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diff --git a/old/67730-0.txt b/old/67730-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5ac4352..0000000 --- a/old/67730-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13074 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Part II of Farnham's Travels in the -Great Western Prairies, etc., October 21-December 4, 1839; and De Smet's -Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846, by -Reuben Gold Thwaites - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Part II of Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, etc., - October 21-December 4, 1839; and De Smet's Oregon Missions and - Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846 - -Authors: Thomas Jefferson Farnham - Pierre Jean De Smet - -Editor: Reuben Gold Thwaites - -Release Date: March 28, 2022 [eBook #67730] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/American - Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PART II OF FARNHAM'S TRAVELS -IN THE GREAT WESTERN PRAIRIES, ETC., OCTOBER 21-DECEMBER 4, 1839; AND DE -SMET'S OREGON MISSIONS AND TRAVELS OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, -1845-1846 *** - - - - - - -Early Western Travels - -1748-1846 - -Volume XXIX - - - - -[Illustration: The Lodge Pole (Indian name); Great Chief of the -Flat-heads. Victor (in baptism)] - - - - - Early Western Travels - - 1748-1846 - - A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best - and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive - of the Aborigines and Social and - Economic Conditions in the Middle - and Far West, during the Period - of Early American Settlement - - Edited with Notes, Introductions, Index, etc., by - - Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL.D. - - Editor of “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents,” “Original - Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition,” “Hennepin’s - New Discovery,” etc. - - Volume XXIX - - Part II of Farnham’s Travels in the Great Western Prairies, - etc., October 21-December 4, 1839; and De Smet’s - Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky - Mountains, 1845-1846 - - [Illustration] - - Cleveland, Ohio - The Arthur H. Clark Company - 1906 - - COPYRIGHT 1906, BY - THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - The Lakeside Press - R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY - CHICAGO - - - - -CONTENTS OF VOLUME XXIX - - - I - - TRAVELS IN THE GREAT WESTERN PRAIRIES, THE ANAHUAC AND ROCKY - MOUNTAINS, AND IN THE OREGON COUNTRY [Part II, being chapter - v of Volume II of the London edition, 1843.] _Thomas Jefferson - Farnham._ - - Text: [CHAPTER V] Departure from Vancouver—Wappatoo Island—The - Willamette River—Its Mouth—The Mountains—Falls—River above - the Falls—Arrival at the Lower Settlement—A Kentuckian—Mr. - Johnson and his Cabin—Thomas M’Kay and his Mill—Dr. Bailey and - Wife and Home—The Neighbouring Farmers—The Methodist Episcopal - Mission and Missionaries—Their Modes of Operations—The - Wisdom of their Course—Their Improvements, &c.—Return to - Vancouver—Mr. Young—Mr. Lee’s Misfortune—Descent of the - Willamette—Indians—Arrival at Vancouver—Oregon—Its Mountains, - Rivers and Soil, and Climate—Shipment for the Sandwich - Islands—Life at Vancouver—Descent of the Columbia—Astoria—On - the Pacific Sea—The Last View of Oregon—Account of Oregon, by - Lieut. Wilkes, Commander of the late exploring Expedition 13 - - II - - OREGON MISSIONS AND TRAVELS OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, IN 1845-46. - _Pierre Jean de Smet, S. J._ - - Copyright Notice 108 - - Author’s Dedication 109 - - Preface by the First Editor. C. C. P. 111 - - An Outline Sketch of Oregon Territory and its Missions. - _Anonymous_ 115 - - Text 145 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME XXIX - -[_Note_: In the original edition the illustrations not only are not -placed with reference to the text, but some of them do not even -illustrate the text. The inscriptions printed below several of the -plates, referring to certain of the Letters, are also misleading. We -have, therefore, rearranged the order of the plates, placing them -as nearly as possible in juxtaposition to the appropriate textual -matter.—ED.] - - - “The Lodge Pole (Indian name), Great Chief of the Flat-heads. - Victor (in Baptism).” From De Smet’s _Oregon Missions_ _Frontispiece_ - - Facsimile of illuminated title-page, De Smet’s _Oregon Missions_ 105 - - Facsimile of regular title-page, De Smet’s _Oregon Missions_ 107 - - “Oregon Territory, 1846”—folding map 114 - - “Interior of St. Mary’s Church, Flat-head Mission: Communion - at Easter” 175 - - “Mission of St. Ignatius at Kalispel Bay, among the Pends - d’Oreilles” 187 - - “The Hunters at the Buffalo Feast” 227 - - “View of the new Mission Establishment in 1846, among the - Pointed-Hearts” 315 - - “St. Mary’s, among the Flat-heads” 323 - - “Insula, or Red Feather (Michel), Great Chief and Brave - among the Flat-heads” 333 - - “Great Buffalo Hunt,—View of the Muscle-Shell Mountains” 337 - - “Announcement of the Discovery of Buffalos” 347 - - “The Chief reports to his Camp that Buffalos are in sight” 351 - - “The Chief at the head of his Hunters” 355 - - “Buffalos discovered” 387 - - “A Prayer for success in hunting” 401 - - - - -PART II OF FARNHAM’S TRAVELS IN THE GREAT WESTERN PRAIRIES, ETC., OCTOBER -21-DECEMBER 4, 1839 - -Reprint of chapter v of Volume II of original London edition, 1843 - - - - -TRAVELS IN THE GREAT WESTERN PRAIRIES, &c., &c. - -[PART II] - - - - -CHAPTER V[1] - - Departure from Vancouver—Wappatoo Island—The Willamette - River—Its Mouth—The Mountains—Falls—River above the - Falls—Arrival at the Lower Settlement—A Kentuckian—Mr. Johnson - and his Cabin—Thomas M’Kay and his Mill—Dr. Bailey and Wife - and Home—The Neighbouring Farmers—The Methodist Episcopal - Mission and Missionaries—Their Modes of Operations—The - Wisdom of their Course—Their Improvements, &c.—Return to - Vancouver—Mr. Young—Mr. Lee’s Misfortune—Descent of the - Willamette—Indians—Arrival at Vancouver—Oregon—Its Mountains, - Rivers and Soil, and Climate—Shipment for the Sandwich - Islands—Life at Vancouver—Descent of the Columbia—Astoria—On - the Pacific Sea—The Last View of Oregon—Account of Oregon, by - Lieut. Wilkes, Commander of the late exploring Expedition. - - -On the morning of the 21st, I left the Fort and dropped down the -Columbia, five miles, to Wappatoo Island. This large tract of low land -is bounded on the south-west, south and south-east, by the mouths of the -Willamette, and on the north by the Columbia. The side contiguous to the -latter river is about fifteen miles in length; the side bounded by the -eastern mouth of {201} the Willamette about seven miles, and that bounded -by the western mouth of the same river about twelve miles. It derives -its name from an edible root called _Wappatoo_, which it produces in -abundance.[2] It is generally low, and, in the central parts broken with -small ponds and marshes, in which the water rises and falls with the -river. Nearly the whole surface is overflown by the June freshets. It is -covered with a heavy growth of cotton-wood, elm, white-oak, black-ash, -alder, and a large species of laurel, and other shrubs. The Hudson Bay -Company, some years ago, placed a few hogs upon it, which have subsisted -entirely upon roots, acorns, &c. and increased to many hundreds. - -I found the Willamette deep enough for ordinary steamboats, for the -distance of twenty miles from its western mouth. One mile below the -falls are rapids on which the water was too shallow to float our canoe. -The tide rises at this place about fourteen inches. The western shore -of the river, from the point where its mouths diverge to this place, -consists of lofty mountains rising immediately from the water-side, and -covered with pines. On the eastern side, beautiful swells and plains -extend from the {202} Columbia to within five or six miles of the -rapids. They are generally covered with pine, white-oak, black-ash, and -other kinds of timber. From the point last named to the rapids, wooded -mountains crowd down to the verge of the stream. Just below the rapids -a very considerable stream comes in from the east. It is said to rise -in a champaign country, which commences two or three miles from the -Willamette, and extends eastward twenty or thirty miles to the lower -hills of the President’s range. This stream breaks through the mountain -tumultuously, and enters the Willamette with so strong a current, as to -endanger boats attempting to pass it.[3] Here were a number of Indian -huts, the inmates of which were busied in taking and curing salmon. -Between the rapids and the falls, the country adjacent to the river is -similar to that just described; mountains clothed with impenetrable -forests. - -The river, thus far, appeared to have an average width of four hundred -yards, water limpid. As we approached the falls, the eastern shore -presented a solid wall of basalt, thirty feet in perpendicular height. -On the top of this wall was nearly an acre of level area, on which the -Hudson Bay Company {203} have built a log-house.[4] This plain is three -or four feet below the level of the water above the falls, and protected -from the floods by the intervention of a deep chasm, which separates -it from the rocks over which the water pours. This is the best site in -the country for extensive flour and lumber-mills. The valley of the -Willamette is the only portion of Oregon from which grain can ever, to -any extent, become an article of export; and this splendid waterfall can -be approached at all seasons, from above and below, by sloops, schooners, -&c. The Hudson Bay Company, aware of its importance, have commenced a -race-way, and drawn timber on the ground, with the apparent intention of -erecting such works. On the opposite side is an acre or two of broken -ground, which might be similarly occupied. - -The falls are formed by a line of dark rock, which stretches diagonally -across the stream. The river was low when I passed it, and all the water -was discharged at three jets. Two of these were near the eastern shore; -the other was near the western shore, and fell into the chasm which -divides the rocky plain before named, from the cliffs of the falls. At -the mouth of this chasm {204} my Indians unloaded their canoe, dragged it -up the crags, and having borne it on their shoulders eight or ten rods, -launched it upon a narrow neck of water by the shore; reloaded, and rowed -to the deep water above. - -The scene, however, was too interesting to be left so soon, and I tarried -awhile to view it. The cataract roared loudly among the caverns, and -sent a thousand foaming eddies into the stream below. Countless numbers -of salmon were leaping and falling upon the fretted waters; savages -almost naked were around me, untrained by the soothing influences -of true knowledge, and the hopes of a purer world; as rude as the -rocks on which they trod; as bestial as the bear that growled in the -thicket. On either hand was the primeval wilderness, with its decaying -and perpetually-renewing energies; nothing could be more intensely -interesting. I had passed but a moment in these pleasant yet painful -reflections, when my Indians, becoming impatient, called me to pursue my -voyage. - -A mile above the falls a large creek comes in from the west. It is said -to rise among the mountains near the Columbia, and to run south and -south-east and eastwardly through a series of fine prairies, interspersed -{205} with timber.[5] Above the falls, the mountains rise immediately -from the water’s edge, clothed with noble forests of pine, &c.; but at -the distance of fifteen miles above, their green ridges give place to -grassy and wooded swells on the west, and timbered and prairie plains on -the eastern side. This section of the river appeared navigable for any -craft that could float in the stream below the falls. - -It was dark when I arrived at the level country; and emerging suddenly -in sight of a fire on the western bank, my Indians cried “Boston! -Boston!” and turned the canoe ashore to give me an opportunity of -speaking with a fellow countryman. He was sitting in the drizzling rain, -by a large log-fire—a stalwart six foot Kentucky trapper. After long -service in the American Fur Companies, among the rocky mountains, he -had come down to the Willamette, accompanied by an Indian woman and his -child, selected a place to build his home, made an “improvement,” sold -it, and was now commencing another. He entered my canoe and steered -across the river to a Mr. Johnson’s.[6] “I am sorry I can’t keep you,” -said he, “but I reckon you’ll sleep better under shingles, than this -stormy sky. Johnson {206} will be glad to see you. He’s got a good -shantee, and something for you to eat.” - -We soon crossed the stream, and entered the cabin of Mr. Johnson. It -was a hewn log structure, about twenty feet square, with a mud chimney, -hearth and fire-place. The furniture consisted of one chair, a number -of wooden benches, a rude bedstead covered with flag mats, and several -sheet-iron kettles, earthen plates, knives and forks, tin pint cups, an -Indian wife, and a brace of brown boys. I passed the night pleasantly -with Mr. Johnson; and in the morning rose early to go to the Methodist -Episcopal Mission, twelve miles above. But the old hunter detained -me to breakfast; and afterwards insisted that I should view his -premises, while his boy should gather the horses to convey me on my -way. And a sight of fenced fields, many acres of wheat and oat-stubble, -potato-fields, and garden-vegetables of all descriptions, and a barn well -stored with the gathered harvest compensated me for the delay. Adjoining -Mr. Johnson’s farm were four others, on all of which there were from -fifty to a hundred acres under cultivation, and substantial log-houses -and barns. - -One of these belonged to Thomas M’Kay, {207} son of M’Kay, who figured -with Mr. Astor in the doings of the Pacific Fur Company.