　cold；　and　a　good　fire　by　which　to　sleep　was　an　attraction　not　easily　resisted。　The　journal；　April　30；　has　this　entry：

〃We　were　soon　supplied　by　Drewyer　with　a　beaver　and　an　otter；　of　which　we　took　only　a　part　of　the　beaver；　and　gave　the　rest　to　the　Indians。　　The　otter　is　a　favorite　food；　though　much　inferior；　at　least　in　our　estimation；　to　the　dog；　which　they　will　not　eat。　The　horse　is　seldom　eaten；　and　never　except　when　absolute　necessity　compels　them；　as　the　only　alternative　to　dying　of　hunger。　This　fastidiousness　does　not；　however；　seem　to　proceed　so　much　from　any　dislike　to　the　food；　as　from　attachment　to　the　animal　itself；　for　many　of　them　eat　very　heartily　of　the　horse…beef　which　we　give　them。〃

On　the　first　day　of　May；　having　travelled　forty　miles　from　their　camp　near　the　mouth　of　the　Walla　Walla；　they　camped　between　two　points　at　which　are　now　situated　the　two　towns　of　Prescott；　on　the　south；　and　Waitesburg；　on　the　north。　Their　journal　says：