[7] - -After surveying these marks of civilization, I found a Dr. Bailey waiting -with his horses to convey me to his home. We accordingly mounted, bade -adieu to the old trapper of Hudson Bay and other parts of the frozen -north, and went to view M’Kay’s mill. A grist-mill in Oregon! We found -him working at his dam. Near by lay French burr stones, and some portions -of substantial and well-fashioned iron work. The frame of the mill-house -was raised and shingled; and an excellent structure it was. The whole -expense of the establishment, when completed, is expected to be £1,400 or -£1,600. M’Kay’s mother is a Cree or Chippeway Indian; and M’Kay himself -is a compound of the two races. The contour of his frame and features, is -Scotch; his manners and intellects strongly tinctured with the Indian. He -has been in the service of the Fur Companies all his life, save some six -or seven years past; and by his daring enterprise, and courage in battle -has rendered himself the terror of the Oregon Indians. - -Leaving M’Kay’s mill, we travelled along a circuitous track through a -heavy forest of fir and pine, and emerged into a beautiful {208} little -prairie, at the side of which stood the doctor’s neat hewn log cabin, -sending its cheerful smoke among the lofty pine tops in its rear. We soon -sat by a blazing fire, and the storm that had pelted us all the way, lost -its unpleasantness in the delightful society of my worthy host and his -amiable wife. I passed the night with them. The doctor is a Scotchman, -his wife a Yankee. The former had seen many adventures in California and -Oregon and had his face very much slashed in a contest with the Shasty -Indians near the southern border of Oregon. The latter had come from the -States, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Mission, and had consented to -share the bliss and ills of life with the adventurous Gael; and a happy -little family they were.[8] - -The next day Mrs. Bailey kindly undertook to make me a blanket coat by -the time I should return, and the worthy doctor and myself started for -the Mission. About a mile on our way, we called at a farm occupied by an -American, who acted as blacksmith and gunsmith for the settlement. He -appeared to have a good set of tools for his mechanical business, and -plenty of custom. He had also a considerable tract of land under fence, -and a comfortable house and {209} out-buildings. A mile or two farther -on, we came upon the cabin of a Yankee tinker:[9] an odd fellow, this; -glad to see a countryman, ready to serve him in any way, and to discuss -the matter of a canal across the isthmus of Darien, the northern lights, -English monopolies, Symmes’s Hole, Tom Paine, and wooden nutmegs. Farther -on, we came to the Catholic Chapel, a low wooden building, thirty-five or -forty feet in length; and the parsonage, a comfortable log cabin.[10] - -Beyond these, scattered over five miles of country, were fifteen or -twenty farms, occupied by Americans and retired servants of the Hudson -Bay Company. Twelve or thirteen miles from the doctor’s we came in -sight of the Mission premises. They consisted of three log cabins, a -blacksmith’s shop, and outbuildings, on the east bank of the Willamette, -with large and well cultivated farms round about; and a farm, on -which were a large frame house, hospital, barn, &c., half a mile to -the eastward.[11] We alighted at the last-named establishment, and -were kindly received by Dr. White and his lady. This gentleman is the -physician of the Mission, and is thoroughly devoted to the amelioration -of the physical condition of the natives.[12] - -{210} For this object, a large hospital was being erected near his -dwelling, for the reception of patients. I passed the night with the -doctor and his family, and the following day visited the other Mission -families. Every one appeared happy in his benevolent work.—Mr. Daniel -Leslie, in preaching and superintending general matters;[13] Mr. Cyrus -Shepard, in teaching letters to about thirty half-breed and Indian -children; Mr. J. C. Whitecomb, in teaching them to cultivate the earth; -and Mr. Alanson Beers, in blacksmithing for the mission and the Indians, -and instructing a few young men in his art.[14] I spent four or five days -with these people, and had a fine opportunity to learn their characters, -the objects they had in view, and the means they took to accomplish -them. They belong to that zealous class of Protestants called Methodist -Episcopalians. Their religious feelings are warm, and accompanied with -a strong faith and great activity. In energy and fervent zeal, they -reminded me of the Plymouth pilgrims, so true in heart, and so deeply -interested were they with the principles and emotions which they are -endeavouring to inculcate upon those around them. Their hospitality and -friendship were {211} of the purest and most disinterested character. I -shall have reason to remember long and gratefully the kind and generous -manner in which they supplied my wants. - -Their object in settling in Oregon I understood to be twofold; the one -and principal, to civilize and christianize the Indians; the other, -and not less important, the establishment of religious and literary -institutions for the benefit of white emigrants. Their plan of operation -on the Indians, is to learn their various languages, for the purposes -of itinerant preaching, and of teaching the young the English language. -The scholars are also instructed in agriculture, the regulations of a -well-managed household, reading, writing, arithmetic and geography. - -The principles and duties of the Christian religion form a very -considerable part of the system. They have succeeded very satisfactorily -in the several parts of their undertaking. The preachers of the Mission -have traversed the wilderness, and by their untiring devotion to their -work, wrought many changes in the moral condition of these proverbially -debased savages; while with their schools they have afforded {212} them -ample means for intellectual improvement. - -They have many hundred acres of land under the plough, and cultivated -chiefly by the native pupils. They have more than a hundred head of -horned cattle, thirty or forty horses, and many swine. They have -granaries filled with wheat, oats, barley, and peas, and cellars well -stored with vegetables. - -A site had already been selected on the opposite side of the river for -an academical building; a court of justice had been organised by the -popular voice; a military corps was about to be formed for the protection -of settlers, and other measures were in progress, at once showing that -the American, with his characteristic energy and enterprize, and the -philanthropist, with his holy aspirations for the improvement of the -human condition, had crossed the snowy barrier of the mountain, to mingle -with the dashing waves of the Pacific seas the sweet music of a busy and -virtuous civilization. - -During my stay here, several American citizens, unconnected with the -Mission, called on me to talk of their fatherland, and inquire as to -the probability that its {213} laws would be extended over them. The -constantly repeated inquiries were— - -“Why are we left without protection in this part of our country’s domain? -Why are foreigners permitted to domineer over American citizens, drive -their traders from the country, and make us as dependent on them for the -clothes we wear, as are their own apprenticed slaves?” - -I could return no answer to these questions, exculpatory of this national -delinquency, and therefore advised them to embody their grievances -in a petition, and forward it to Congress. They had a meeting for -that purpose, and afterwards put into my hand a petition, signed by -sixty-seven citizens of the United States, and persons desirous of -becoming such, the substance of which was, a description of the country, -their unprotected situation, and, in conclusion, a prayer that the -Federal Government would extend over them the protection and institutions -of the Republic. Five or six of the Willamette settlers, for some reason, -had not an opportunity to sign this paper. The Catholic priest refused to -do it.[15] - -These people have put fifty or sixty fine {214} farms under cultivation -in the Willamette valley, amidst the most discouraging circumstances. -They have erected for themselves comfortable dwellings and outbuildings, -and have herds of excellent cattle, which they have from time to time -driven up from California, at great expense of property and even life. -The reader will find it difficult to learn any sufficient reasons for -their being left by the Government without the institutions of civilised -society. Their condition is truly deplorable. They are liable to be -arrested for debt or crime, and conveyed to the jails of Canada![16] - -For, in that case, the business of British subjects is interfered with, -who, by way of retaliation, will withhold the supplies of clothing, -household goods, &c., which the settlers have no other means of -obtaining. Nor is this all. The civil condition of the territory being -such as virtually to prohibit the emigration to any extent of useful and -desirable citizens, they have nothing to anticipate from any considerable -increase of their numbers, nor any amelioration of their state to look -for, from the accession of female society. - -{215} In the desperation incident to their lonely lot, they take wives -from the Indian tribes around them. What will be the ultimate consequence -of this unpardonable negligence on the part of the Government upon -the future destinies of Oregon cannot be clearly predicted; but it is -manifest that it must be disastrous in the highest degree, both as to its -claims to the sovereignty of that territory, and the moral condition of -its inhabitants. - -Mr. W. H. Wilson, superintendent of a branch mission on Puget’s Sound, -chanced to be at the Willamette station, whose polite attentions it -affords me pleasure to acknowledge.[17] He accompanied me on many -excursions in the valley, and to the heights, for the purpose of showing -me the country. I was also indebted to him for much information relative -to the Cowelitz and its valley, and the region about the sound, which -will be found on a succeeding page. - -My original intention had been to pass the winter in exploring Oregon, -and to have returned to the States the following summer, with the -American Fur traders. But having learned from various credible sources, -that {216} little dependence could be placed upon meeting them at -their usual place of rendezvous on Green river, and that the prospect -of getting back to the States by that route would, consequently, be -exceedingly doubtful, I felt constrained to abandon the attempt. My next -wish was to have gone by land to California, and thence home through the -northern States of Mexico. In order, however, to accomplish this with -safety, a force of twenty-five men was indispensable; and as that number -could not be raised, I was compelled to give up all hopes of returning by -that route. - -The last and only practicable means then of seeking home during the -next twelve months, was to go to the Sandwich Islands, and ship thence -for New York or California, as opportunity might offer. One of the -company’s vessels was then lying at Vancouver, receiving a cargo of -lumber for the Island market, and I determined to take passage in her. -Under these circumstances, it behooved me to hasten my return to the -Columbia. Accordingly, on the 20th I left the mission, visited Dr. Bailey -and lady, and went to Mr. Johnson’s to take a canoe down the river. On -reaching this {217} place, I found Mr. Lee, who had been to the Mission -establishment on the Willamette for the fall supplies of wheat, pork, -lard, butter, &c., for his station of the “Dalles.” - -He had left the Mission two days before my departure, and giving his -canoe, laden with these valuables, in charge of his Indians, proceeded to -the highlands by land. He had arrived at Mr. Johnson’s, when a message -reached him to the effect that his canoe had been upset, and its entire -contents discharged into the stream. He immediately repaired to the -scene of this disaster, where I found him busied in attempting to save -some part of his cargo. All the wheat, and a part of the other supplies, -together with his gun and other paraphernalia, were lost. I made -arrangements to go down with him when he should be ready, and left him to -call upon a Captain Young, an American ex-trader, who was settled near. -This gentleman had formerly explored California and Oregon in quest of -beaver—had been plundered by the Mexican authorities of £4,000 worth of -fur; and, wearied at last with his ill-luck, settled nine or ten years -ago on a small tributary of the Willamette coming in from the west.[18] - -{218} Here he has erected a saw and grist mill, and opened a farm. He has -been many times to California for cattle, and now owns about one hundred -head, a fine band of horses, swine, &c. He related to me many incidents -of his hardships, among which the most surprising was, that for a number -of years, the Hudson Bay Company refused to sell him a shred of clothing; -and as there were no other traders in the country, he was compelled -during their pleasure to wear skins.[19] A false report that he had been -guilty of some dishonourable act in California was the alleged cause for -this treatment; but perhaps, a better reason would be, that Mr. Young -occasionally purchased beaver skins in the American territory. - -I spent the night of the 12th with the excellent old captain, and in -the afternoon of the 13th, in company with my friend Mr. Lee, descended -the Willamette as far as the Falls. Here we passed the night, more to -the apparent satisfaction of vermin than of ourselves. These creature -comforts abound in Oregon. But it was not these alone that made our -lodging at the {219} Falls a rosy circumstance for memory’s wastes. The -mellifluent odour of salmon offal regaling our nasal sensibilities, and -the squalling of a copper-coloured baby, uttered in all the sweetest -intonations of such an instrument, falling with the liveliest notes upon -the ear, made me dream of war to the knife, till the sun called us to our -day’s travel. - -Five miles below the Falls, Mr. Lee and myself left the canoe, and struck -across about fourteen miles to an Indian village on the bank of the -Columbia opposite Vancouver. It was a collection of mud and straw huts, -surrounded and filled with filth which might be smelt two hundred yards. -We hired one of these cits to take us across the river, and at sunset of -the 15th, were comfortably seated by the stove in “Bachelor’s Hall” of -Fort Vancouver. - -The rainy season had now thoroughly set in. Travelling any considerable -distance in open boats, or among the tangled underbrush on foot, or on -horseback, was quite impracticable. I therefore determined to avail -myself of whatever other means of information were in my reach; and -as the gentlemen in charge of the various trading-posts {220} in the -territory, had arrived at Vancouver to meet the express from London, I -could not have had for this object a more favourable opportunity. The -information obtained from these gentlemen, and from other residents in -the country, I have relied on as correct, and combined it with my own -observations in the following general account of Oregon. - -Oregon Territory is bounded on the north by the parallel of 54 deg. 40 -min. north latitude;[20] on the east by the Rocky Mountains; on the south -by the parallel of 42 deg. north latitude; and on the west by the Pacific -Ocean. - -Mountains of Oregon. Different sections of the great chain of highlands -which stretch from the straits of Magellan to the Arctic sea, have -received different names—as the Andes, the Cordilleras, the Anahuac, -the Rocky and the Chippewayan Mountains. The last mentioned appellation -has been applied to that portion of it which lies between 58° of north -latitude and the Arctic sea. The Hudson Bay Company, in completing the -survey of the Arctic coast, have ascertained that these mountains -preserve a strongly defined outline entirely to the sea, and hang in -towering cliffs over it, {221} and by other surveys have discovered that -they gradually increase in height from the sea southward. - -The section to which the term Rocky Mountains has been applied, extends -from latitude 58° to the Great Gap, or southern pass, in latitude 42° -north. Their altitude is greater than that of any other range on the -northern part of the continent. Mr. Thompson, the astronomer of the -Hudson Bay Company, reports that he found peaks between latitudes 53 -and 56 north, more than twenty-six thousand feet above the level of the -sea.[21] That portion lying east of Oregon, and dividing it from the -Great Prairie Wilderness, will be particularly noticed. Its southern -point is in the Wind River cluster, latitude 42° north, and about seven -hundred miles from the Pacific Ocean. Its northern point is in latitude -54° 40′, about seventy miles north of Mount Browne,[22] and about four -hundred miles from the same sea. Its general direction between these -points is from N. N. W. to S. S. E. - -This range is generally covered with perpetual snows; and for this -and other causes is generally impassable for man or beast. There are, -however, several gaps through {222} which the Indians and others cross -to the Great Prairie Wilderness. The northernmost is between the peaks -Browne and Hooker. This is used by the fur traders in their journeys -from the Columbia to Canada.[23] Another lies between the head waters of -the Flathead and the Marias rivers. Another runs from Lewis and Clarke’s -river to the southern head waters of the Missouri. Another lies up -Henry’s fork for the Saptin, in a northeasterly course to the Big-horn -branch of the Yellowstone. And still another, and most important of all, -is situated between Wind river cluster and Long’s mountains.[24] - -There are several spurs or lateral branches protruding from the main -chain, which are worthy of notice. The northernmost of these parts off -north of Fraser’s river, and embraces the sources of that stream. It is -a broad collection of heights, thinly covered with pines. Some of the -tops are covered with snow nine months of the year. A spur from these -passes far down between Fraser’s and Columbia rivers. This is a line of -rather low elevations, thickly clothed with pines, cedar, &c. The highest -portions of them lie near the Columbia. Another spur {223} puts out on -the south of Mount Hooker, and lies in the bend of the Columbia, above -the two lakes. - -These are lofty and bare of vegetation. Another lies between the Flatbow -and Flathead rivers; another between the Flathead and Spokan rivers; -another between the Kooskooskie and Wapicakoos rivers.[25] These spurs, -which lie between the head waters of the Columbia and the last mentioned -river have usually been considered in connexion with a range running off -S. W. from the lower part of the Saptin, and called the Blue Mountains. -But there are two sufficient reasons why this is an error. The first is, -that these spurs are separate and distinct from each other, and are all -manifestly merely spurs of the Rocky Mountains, and closely connected -with them. - -And the second is, that no one of them is united in any one point with -the Blue Mountains. They cannot therefore be considered a part of the -Blue Mountain chain, and should not be known by the same name. The -mountains which lie between the Wapicakoos river and the upper waters -of the Saptin, will be described by saying that they are a vast cluster -of dark naked heights, descending from the average elevation of fifteen -thousand feet—the altitude of the {224} great western ridge—to about -eight thousand feet—the elevation of the eastern wall of the valley of -the Saptin. The only qualifying fact that should be attached to this -description is, that there are a few small hollows among these mountains, -called “holes;” which in general appearance resemble Brown’s hole, -mentioned in a previous chapter; but unlike the latter, they are too cold -to allow of cultivation. - -The last spur that deserves notice in this place is that which is called -the “Snowy Mountains.” It has already been described in this work; and it -can only be necessary here to repeat that it branches off from the Wind -river peak in latitude 41° north, and runs in an irregular broken line -to Cape Mendocino, in Upper California. - -The Blue Mountains are a range of heights which commence at the Saptin, -about twenty miles above its junction with the Columbia, near the 46° -of north latitude, and run south-westerly about two hundred miles, and -terminate in a barren, rolling plain. They are separated from the Rocky -Mountains by the valley of the Saptin, and are unconnected with any other -range. Some of their loftiest peaks are more than ten thousand feet above -the level of the sea. Many beautiful valleys, many hills covered {225} -with bunch grass, and very many extensive swells covered with heavy -yellow pine forests, are found among them. - -The President’s range is in every respect the most interesting in Oregon. -It is a part of a chain of highlands, which commences at Mount St. Elias, -and gently diverging from the coast, terminates in the arid hills about -the head of the Gulf of California. It is a line of extinct volcanoes, -where the fires, the evidences of whose intense power are seen over the -whole surface of Oregon, found their principal vents. It has twelve lofty -peaks; two of which, Mount St. Elias and Mount Fairweather, lie near -latitude 55° north;[26] and ten of which lie south of latitude 49° north. -Five of these latter have received names from British navigators and -traders. - -The other five have received from American travellers, and Mr. Kelly, -the names of deceased Presidents of the Republic. Mr. Kelly, I believe, -was the first individual who suggested a name for the whole range. For -convenience in description I have adopted it.[27] And although it is a -matter in which no one can find reasons for being very much interested, -yet if there is any propriety in adopting Mr. Kelly’s name for the whole -{226} chain, there might seem to be as much in following his suggestion, -that all the principal peaks should bear the names of those distinguished -men, whom the suffrages of the people that own Oregon[28] have from time -to time called to administer their national government. I have adopted -this course. - -Mount Tyler is situated near latitude forty-nine degrees north, and about -twenty miles from the eastern shore of those waters between Vancouver’s -Island, and the continent. It is clad with perpetual snow.[29] Mount -Harrison is situated a little more than a degree south of Mount Tyler, -and about thirty miles east by north of Puget’s Sound. It is covered -with perpetual snow.[30] Mount Van Buren stands on the isthmus between -Puget’s Sound and the Pacific. It is a lofty, wintry peak, seen in clear -weather eighty miles at sea.[31] Mount Adams lies under the parallel of -forty-five degrees, about twenty-five miles north of the cascades of -the Columbia. This is one of the finest peaks of the chain, clad with -eternal snows, five thousand feet down its sides. Mount Washington lies -a little north of the forty-fourth degree north, and about twenty miles -{227} south of the Cascades.[32] It is a perfect cone, and is said to -rise seventeen thousand or eighteen thousand feet above the level of the -sea. More than half its height is covered with perpetual snows. Mount -Jefferson is an immense peak under latitude forty-one and a half degrees -north. It received its name from Lewis and Clark.[33] Mount Madison is -the Mount McLaughlin of the British fur-traders. Mount Monroe is in -latitude forty-three degrees twenty minutes north, and Mount John Quincy -Adams is in forty-two degrees ten minutes; both covered with perpetual -snow.[34] - -Mount Jackson is in latitude forty-one degrees ten minutes. It is the -largest and highest pinnacle of the President’s range.[35] This chain of -mountains runs parallel with the Rocky Mountains, between three hundred -and four hundred miles from them. Its average distance from the coast of -the Pacific, south of latitude forty-nine degrees, is about one hundred -miles. The spaces between the peaks are occupied by elevated heights, -covered with an enormous growth of the several species of pines, and -firs, and the red cedar, many of which rise two hundred feet without -a limb; and are five, six, seven, eight, and even nine fathoms in -circumference at the ground. - -{228} On the south side of the Columbia, at the Cascades, a range of low -mountains puts off from the President’s range, and running down parallel -to the river, terminates in a point of land on which Astoria was built. -Its average height is about one thousand five hundred feet above the -river. Near the Cascades the tops are higher; and in some instances are -beautifully castellated. They are generally covered with dense pine and -fir forests. From the north side of the Cascades, a similar range runs -down to the sea, and terminates in Cape Disappointment.[36] This range -also is covered with forests. Another range runs on the brink of the -coast, from Cape Mendocino in Upper California to the Straits de Fuca. -This is generally bare of trees; mere masses of dark stratified rocks, -piled many hundred feet in height. It rises immediately from the borders -of the sea, and preserves nearly a right line course, during their entire -length. The lower portion of the eastern sides is clothed with heavy pine -and spruce, fir and cedar forests. - -I have described in previous pages the great southern branch of the -Columbia, called Saptin by the natives who live on its banks, and the -valley of volcanic deserts, through which it runs, as well as the -Columbia {229} and its cavernous vale, from its junction with the Saptin -to Fort Vancouver, ninety miles from the sea. I shall therefore in the -following notice of the rivers of Oregon, speak only of those parts -of this and other streams, and their valleys about them, which remain -undescribed. - -That portion of the Columbia, which lies above its junction with the -Saptin, latitude forty-six degrees eight minutes north, is navigable for -bateaux to the boat encampment at the base of the Rocky Mountains, about -the fifty-third degree of north latitude, a distance, by the course of -the stream, of about five hundred miles.[37] The current is strong, and -interrupted by five considerable and several lesser rapids, at which -there are short portages. The country on both sides of the river, from -its junction with the Saptin to the mouth of the Spokan, is a dreary -waste. The soil is a light yellowish composition of sand and clay, -generally destitute of vegetation. In a few nooks, irrigated by mountain -streams, are found small patches of the short grass of the plains -interspersed with another species which grows in tufts or bunches four -or five feet in height. A few shrubs (as the small willow, the sumac, -and furze), appear in distant and solitary {230} groups. There are no -trees; generally nothing green; a mere brown drifting desert; as far as -the Oakanagan River, two hundred and eight miles, a plain, the monotonous -desolation of which is relieved only by the noble river running through -it, and an occasional cliff of volcanic rocks bursting through its arid -surface. - -The river Oakanagan is a large, fine stream, originating in a large lake -of the same name situate in the mountains, about one hundred miles north -of its mouth. The soil in the neighbourhood of this stream is generally -worthless. Near its union, however, with the Columbia, there are a number -of small plains tolerably well clothed with the wild grasses; and near -its lake are found hills covered with small timber. On the point of land -between this stream and the Columbia, the Pacific Fur Company in 1811 -established a trading post. This in 1814 passed by purchase into the -hands of the North-West Fur Company of Canada, and in 1819 by the union -of that body with the Hudson Bay Company, passed into the possession of -the united company under the name of Hudson Bay Company. It is still -occupied by them under its old name of Fort Oakanagan.[38] - -{231} From this post, latitude forty-eight degrees six minutes, and -longitude one hundred and seventeen degrees west, along the Columbia to -the Spokan, the country is as devoid of wood as that below. The banks -of the river are bold and rocky, the stream is contracted with narrow -limits, and the current strong and vexed with dangerous eddies. - -The Spokan river rises among the spurs of the Rocky Mountains east -south-east of the mouth of the Oakanagan, and, after a course of about -fifty miles, forms the Pointed Heart Lake, twenty-five miles in length, -and ten or twelve in width; and running thence in a north-westerly -direction about one hundred and twenty miles, empties itself into the -Columbia. About sixty miles from its mouth, the Pacific Fur Company -erected a trading-post, which they called the “Spokan House.” Their -successors are understood to have abandoned it.[39] Above the Pointed -Heart Lake, the banks of this river are usually high and bold mountains, -sparsely covered with pines and cedars of a fine size. Around the lake -are some grass lands, many edible roots, and wild fruits. On all the -remaining course of the stream, are found at intervals {232} productive -spots capable of yielding moderate crops of the grains and vegetables. -There is considerable pine and cedar timber on the neighbouring hills; -and near the Columbia are large forests growing on sandy plains. In a -word, the Spokan valley can be extensively used as a grazing district; -but its agricultural capabilities are limited. - -Mr. Spaulding, an American missionary, made a journey across this valley -to Fort Colville,[40] in March 1837, in relation to which, he thus writes -to Mr. Levi Chamberlain of the Sandwich Islands: “The third day from home -we came to snow, and on the fourth, came to what I call quicksands, -plains mixed with pine trees and rocks. The body of snow upon the plains -was interspersed with bare spots under the standing pines. For these, our -poor animals would plunge whenever they came near, after wallowing in -the snow and mud until the last nerve seemed almost exhausted, naturally -expecting a resting-place for their struggling limbs; but they were no -less disappointed and discouraged, doubtless, than I was astonished, to -see the noble animals go down by the side of a rock or pine tree, till -their bodies struck the surface.” - -{233} The same gentleman, in speaking of this valley, and the country -generally, lying north of the Columbia, and claimed by the United States -and Great Britain, says, “It is probably not worth half the money and -time that will be spent in talking about it.” - -The country, from the Spokan to Kettle Falls, is broken into hills and -mountains thinly covered with wood, and picturesque in appearance, among -which there is supposed to be no arable land. A little below Kettle -Falls,[41] in latitude 48°, 37′ is a trading post of the Hudson’s Bay -Company, called Fort Colville. Mr. Spaulding thus describes it:—“Fort -Colville is two hundred miles west of north from this, (his station on -the Clear Water), three days below Flatland River, one day above Spokan, -one hundred miles above Oakanagan, and three hundred miles above Fort -Wallawalla. It stands on a small plain of two thousand or three thousand -acres, said to be the only arable land on the Columbia, above Vancouver. -There are one or two barns, a blacksmith shop, a good flour mill, several -houses for labourers, and good buildings for the gentlemen in charge.” - -Mr. McDonald[42] raises this year (1837) {234} about three thousand five -hundred bushels of different grains, such as wheat, peas, barley, oats, -corn, buckwheat, &c., and as many potatoes; has eighty head of cattle, -and one hundred hogs. This post furnishes supplies of provisions for a -great many forts north, south and west. The country on both sides of -the stream, from Kettle Falls to within four miles of the lower Lake, -is covered with dense forests of pine, spruce, and small birch. The -northwestern shore is rather low, but the southern high and rocky. In -this distance are several tracts of rich bottom land, covered with a kind -of creeping red clover, and the white species common to the States. The -lower lake of the Columbia is about thirty-five miles in length, and four -or five in breadth. Its shores are bold, and clad with a heavy growth of -pine, spruce, &c.[43] From these waters the voyager obtains the first -view of the snowy heights in the main chain of the Rocky Mountains. - -The Flathead River enters into the Columbia a short distance above Fort -Colville. It is as long, and discharges nearly as much water as that -part of Columbia above their junction. It rises near the {235} sources -of the Missouri and Sascatchawine.[44] The ridges which separate them -are said to be easy to pass. It falls into the Columbia over a confused -heap of immense rocks, just above the place where the latter stream -forms the Kettle Falls, in its passage through a spur of the Rocky -Mountains. About one hundred miles from its mouth, the Flathead River -forms a lake thirty-six miles long and seven or eight wide. It is called -Lake Kullerspelm. A rich and beautiful country spreads off from it in -all directions, to the bases of lofty mountains covered with perpetual -snows. Forty or fifty miles above this lake, is the “Flathead House,” a -trading post of the Hudson Bay Company.[45] - -McGillivray’s, or Flat Bow River, rises in the Rocky Mountains, and -running a tortuous westerly course about three hundred miles, among the -snowy heights, and some extensive and somewhat productive valleys, enters -the Columbia four miles below the Lower Lake. Its banks are generally -mountainous, and in some places covered with pine forests. On this stream -also, the indefatigable British fur traders have a post, “Fort Kootania,” -situated {236} about one hundred and thirty miles from its mouth.[46] -Between the lower and upper lakes of the Columbia, are “the Straits,” -a narrow, compressed passage of the river among jutting rocks. It is -four or five miles in length, and has a current, swift, whirling, and -difficult to stem. The upper lake is of less dimensions than the lower; -but, if possible, surrounded by more broken and romantic scenery, forests -overhung by lofty tiers of wintry mountains, from which rush a thousand -torrents, fed by the melting snows.[47] - -Two miles above this lake, the Columbia runs through a narrow, rocky -channel. This place is called the Lower Dalles. The shores are strewn -with immense quantities of fallen timber, among which still stand heavy -and impenetrable forests. Thirty-five miles above is the Upper Dalles; -the waters are crowded into a compressed channel, among hanging and -slippery rocks, foaming and whirling fearfully.[48] A few miles above -this place, is the head of navigation, “The Boat encampment,” where the -traders leave their bateaux, in their overland journeys to Canada.[49] -The country from the upper lake to this place, is a collection {237} of -mountains, thickly covered with pine, and spruce, and fir trees of very -large size. - -Here commences the “Rocky Mountain portage,” to the navigable waters -on the other side. Its track runs up a wide and cheerless valley, on -the north of which, tiers of mountains rise to a great height, thickly -studded with immense pines and cedars, while on the south are seen -towering cliffs, partially covered with mosses and stinted pines, over -which tumble, from the ices above, numerous and noisy cascades. Two days’ -travel up the desolate valley, brings the traveller to “La Grande Cote,” -the principal ridge. This you climb in two hours. Around the base of this -ridge, the trees, pines, &c., are of enormous size; but in ascending,[50] -they decrease in size, till on the summit they become little else than -shrubs. - -On a table land of this height, are found two lakes a few hundred yards -apart; the waters of one of which flow down the valley just described, to -the Columbia, and thence to the North Pacific; while those of the other, -forming the Rocky Mountain River, run thence into the Athabasca, and -thence through Peace River, the Great Slave Lake, {238} and McKenzie’s -River, into the Northern Arctic Ocean. The scenery around these lakes -is highly interesting.[51] In the north, rises Mount Browne, sixteen -thousand feet, and in the south, Mount Hooker, fifteen thousand seven -hundred feet above the level of the sea. In the west, descends a vast -tract of secondary mountains, bare and rocky, and noisy with tumbling -avalanches. In the vales are groves of the winter-loving pine. In the -east roll away undulations of barren heights beyond the range of sight. -It seems to be the very citadel of desolation; where the god of the north -wind elaborates his icy streams, and frosts, and blasts, in every season -of the year. - -Frazer’s River rises between latitudes 55° and 56° north, and after a -course of about one hundred and fifty miles, nearly due south, falls -into the Straits de Fuca, under latitude 49° north. It is so much -obstructed by rapids and falls, as to be of little value for purposes of -navigation.[52] The face of the country about its mouth, and for fifty -miles above, is mountainous and covered with dense forests of white pine, -cedar, and other evergreen trees. The soil is an indifferent vegetable -deposit six or seven inches in depth, resting on a stratum of sand or -{239} coarse gravel. The whole remaining portion of the valley is said to -be cut with low mountains running north-westwardly and south-eastwardly; -among which are immense tracts of marshes and lakes, formed by cold -torrents from the heights that encircle them. The soil not thus occupied, -is too poor for successful cultivation. Mr. Macgillivray, the person in -charge at Fort Alexandria, in 1827, says:[53] “All the vegetables we -planted, notwithstanding the utmost care and precaution, nearly failed; -and the last crop of potatoes did not yield one-fourth of the seed -planted.” The timber of this region consists of all the varieties of the -fir, the spruce, pine, poplar, willow, cedar, cyprus, birch and alder. - -The climate is very peculiar. The spring opens about the middle of April. -From this time the weather is delightful till the end of May. In June -the south wind blows, and brings incessant rains. In July and August the -heat is almost insupportable. In September the whole valley is enveloped -in fogs so dense, that objects one hundred yards distant cannot be seen -till ten o’clock in the day. In October the leaves change their colour -and begin to fall. In November, the lakes, and portions of the rivers are -{240} frozen. The winter months bring snow. It is seldom severely cold. -The mercury in Fahrenheit’s scale sinks a few days only, as low as ten or -twelve degrees below zero. - -That part of Oregon bounded on the north by Shmillamen River,[54] and -on the east by Oakanagan and Columbia Rivers, south by the Columbia, -and west by the President’s Range, is a broken plain, partially covered -with the short and bunch grasses; but so destitute of water, that a -small portion only of it, can ever be depastured. The eastern and -middle portions of it are destitute of timber—a mere sunburnt waste. -The northern part has a few wooded hills and streams, and prairie -valleys. Among the lower hills of the President’s Range, too, there are -considerable pine and fir forests; and rather extensive prairies, watered -by small mountain streams; but nearly all of the whole surface of this -part of Oregon, is a worthless desert. - -The tract bounded north by the Columbia, east by the Blue Mountains, -south by the forty-second parallel of north latitude, and west by the -President’s Range, is a plain of vast rolls or swells, of a light, -yellowish, sandy clay, partially covered with the short and bunch -grasses, mixed with the prickly {241} pear and wild wormwood. But water -is so very scarce, that it can never be generally fed; unless, indeed, -as some travellers, in their praises of this region, seem to suppose, -the animals that usually live by eating and drinking, should be able -to dispense with the latter, in a climate where nine months in the -year, not a particle of rain or dew falls, to moisten a soil as dry -and loose as a heap of ashes. On the banks of the Luhon, John Days, -Umatalla, and Wallawalla Rivers[55]—which have an average length of -thirty miles—without doubt, extensive tracts of grass may be found in the -neighbourhood of water; but it is also true that not more than a fifth -part of the surface within twenty-five miles of these streams, bears -grass or any other vegetation. - -The portion also which borders the Columbia, produces some grass. But of -a strip six miles in width, and extending from the Dalles to the mouth of -the Saptin, not an hundredth part bears the grasses; and the sides of the -chasm of the river are so precipitous, that not a fiftieth part of this -can be fed by animals which drink at that stream. In proceeding southward -on the head waters of the small streams, John Days and Umatalla, the face -of the plain rises gradually {242} into vast irregular swells, destitute -of timber and water. On the Blue Mountains are a few pine and spruce -trees of an inferior growth. On the right tower the white peaks and -thickly wooded hills of the President’s Range. - -The space south-east of the Blue Mountains is a barren, thirsty waste, -of light, sandy, and clayey soil—strongly impregnated with nitre. A -few small streams run among the sand hills; but they are so strongly -impregnated with various kinds of salts, as to be unfit for use. These -brooks empty themselves into the lakes, the waters of which are salter -than the ocean. Near latitude 43° north, the Klamet River rises and runs -westerly, through the President’s Range.[56] On these waters are a few -productive valleys; westwardly from them to the Saptin the country is -dry and worthless. - -The part of Oregon lying between the Straits de Fuca on the north, -the President’s Range on the east, the Columbia on the south, and the -ocean on the west, is thickly covered with pines, cedars, and firs of -extraordinary size; and beneath these, a growth of brush and brambles -which defies the most vigorous foot to penetrate. Along the banks of the -Columbia, indeed, strips {243} of prairie may be met with, varying from a -few rods to three miles in width, and often several miles in length; and -even amidst the forests are found a few open spaces. - -The banks of the Cowelitz, too, are denuded of timber for forty miles; -and around the Straits de Fuca and Puget’s Sound, are large tracts of -open country.[57] But the whole tract lying within the boundaries just -defined, is of little value except for its timber. The forests are so -heavy and so matted with brambles, as to require the arm of a Hercules -to clear a farm of one hundred acres in an ordinary life-time; and the -mass of timber is so great that an attempt to subdue it by girdling would -result in the production of another forest before the ground could be -disencumbered of what was thus killed. The small prairies among the woods -are covered with wild grasses, and are useful as pastures. - -The soil of these, like that of the timbered portions, is a vegetable -mould, eight or ten inches in thickness, resting on a stratum of hard -blue clay and gravel. The valley of the Cowelitz is poor—the soil, thin, -loose, and much washed, can be used as pasture grounds for thirty miles -up the stream. At about that distance some tracts {244} of fine land -occur. The prairies on the banks of the Columbia would be valuable land -for agricultural purposes, if they were not generally overflown by the -freshets in June—the month of all the year when crops are most injured by -such an occurrence. It is impossible to dyke out the water; for the soil -rests upon an immense bed of gravel and quicksand, through which it will -leach in spite of such obstructions. - -The tract of the territory lying between the Columbia on the north, the -President’s range on the east, the parallel of forty-two degrees of north -latitude on the south, and the ocean on the west, is the most beautiful -and valuable portion of the Oregon Territory. A good idea of the form -of its surface may be derived from a view of its mountains and rivers -as laid down on the map. On the south tower the heights of the snowy -mountains; on the west the naked peaks of the coast range; on the north -the green peaks of the river range; and on the east the lofty shining -cones of the President’s range—around whose frozen bases cluster a vast -collection of minor mountains, clad with the mightiest pine and cedar -forests on the face of the earth! The principal rivers are the Klamet and -the Umpqua in the south-west, and the Willamette in the north. - -{245} The Umpqua enters these in a latitude forty-three degrees, thirty -minutes north.[58] It is three-fourths of a mile in width at its mouth; -water two-and-a-half fathoms on its bar; the tide sets up thirty miles -from the sea; its banks are steep and covered with pines and cedars, -&c. Above tide water the stream is broken by rapids and falls. It has a -westwardly course of about one hundred miles. The face of the country -about it is somewhat broken; in some parts covered with heavy pine and -cedar timber, in others with grass only; said to be a fine valley for -cultivation and pasturage. The pines on this river grow to an enormous -size: two hundred and fifty feet in height—and from fifteen to more than -fifty feet in circumference;[59] the cones or seed vessels are in the -form of an egg, and oftentimes more than a foot in length; the seeds are -as large as the castor bean. Farther south is another stream, which joins -the ocean twenty-three miles from the outlet of the Umpqua. At its mouth -are many bays; and the surrounding country is less broken than the valley -of the Umpqua.[60] - -{246} Farther south still, is another stream called the Klamet. It rises, -as is said, in the plain east of Mount Madison, and running a westerly -course of one hundred and fifty miles, enters the ocean forty or fifty -miles south of the Umpqua. The pine and cedar disappear upon this stream; -and instead of them are found a myrtaceous tree of small size, which, -when shaken by the least breeze, diffuses a delicious fragrance through -the groves. The face of the valley is gently undulating, and in every -respect desirable for cultivation and grazing. - -The Willamette rises in the President’s range, near the sources of the -Klamet. Its general course is north northwest. Its length is something -more than two hundred miles. It falls into the Columbia by two mouths; -the one eighty-five, and the other seventy miles from the sea. The arable -portion of the valley of this river is about one hundred and fifty miles -long, by sixty in width. It is bounded on the west by low wooded hills of -the coast range; on the south by the highlands around the upper waters -of the Umpqua; on the east by the President’s range; and on the north -by the mountains that run along the southern bank of the Columbia. Its -general appearance as seen from the heights, is that of a {247} rolling, -open plain, intersected in every direction by ridges of low mountains, -and long lines of evergreen timber; and dotted here and there with a -grove of white oaks. The soil is a rich vegetable mould, two or three -feet deep, resting on a stratum of coarse gravel or clay. The prairie -portions of it are capable of producing, with good cultivation, from -twenty to thirty bushels of wheat to the acre, and other small grains -in proportion. Corn cannot be raised without irrigation. The vegetables -common to such latitudes yield abundantly, and of the best quality. The -uplands have an inferior soil, and are covered with such an enormous -growth of pines, cedars and firs, that the expense of clearing would be -greatly beyond their value. Those tracts of the second bottom lands, -which are covered with timber might be worth subduing, but for a species -of fern growing on them, which is so difficult to kill, as to render them -nearly worthless for agricultural purposes. - -The climate of the country between the President’s range and the sea, is -very temperate. From the middle of April to the middle of October, the -westerly winds prevail, and the weather is warm and dry. Scarcely a drop -of rain falls. During the remainder of the year, the southerly winds -{248} blow continually, and bring rains; sometimes in showers, and at -others terrible storms, which continue to pour down incessantly for many -weeks. - -There is scarcely any freezing weather in this section of Oregon. Twice -within the last forty years the Columbia has been frozen over; but this -was chiefly caused by the accumulation of ice from the upper country. The -grasses grow during the winter months, and wither to hay in the summer -time. - -The mineral resources of Oregon have not been investigated. Great -quantities of bituminous coal have however been discovered on Puget’s -Sound,[61] and on the Willamette. Salt springs also abound; and other -fountains highly impregnated with sulphur, soda, iron, &c., are numerous. - -Many wild fruits are to be met with in the territory, that would be very -desirable for cultivation in the gardens of the States. Among these -are a very large and delicious strawberry, the service berry, a kind -of whortleberry, and a cranberry growing on bushes four or five feet -in height. The crab apple, choke cherry, and thornberry are common. Of -the wild animals, there are the white tailed, black tailed, jumping and -moose deer; the elk; red and black and grey wolf; the black, brown, and -grisly bear; {249} the mountain sheep; black, white, red and mixed foxes; -beaver, lynxes, martin, otters, minks, muskrats, wolverines, marmot, -ermines, wood-rats, and the small curly-tailed short eared dog, common -among the Chippeways. - -Of the feathered tribe, there are the goose, the brant, several kinds -of cranes, the swan, many varieties of the duck, hawks of several -kinds, plovers, white eagles, ravens, crows, vultures, thrush, gulls, -woodpeckers, pheasants, pelicans, partridges, grouse, snowbirds, &c. - -In the rivers and lakes are a very superior quality of salmon, brook and -salmon trout, sardines, sturgeon, rock cod, the hair seal, &c.; and in -the bays and inlets along the coast, are the sea otter and an inferior -kind of oyster. - -The trade of Oregon is limited entirely to the operations of the British -Hudson Bay Company. A concise account of this association is therefore -deemed apposite in this place. - -A charter was granted by Charles II, in 1670, to certain British subjects -associated under the name of “The Hudson’s Bay Company,” in virtue of -which they were allowed the exclusive privilege of establishing {250} -trading factories on the Hudson’s Bay and its tributary rivers. Soon -after the grant, the Company took possession of the territory, and -enjoyed its trade without opposition till 1787; when was organized a -powerful rival under the title of the “North American Fur Company of -Canada.” This company was chiefly composed of Canadian-born subjects—men -whose native energy and thorough acquaintance with the Indian character, -peculiarly qualified them for the dangers and hardships of a fur trader’s -life in the frozen regions of British America. Accordingly we soon find -the North-westers outreaching in enterprise and commercial importance -their less active neighbours of Hudson’s Bay; and the jealousies -naturally arising between parties so situated, led to the most barbarous -battles, and the sacking and burning each others posts. This state of -things in 1821, arrested the attention of Parliament, and an act was -passed consolidating the two companies into one, under the title of “The -Hudson’s Bay Company.”[62] - -This association is now, under the operation of their charter, in sole -possession of all that tract of country bounded north by {251} the -northern Arctic Ocean; east by the Davis’ Straits and the Atlantic Ocean; -south and south-westwardly by the northern boundary of the Canadas, and -a line drawn through the centre of Lake Superior; thence north-westwardly -to the Lake of the Wood; thence west on the 49th parallel of north -latitude to the Rocky Mountains, and along those mountains to the 54th -parallel; thence westwardly on that line to a point nine marine leagues -from the Pacific Ocean; and on the west by a line commencing at the last -mentioned point, and running northwardly parallel to the Pacific coast -till it intersects the 141st parallel of longitude west from Greenwich, -England, and thence due north to the Arctic Sea. - -They have also leased for twenty years, commencing in March, 1840, all -of Russian America, except the post of Sitka; the lease renewable at the -pleasure of the Hudson’s Bay Company.[63] They are also in possession of -Oregon under treaty stipulation between Britain and the United States. -Thus this powerful company occupy and control more than one-ninth of the -soil of the globe. Its stockholders are British capitalists, resident in -Great Britain. From these are elected a board of managers, who {252} hold -their meetings and transact their business at “The Hudson’s Bay House” in -London. This board buy goods and ship them to their territory, sell the -furs for which they are exchanged, and do all other business connected -with the Company’s transactions, except the execution of their own -orders, the actual business of collecting furs in their territory. This -duty is entrusted to a class of men who are called partners, but who in -fact receive certain portions of the annual net profits of the Company’s -business, as a compensation for their services. - -These gentlemen are divided by their employers into different grades. -The first of these is the Governor-General of all the Company’s posts in -North America. He resides at York Factory, on the west shore of Hudson’s -Bay.[64] The second class are chief factors; the third, chief traders; -the fourth, traders. Below these is another class, called clerks. These -are usually younger members of respectable Scottish families. They are -not directly interested in the Company’s profits, but receive an annual -salary of £100, food, suitable clothing, and a body servant, during an -apprenticeship of seven years. At the expiration {253} of this term they -are eligible to the traderships, factorships, &c. that may be vacated -by death or retirement from the service. While waiting for advancement -they are allowed from £80 to £120 per annum. The servants employed about -their posts and in their journeyings are half-breed Iroquois and Canadian -Frenchmen. These they enlist for five years, at wages varying from £68 to -£80 per annum.[65] - -An annual Council composed of the Governor-General, chief factors and -chief traders, is held at York Factory. Before this body are brought the -reports of the trade of each district; propositions for new enterprises, -and modifications of old ones; and all these and other matters deemed -important, being acted upon, the proceedings had thereon and the reports -from the several districts are forwarded to the Board of Directors in -London, and subjected to its final order. - -This shrewd Company never allow their territory to be overtrapped. If the -annual return from any well trapped district be less in any year than -formerly, they order a less number still to be taken, until the beaver -and other fur-bearing animals have time to increase. The income of the -company {254} is thus rendered uniform, and their business perpetual. - -The nature and annual value of the Hudson Bay Company’s business in the -territory which they occupy, may be learned from the following table, -extracted from Bliss’s work on the trade and industry of British America, -in 1831:[66] - - Skins. No. each £. _s._ _d._ £. _s._ _d._ - - Beaver 126,944 ” 1 5 0 158,680 0 0 - Muskrat 375,731 ” 0 0 6 9,393 5 6 - Lynx 58,010 ” 0 8 0 23,204 0 0 - Wolf 5,947 ” 0 8 0 2,378 16 0 - Bear 3,850 ” 1 0 0 3,850 0 0 - Fox 8,765 ” 0 10 0 4,382 10 0 - Mink 9,298 ” 0 2 3 929 16 0 - Raccoon 325 ” 0 1 6 24 7 6 - Tails 2,290 ” 0 1 0 114 10 0 - Wolverine 1,744 ” 0 3 0 261 12 0 - Deer 645 ” 0 3 0 96 15 0 - Weasel 34 ” 0 0 6 00 16 0 - -------- ----------- ----------------- - £203,316 9 0 - -Some idea may be formed of the net profit of this business, from the -facts that the shares of the company’s stock, which originally cost -£100, are at 100 per cent premium, and that the dividends range from ten -per cent upward, and this too while they are creating out of the net -proceeds an immense reserve fund, to be {255} expended in keeping other -persons out of the trade. - -In 1805 the Missouri Fur Company established a trading-post on the -headwaters of the Saptin.[67] In 1806 the North-West Fur Company of -Canada established one on Frazer’s Lake, near the northern line of -Oregon.[68] In March, 1811, the American Pacific Fur Company built Fort -Astoria, near the mouth of the Columbia.[69] In July of the same year, -a partner of the North-West Fur Company of Canada descended the great -northern branch of the Columbia to Astoria. This was the first appearance -of the British fur traders in the valleys drained by this river.[70] - -On the 16th of October, 1813, (while war was raging between England -and the States) the Pacific Fur Company sold all its establishments in -Oregon to the North-West Fur Company of Canada. On the 1st of December -following, the British sloop of war Raccoon, Captain Black commanding, -entered the Columbia, took formal possession of Astoria, and changed its -name to Fort George.[71] On the 1st of October, 1818, Fort George was -surrendered by the British Government to the Government of the States, -according to a stipulation in the Treaty of Ghent.[72] - -{256} By the same treaty, British subjects were granted the same rights -of trade and settlement in Oregon as belonged to the citizens of the -Republic, for the term of ten years; under the condition, that as both -nations claimed Oregon the occupancy thus authorized should in no form -affect the question as to the title to the country. This stipulation was -by treaty of London, August 6, 1827, indefinitely extended; under the -condition that it should cease to be in force twelve months from the date -of a notice of either of the contracting powers to the other, to annul -and abrogate it; provided such notice should not be given till after the -20th of October, 1828.[73] And this is the manner in which the British -Hudson’s Bay Company, after its union with the North-West Fur Company of -Canada, came into Oregon. - -They have now in the territory the following trading posts: Fort -Vancouver, on the north bank of the Columbia, ninety miles from the -Ocean, in latitude 45½°, longitude 122° 30′; Fort George, (formerly -Astoria), near the mouth of the same river;[74] Fort Nasqually, on -Puget’s Sound, latitude 47°; Fort Langly, at the outlet of Fraser’s -River, latitude 49° 25′; Fort McLaughlin, on the Millbank Sound, latitude -52°;[75] Fort {257} Simpson, on Dundas Island, latitude 54½°.[76] -Frazer’s Fort, Fort James, McLeod’s Fort, Fort Chilcotin, and Fort -Alexandria, on Frazer’s river and its branches between the 51st and -54½ parallels of latitude;[77] Thompson’s Fort, on Thompson’s River, -a tributary of Frazer’s River, putting into it in latitude 50° and odd -minutes; Kootania Fort, on Flatbow River; Flathead Fort, on Flathead -River; Forts Hall and Boisais, on the Saptin; Forts Colville and -Oakanagan, on the Columbia, above its junction with the Saptin; Fort Nez -Percés or Wallawalla, a few miles below the junction;[78] Fort McKay, -at the mouth of the Umpqua river, latitude 43° 30′, and longitude 124° -west.[79] - -They also have two migratory trading and trapping establishments of fifty -or sixty men each. The one traps and trades in Upper California; the -other in the country lying west, south, and east of Fort Hall. They also -have a steam-vessel, heavily armed, which runs along the coast, and among -its bays and inlets, for the twofold purpose of trading with the natives -in places where they have no post, and of outbidding and outselling any -American vessel that attempts to trade in those seas. They likewise have -five sailing vessels, measuring from one hundred to five hundred tons -{258} burthen, and armed with cannon, muskets, cutlasses, &c. These are -employed a part of the year in various kinds of trade about the coast -and the islands of the North Pacific, and the remainder of the time in -bringing goods from London, and bearing back the furs for which they are -exchanged. - -One of these ships arrives at Fort Vancouver in the spring of each year, -laden with coarse woollens, cloths, baizes, and blankets; hardware and -cutlery; cotton cloths, calicoes, and cotton handkerchiefs; tea, sugar, -coffee and cocoa; rice, tobacco, soap, beads, guns, powder, lead, rum, -wine, brandy, gin, and playing cards; boots, shoes, and ready-made -clothing, &c.; also, every description of sea stores, canvas, cordage, -paints, oils, chains and chain cables, anchors, &c. Having discharged -these “supplies,” it takes a cargo of lumber to the Sandwich Islands, -or of flour and goods to the Russians at Sitka or Kamskatka; returns in -August; receives the furs collected at Fort Vancouver, and sails again -for England. - -The value of peltries annually collected in Oregon, by the Hudson Bay -Comp., is about £140,000 in the London or New York market. The prime -cost of the goods exchanged {259} for them is about £20,000. To this -must be added the per centage of the officers as governors, factors, &c. -the wages and food of about four hundred men, the expense of shipping to -bring supplies of goods and take back the returns of furs, and two years’ -interest on the investments. The Company made arrangements in 1839 with -the Russians at Sitka and at other ports, about the sea of Kamskatka, -to supply them with flour and goods at fixed prices. As they are now -opening large farms on the Cowelitz, the Umpqua, and in other parts of -the Territory, for the production of wheat for that market; and as they -can afford to sell goods purchased in England under a contract of fifty -years’ standing, 20 or 30 per cent cheaper than American merchants can, -there seems a certainty that the Hudson’s Bay Company will engross the -entire trade of the North Pacific, as it has that of Oregon. - -Soon after the union of the North-West and Hudson’s Bay Companies, the -British Parliament passed an act extending the jurisdiction of the -Canadian courts over the territories occupied by these fur traders, -whether it were “owned” or “claimed by Great Britain.” Under this act, -certain {260} gentlemen of the fur company were appointed justices of the -peace, and empowered to entertain prosecutions for minor offences, arrest -and send to Canada criminals of a higher order, and try, render judgment, -and grant execution in civil suits where the amount in issue should not -exceed £200; and in case of non-payment, to imprison the debtor at their -own forts, or in the jails of Canada. - -It is thus shown that the trade, and the civil and criminal jurisdiction -in Oregon are held by British subjects; that American citizens are -deprived of their own commercial rights; that they are liable to be -arrested on their own territory by officers of British courts, tried in -the American domain by British judges, and imprisoned or hung according -to the laws of the British empire, for acts done within the territorial -limits of the Republic. - -It has frequently been asked if Oregon will hereafter assume great -importance as a thoroughfare between the States and China? The answer is -as follows: - -The Straits de Fuca, and arms of the sea to the eastward of it, furnish -the only good harbours on the Oregon coast. Those in Puget’s Sound offer -every requisite facility {261} for the most extensive commerce. Ships -beat out and into the straits with any winds of the coast, and find -in summer and winter fine anchorage at short intervals on both shores; -and among the islands of the Sound, a safe harbour from the prevailing -storms. From Puget’s Sound eastward, there is a possible route for -a railroad to the navigable waters of the Missouri; flanked with an -abundance of fuel and other necessary materials. Its length would be -about six hundred miles. Whether it would answer the desired end, would -depend very much upon the navigation of the Missouri.[80] - -As, however, the principal weight and bulk of cargoes in the Chinese -trade would belong to the homeward voyage, and as the lumber used in -constructing proper boats on the upper Missouri would sell in Saint Louis -for something like the cost of construction, it may perhaps be presumed -that the trade between China and the States could be conducted through -such an overland communication. - -The first day of the winter months came with bright skies over the -beautiful valleys of Oregon. Mounts Washington and Jefferson reared their -vast pyramids of ice and {262} snow among the fresh green forests of the -lower hills, and overlooked the Willamette, the lower Columbia, and the -distant sea. The herds of California cattle were lowing on the meadows, -and the flocks of sheep from the downs of England were scampering and -bleating around their shepherds on the plain; and the plane of the -carpenter, the adze of the cooper, the hammer of the tinman, and the -anvil of the blacksmith within the pickets, were all awake when I arose -to breakfast for the last time at Fort Vancouver. - -The beauty of the day, and the busy hum of life around me, accorded well -with the feelings of joy with which I made preparations to return to -my family and home. And yet when I met at the table Dr. McLaughlin, Mr. -Douglas, and others with whom I had passed many pleasant hours, and from -whom I had received many kindnesses, a sense of sorrow mingled strongly -with the delight which the occasion naturally inspired. I was to leave -Vancouver for the Sandwich Islands, and see them no more. I confess that -it has seldom been my lot to feel so deeply pained at parting with those -whom I had known so little time. But it became me to hasten {263} my -departure; for the ship had dropped down to the mouth of the river, and -awaited the arrival of Mr. Simpson, one of the company’s clerks,[81] Mr. -Johnson, an American from St. Louis, and myself. While we are making the -lower mouth of the Willamette, the reader will perhaps be amused with the -sketch of life at Fort Vancouver. - -Fort Vancouver is, as has been already intimated, the depot at which -are brought the furs collected west of the Rocky Mountains, and from -which they are shipped to England; the place also at which all the goods -for the trade are landed; and from which they are distributed to the -various posts of that territory by vessels, bateaux, or pack animals, as -the various routes permit. It was established by Governor Simpson, in -1824, as the great centre of all commercial operations in Oregon;[82] is -situated in a beautiful plain on the north bank of the Columbia, ninety -miles from the sea, in latitude 45½° north, and in longitude 122° west; -and stands four hundred yards from the water side. The noble river -before it is sixteen hundred and seventy yards wide, and from five to -seven fathoms in depth; the whole surrounding country is covered with -{264} forests of pine, cedar, and fir, &c., interspersed here and there -with small open spots; all overlooked by the vast snowy pyramids of the -President’s Range, thirty-five miles in the east. - -The fort itself is an oblong square two hundred and fifty yards in -length, by one hundred and fifty in breadth, enclosed by pickets twenty -feet in height. The area within is divided into two courts, around -which are arranged thirty-five wooden buildings, used as officers’ -dwellings, lodging apartment for clerks, storehouses for furs, goods, -and grains; and as workshops for carpenters, blacksmiths, coopers, -tinners, wheelwrights, &c. One building near the rear gate is occupied as -a school-house; and a brick structure as a powder-magazine. The wooden -buildings are constructed in the following manner. Posts are raised at -convenient intervals, with grooves in the facing sides; in these grooves -planks are inserted horizontally; and the walls are complete. Rafters -raised upon plates in the usual way, and covered with boards, form the -roofs. - -Six hundred yards below the fort, and on the bank of the river, is a -village of fifty-three wooden houses, generally constructed {265} like -those within the pickets. In these live the Company’s servants. Among -them is a hospital, in which those who become diseased are humanely -treated. At the back, and a little east of the fort, is a barn containing -a mammoth threshing machine; and near this are a number of long sheds, -used for storing grain in the sheaf. And behold the Vancouver farm, -stretching up and down the river (3,000 acres, fenced into beautiful -fields) sprinkled with dairy houses, and herdsmen and shepherds’ -cottages! A busy place. - -The farmer on horseback at break of day, summons one hundred half-breeds -and Iroquois Indians from their cabins to the fields. Twenty or thirty -ploughs tear open the generous soil; the sowers follow with their seed, -and pressing on them come a dozen harrows to cover it; and thus thirty or -forty acres are planted in a day, till the immense farm is under crop. -The season passes on, teeming with daily industry, until the harvest -waves on all these fields. Then sickle and hoe glisten in tireless -activity to gather in the rich reward of this toil; the food of seven -hundred at this post, and of thousands more at the posts on the deserts -in the east and {266} north. The saw mill, too, is a scene of constant -toil. Thirty or forty Sandwich Islanders are felling the pines and -dragging them to the mill; sets of hands are plying two gangs of saws -by night and day. Three thousand feet of lumber per day; nine hundred -thousand feet per annum; are constantly being shipped to foreign ports. - -The grist mill is not idle. It must furnish bread stuff for the posts, -and the Russian market in the north-west. And its deep music is heard -daily and nightly half the year. - -We will now enter the fort. The blacksmith is repairing ploughshares, -harrow teeth, chains and mill irons; the tinman is making cups for the -Indians, and camp-kettles, &c.; the wheelwright is making waggons, and -the wood parts of ploughs and harrows; the carpenter is repairing houses -and building new ones; the cooper is making barrels for pickling salmon -and packing furs; the clerks are posting books, and preparing the annual -returns to the board in London; the salesmen are receiving beaver and -dealing out goods. Listen to the voices of those children from the school -house. They are the half-breed offspring of the gentlemen and servants -of {267} the Company, educated at the Company’s expense, preparatory -to their being apprenticed to trades in Canada. They learn the English -language, writing, arithmetic and geography. The gardener, too, is -singing out his honest satisfaction, as he surveys from the northern gate -ten acres of apple trees laden with fruit, his bowers of grapevines, his -beds of vegetables and flowers. The bell rings for dinner; we will now -pay a visit to the “Hall” and its convivialities. - -The dining-hall is a spacious room on the second floor, ceiled with pine -above and at the sides. In the southwest corner of it is a large close -stove, giving out sufficient caloric to make it comfortable. - -At the end of a table twenty feet in length stands Governor McLaughlin, -directing guests and gentlemen from neighbouring posts to their places; -and chief-traders, traders, the physician, clerks, and the farmer, -slide respectfully to their places, at distances from the Governor -corresponding to the dignity of their rank in the service. Thanks are -given to God, and all are seated. Roast beef and pork, boiled mutton, -baked salmon, boiled ham; beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage and potatoes, -and wheaten bread, are tastefully distributed {268} over the table among -a dinner-set of elegant queen’s ware, burnished with glittering glasses -and decanters of various-coloured Italian wines. Course after course -goes round, and the Governor fills to his guests and friends; and each -gentleman in turn vies with him in diffusing around the board a most -generous allowance of viands, wines, and warm fellow-feeling. The cloth -and wines are removed together, cigars are lighted, and a strolling -smoke about the premises, enlivened by a courteous discussion of some -mooted point of natural history or politics, closes the ceremonies of the -dinner hour at Fort Vancouver. These are some of the incidents of life at -Vancouver. - -But we moor on the lower point of Wappatoo Island, to regale ourselves -with food and fire. This is the highest point of it, and is said to be -never overflown. A bold rocky shore, and the water is deep enough to -float the largest vessels, indicate it to be a site for the commercial -mart of the island. But the southern shore of the river, half a mile -below, is past a doubt the most important point for a town site on the -Columbia.[83] It lies at the lower mouth of the Willamette, the natural -outlet of the best agricultural district of {269} Oregon. It is a -hillside of gentle acclivity, covered with pine forests. There is a gorge -in the mountains through which a road from it to the prairies on the -south can easily be constructed. At this place the Hudson’s Bay Company -have erected a house, and occupy it with one of their servants. - -Having eaten our cold lunch, we left Wappatoo Island to the dominion of -its wild hogs, and took again to our boat. It was a drizzly, cheerless -day. The clouds ran fast from the south-west, and obscured the sun. The -wind fell in irregular gusts upon the water, and made it difficult to -keep our boat afloat. But we had a sturdy old Sandwich Islander at one -oar, and some four or five able-bodied Indians at others, and despite -winds and waves, slept that night a dozen miles below the Cowelitz. -Thus far below Vancouver, the Columbia was generally more than one -thousand yards wide, girded on either side by mountains rising very -generally, from the water side, two or three thousand feet in height, -and covered with dense forests of pine and fir. These mountains are used -by the Chinooks as burial-places. During the epidemic fever of 1832, -which almost swept this {270} portion of the Columbia valley of its -inhabitants, vast numbers of the dead were placed among them. They were -usually wrapped in skins, placed in the canoes, and hung from the boughs -of trees six or eight feet from the ground. Thousands of these were -seen.[84] - -They hung in groups near the water side. One of them had a canoe inverted -over the one containing the dead, and lashed tightly to it. We were often -driven close to the shore by the heavy wind, and always noticed that -these sepulchral canoes were perforated at the bottom. I was informed -that this is always done for the twofold purpose of letting out the water -which the rains may deposit in them, and of preventing their ever being -used again by the living. - -The 3rd was a boisterous day. The southerly winds drove in a heavy tide -from the Pacific, and lashed the Columbia into foam; but by keeping -under the windward shore, we made steady progress till sunset, when the -increased expanse of the river indicated that we were about fifteen -miles from the sea. The wind died away, and we pushed on rapidly; but -the darkness was so great that we lost our course, and grounded upon -a sand-bar three miles to the {271} north of Tongue Point.[85] After -considerable trouble, we succeeded in getting off, steered to the -northern shore, and in half an hour were again in deep water. But “the -ship, the ship,” was on every tongue. Was it above or below Tongue Point? -If the latter, we could not reach it that night, for the wind freshened -again every instant, and the waves grew angry and fearful, and dashed -into the boat at every sweep of the paddles. - -We were beginning to calculate our prospects of another hour’s breathing -when the shadowy outline of the ship was brought between us and the open -horizon of the mouth of the river, a half mile below us. The oars struck -fast and powerfully now, and the frail boat shot over the whitened waves -for a few minutes, and lay dancing and surging under the lee of the -noble “Vancouver.” A rope was hastily thrown us, and we stood upon her -beautiful deck, manifestly barely saved from a watery grave. For now the -sounding waves broke awfully all around us. Captain Duncan received us -very kindly, and introduced us immediately to the cordial hospitalities -of his cabin. The next morning we dropped down to Astoria, and anchored -one hundred {272} yards from the shore. The captain and passengers -landed about ten o’clock; and as I felt peculiar interest in the spot, -immortalized no less by the genius of Irving than the enterprize of John -Jacob Astor, I spent my time very industriously in exploring it. - -The site of this place is three quarters of a mile above the point of -land between the Columbia and Clatsop Bay. It is a hillside, formerly -covered with a very heavy forest. The space which has been cleared -may amount to four acres. It is rendered too wet for cultivation by -numberless springs bursting from the surface. The back ground is still a -forest rising over lofty hills; in the foreground is the Columbia, and -the broken pine hills of the opposite shore. The Pacific opens in the -west. - -Astoria has passed away; nothing is left of its buildings but an old -batten cedar door; nothing remaining of its bastions and pickets, but -half a dozen of the latter, tottering among the underbrush. While -scrambling over the grounds, we came upon the trunk of an immense tree, -long since prostrated, which measured between six and seven fathoms in -circumference. No information {273} could be obtained as to the length of -time it had been decaying. - -The Hudson’s Bay Company are in possession, and call the post Fort -George. They have erected three log buildings, and occupy them with a -clerk,[86] who acts as a telegraph keeper of events at the mouth of the -river. If a vessel arrives, or is seen laying off and on, information -of the fact is sent to Vancouver, with all the rapidity which can be -extracted from arms and paddles. - -This individual also carries on a limited trade with the Chinook and -Clatsop Indians; such is his influence over them, that he bears among -the Company’s gentlemen the very distinguished title of “King of the -Chinooks.” He is a fine, lusty, companionable fellow, and I am disposed -to believe, wears the crown with quite as little injury to his subjects -as to himself. - -In the afternoon we bade adieu to Astoria, and dropped down toward -Cape Disappointment.—The channel of the river runs from the fort in -a north-western direction to the point of the Cape, and thence close -under it in a south-westerly course the distance of four miles, where it -crosses the bar. The wind was quite baffling while we {274} were crossing -to the northern side; and we consequently began to anticipate a long -residence in Baker’s Bay.[87] But as we neared the Cape, a delightful -breeze sprang up in the east, filled every sail, and drove the stately -ship through the heavy seas and swells most merrily. - -The lead is dipping, and the sailors are chanting each measure as they -take it; we approach the bar; the soundings decrease; every shout grows -more and more awful! the keel of the Vancouver is within fifteen inches -of the bar! Every breath is suspended, and every eye fixed on the leads, -as they are quickly thrown again! They sink; and the chant for five -fathoms enables us to breathe freely. We have passed the bar; Captain -Duncan grasps his passengers by the hand warmly, and congratulates them -at having escaped being lost in those wild waters, where many a noble -ship and brave heart have sunk together and for ever. - -Off the mouth of the Columbia—on the deep, long swells of the Pacific -seas. The rolling surges boom along the mountainous shores. Up the vale -one hundred miles the white pyramid of Mount Washington towers above the -clouds, and the green {275} forest of Lower Oregon. That scene I shall -never forget. It was too wild, too unearthly to be described. It was seen -at sunset; and a night of horrid tempest shut in upon this, the author’s -last view of Oregon. - -The following abstract of Commander Wilkes’ Report on Oregon came to hand -while this work was in the press, and the author takes great pleasure -in appending it to his work. Mr. Wilkes’ statistics of the Territory, -it will be seen, agree in all essential particulars with those given in -previous pages. There is one point only of any importance that needs -to be named, in regard to which truth requires a protest; and that is -contained in the commander’s concluding remarks. It will be seen on -reference to them, that the agricultural capabilities of Oregon are -placed above those of any part of the world beyond the tropics. This is -a most surprising conclusion; at war with his own account of the several -sections which he visited, and denied by every intelligent man living in -the territory. What! Oregon, in this respect, equal to California, or the -Valley of the Mississippi! This can never be, until Oregon be blessed -with a vast increase of productive soil, and California {276} and our own -unequalled Valley be greatly changed. - - -_Extracts from the Report of Lieutenant Wilkes to the Secretary of the -Navy, of the examination, by the Exploring Expedition, of the Oregon -Territory._[88] - -The Territory embraced under the name of Oregon, extends from latitude -42° north to that of 53° 40′ north, and west of the Rocky Mountains. Its -natural boundaries, were they attended to, would confine it within the -above geographical boundaries. - -On the east it has the range of Rocky Mountains along its whole extent; -on the south those of the Klamet range, running on the parallel of 42° -and dividing it from California; on the west the Pacific Ocean; and on -the north the western trend of the Rocky Mountains, and the chain of -lakes near and along the parallels of 54° and 55° north, dividing it -from the British territory. It is remarkable that, within these limits, -all the rivers which flow through the Territory take their rise. - -The Territory is divided into three natural belts or sections, viz: - -{277} 1st. That between the Pacific Ocean and Cascade Mountains, -(President’s range) or western section; - -2nd. That between the Cascade mountains and blue mountain range, or -middle section; - -3rd. That between the Blue and Rocky Mountain chains, or eastern section. - -And this division will equally apply to the soil, climate, and -productions. - -The mountain ranges run, for the most part, in parallel lines with the -coast, and, rising in many places above the snow line (here found to be -6,500 feet), would naturally produce a difference of temperature between -them, and also affect their productions. - -Our surveys and explorations were confined, for the most part, to the -two first, claiming more interest from being less known, and more in -accordance with my instructions. - -MOUNTAINS.—The Cascade range, or that nearest the coast, runs from the -southern boundary, on a parallel with the sea coast, the whole length of -the territory, north and south, rising, in many places, in high peaks, -from twelve to fourteen thousand feet above the level of the sea, in -regular cones. Their {278} distance from the coast line is from one -hundred to a hundred and fifty miles, and they almost interrupt the -communication between the sections, except where the two great rivers, -the Columbia and Frazer’s, force a passage through them. - -There are a few mountain passes, but they are difficult, and only to be -attempted late in the spring and summer. - -A small range (the Claset) lies to the northward of the Columbia, -between the coast and the waters of Puget’s Sound, and along the strait -of Juan de Fuca. This has several high peaks, which rise above the snow -line, but, from their proximity to the sea, they are not at all times -covered.[89] - -Their general direction is north and south, but there are many spurs or -offsets that cause this portion to be very rugged. - -The Blue mountains are irregular in their course, and occasionally -interrupted, but generally tend from north by east to north-east, and -from south to south-west. - -In some parts they may be traced as spurs or offsets of the Rocky -Mountains. Near the southern boundary they unite with the Klamet range, -which runs east and west from the rocky mountains.[90] - -{279} The Rocky Mountains are too well known to need description. The -different passes will, however, claim attention hereafter. North of 48° -the ranges are nearly parallel and have the rivers flowing between them. - -ISLANDS.—Attached to the territory are groups of islands, bordering -its northern coast. Among these are the large islands of Vancouver and -Washington or Queen Charlotte; the former being two hundred and sixty -miles in length, and fifty in width, containing about fifteen thousand -square miles, and the latter a hundred and fifty miles in length and -thirty in breadth, containing four thousand square miles.[91] - -Though somewhat broken in surface, their soil is said to be well adapted -to agriculture. - -They have many good harbours, and have long been the resort of those -engaged in the fur trade; they enjoy a mild and salubrious climate, -and have an abundance of fine fish frequenting their waters, which are -taken in large quantities by the natives. Coal of good quality is found, -specimens of which I obtained. The Hudson’s Bay Company have made a trial -of it, but, owing to its having been taken from near the surface, it -{280} was not very highly spoken of. Veins of minerals are also said to -exist by those acquainted with these islands. - -They both appear to be more densely inhabited than other portions of the -territory. The natives are considered a treacherous race, particularly -those in the vicinity of Johnson’s Straits,[92] and are to be closely -watched when dealing with them. - -At the south-east end of Vancouver’s, there is a small archipelago of -islands, through which the canal de Arro runs.[93] They are for the most -part uninhabited, well wooded, and composed of granite and pudding stone, -which appear to be the prevailing rock to the northward of a line east -from the strait of Juan de Fuca. They are generally destitute of fresh -water, have but few anchorages, and strong currents render navigation -among them difficult. - -The islands nearer the main land, called on the maps Pitt’s Banks, -or the Prince Royal islands, are of the same character, and are only -occasionally resorted to by the Indians, for the purpose of fishing.[94] - -The coast of the mainland, north of the parallel of 49°, is broken up -by numerous inlets called canals, having perpendicular sides, and very -deep water in them, affording {281} no harbours, and but few commercial -inducements to frequent them. - -The land is equally cut up by spurs from the Cascade range, which here -intersects the country in all directions, and prevents its adaptation for -agriculture. - -Its value is principally in its timber, and it is believed that few if -any countries can compare with it in this respect. - -There is no part on this coast where a settlement could be formed between -Frazer’s river, or 49° north, and the northern boundary of 54° 40′ north, -that would be able to supply its own wants. - -The Hudson’s Bay Company have posts within this section of the country: -Fort McLaughlin, in Millbank sound, in latitude 52° 10′ north, and Fort -Simpson, in latitude 54° 30′ north, within Dundas island, and at the -entrance of Chatham sound; but they are only posts for the fur trade of -the coast, and are supplied twice a year with provisions, &c. - -It is believed that the Company have yet no establishment on any of -the islands; but I understood it was in contemplation to make one -on Vancouver’s island, in the vicinity of Nootka sound, or that of -Clayoquot.[95] - -{282} Owing to the dense fogs, the coast is extremely dangerous; and -they render it at all times difficult to approach and navigate it. The -interior of this portion of the territory is traversed by the three -ranges of mountains, with the several rivers which take their rise -in them, and is probably unequalled for its ruggedness, and from all -accounts incapable of anything like cultivation. - -The Columbia in its trend to the westward, along the parallel of 48°, -cuts off the central or Blue mountain range, which is not again met with -until on the parallel of 45°. From 45° they trend away to the southward -and westward, until they fall into the Klamet range. This latter portion -is but partially wooded. - -RIVERS.—The Columbia claims the first notice. Its northern branch takes -its rise in the Rocky mountains, in latitude 50° north, longitude 116° -west; from thence it pursues a northern route to near McGillivray’s Pass, -in the Rocky mountains.[96] At the boat encampment, the river is three -thousand six hundred feet above the level of the sea (here it receives -two small tributaries, the Canoe river and that from the Committee’s -Punch Bowl), from thence it {283} turns south, having some obstructions -to its safe navigation, and receiving many tributaries in its course to -Colville, among which are the Kootanie, or Flat Bow, and the Flat Head or -Clarke river from the east, and that of Colville from the west. - -This great river is bounded thus far on its course by a range of high -mountains, well-wooded, and in places expands into a line of lakes before -it reaches Colville, where it is two thousand and forty-nine feet above -the level of the sea, having a fall of five hundred and fifty feet in two -hundred and twenty miles. To the south of this it trends to the westward, -receiving the Spokan river from the east, which is not navigable, and -takes its rise in the Lake of Cœur d’Alène. Thence it pursues a westerly -course for about sixty miles, receiving several smaller streams, and at -its bend to the south it is joined by the Okanagan, a river that has its -source in a line of lakes, affording canoe and boat navigation for a -considerable extent to the northward. - -The Columbia thence passes to the southward until it reaches Wallawalla, -in the latitude of 45° a distance of one hundred and sixty miles, -receiving the Piscous, Y’Akama, and Point de Boise, or Entyatecoom,[97] -from {284} the west, which take their rise in the Cascade range, and -also its great south-eastern branch, the Saptin or Lewis, which has its -source in the Rocky mountains, near our southern boundary, and being -a large quantity of water to increase the volume of the main stream. -The Lewis is not navigable, even for canoes, except in reaches. The -rapids are extensive and of frequent occurrence. It generally passes -between the Rocky mountain spurs and the Blue mountains. It receives -the Koos-koos-ke, Salmon, and several other rivers, from the east -and west (the former from the Rocky mountains, the latter from the -Blue mountains)[98] and, were it navigable, would much facilitate the -intercourse with this part of the country. Its length to its junction -with the Columbia is five hundred and twenty miles. - -The Columbia at Wallawalla is one thousand two hundred and eighty-six -feet above the level of the sea, and about three thousand five hundred -wide; it now takes its last turn to the westward, receiving the -Umatilla, Quisnel’s, John Day’s, and de Chute rivers from the south, and -Cathlatate’s from the north,[99] pursuing its rapid course of eighty -miles, previous to passing through the range of Cascade mountains, in -{285} a series of falls and rapids that obstruct its flow, and form -insurmountable barriers to the passage of boats by water during the -floods. These difficulties, however, are overcome by portages. - -From thence there is a still water navigation for forty miles, when its -course is again obstructed by rapids. - -Thence to the ocean, one hundred and twenty miles, it is navigable for -vessels of twelve feet draught of water at the lowest state of the river, -though obstructed by many sand-bars. - -In this part it receives the Willamette from the south, and the Cowelitz -from the north. The former is navigable for small vessels twenty miles, -to the mouth of the Klackamus, three miles below its falls; the latter -cannot be called navigable except for a small part of the year, during -the floods, and then only for canoes and barges.[100] - -The width of the Columbia, within twenty miles of its mouth, is much -increased, and it joins the ocean between Cape Disappointment and Point -Adams, forming a sand-pit from each by deposit, and causing a dangerous -bar, which greatly impedes its navigation and entrance. - -Frazer’s river next claims attention. It {286} takes its rise in the -Rocky mountain, near the source of Canoe river, taking a north-western -course of eighty miles; it then turns to the southward, receiving the -waters of Stuart’s river, which rises in a chain of lakes near the -northern boundary of the Territory.[101] - -It then pursues a southerly course, receiving the waters of the -Chilcotin, Pinkslitsa, and several smaller streams, from the west, and -those of Thompson’s river, Quisnell’s[102] and other streams, from the -east, (these take their rise in lakes, and are navigable in canoes, by -making portages); and under the parallel of 49° it breaks through the -Cascade range in a succession of falls and rapids, and, after a westerly -course of seventy miles it empties itself into the gulf of Georgia, in -the latitude of 49° 07′ north. This latter portion is navigable for -vessels that can pass its bar drawing twelve feet water; its whole length -being three hundred and fifty miles. - -The Chikeelis is next in importance. It has three sources among the range -of hills that intersect the country north of the Columbia river. After a -very tortuous course, and receiving some small streams issuing from the -lakes in the high ground near the {287} headquarters of Hood’s canal and -Puget’s Sound, it disembogues in Grey’s harbour;[103] it is not navigable -except for canoes; its current is rapid, and the stream much obstructed. - -To the south of the Columbia there are many small streams, three of which -only deserve the name of rivers: the Umpqua, Too-too-tut-na, or Rogues’ -river, and the Klamet, which latter empties itself into the ocean south -of the parallel of 42°.[104] None of these form harbours capable of -receiving a vessel of more than eight feet draught of water, and the bars -for most part of the year are impassable from the surf that sets in on -the coast. The character of the great rivers is peculiar—rapid and sunken -much below the level of the country, with perpendicular banks; indeed -they are, as it were, in trenches, it being extremely difficult to get at -the water in many places, owing to the steep basaltic walls; and during -the rise they are in many places confined by dalles, which back the water -some distance, submerging islands and _tracts of low prairie_, giving the -appearance of extensive lakes. - -LAKES.—There are in the various sections of the country many lakes. The -Okanagan, Stuart’s, Quisnell’s, and Kamloop’s are the largest in the -northern section.[105] - -{288} The Flat Bow, Cœur d’Alène, and Kulluspelm, in the middle section, -and those forming the head-waters of the large rivers in the eastern -section.[106] The country is well watered, and there are but few places -where an abundance of water, either from rivers, springs, or rivulets, -cannot be obtained. - -The smaller lakes add much to the picturesque beauty of the country. They -are generally at the head-waters of the smaller streams. The map will -point out more particularly their extent and locality. - -HARBOURS.—All the harbours formed by the rivers on the sea-coast are -obstructed by extensive sand-bars, which make them difficult to enter. -The rivers bring down large quantities of sand, which is deposited on -meeting with the ocean, causing a gradual increase of the impediments -already existing at their mouths. None of them can be deemed safe ports -to enter. The entrance to the Columbia is impracticable two-thirds of the -year, and the difficulty of leaving is equally great. - -The north sands are rapidly increasing, and extending further to the -southward. In the memory of several of those who have been longest in the -country, Cape Disappointment has been encroached upon some {289} hundred -feet by the sea, and, during my short experience, nearly half an acre of -the middle sands was washed away in a few days. These sands are known to -change every season. - -The exploration made of the Clatsop, or South channel, it is believed, -will give more safety to vessels capable of entering the river. The depth -of water on the bar seems not to have changed, though the passage has -become somewhat narrow. - -Grey’s harbour will admit of vessels of light draught of water, (ten -feet), but there is but little room in it, on account of the extensive -mud and sand flats. A survey was made of it, to which I refer for -particulars. - -This, however, is not the case with the harbours formed within the -straits of Juan de Fuca, of which there are many; and no part of the -world affords finer inland sounds or a greater number of harbours than -can be found here, capable of receiving the largest class of vessels, and -without a danger in them which is not visible. From the rise and fall of -the tides, (eighteen feet), every facility is afforded for the erection -of works for a great maritime nation. For {290} further information, our -extensive surveys of these waters are referred to. - -CLIMATE.—That of the western section is mild throughout the year, -neither experiencing the cold of winter nor the heat of summer. By my -experiments, the mean temperature was found to be 54° of Fahrenheit. - -The prevailing winds in the summer are from the northward and westward, -and in the winter, from the southward and westward, and south-east, -which are tempestuous. The winter is supposed to last from December to -February; rains usually begin to fall in November, and last till March, -but they are not heavy though frequent. - -Snow sometimes falls, but it seldom lies more than three days. The frosts -are early, occurring in the latter part of August; this, however, is -to be accounted for by the proximity of the mountains. A mountain or -easterly wind invariably causes a great fall in the temperature; these -winds are not frequent. During the summer of our operations, I found but -_three days_ noted of easterly winds. - -The nights are cold, and affect the vegetation so far, that Indian corn -will not ripen. Fruit-trees blossom early in April {291} at Nisqually and -Vancouver; and at the former place, on the 12th of May, peas were a foot -high, strawberries in full blossom, and salad had already gone to seed. - -The mean height of the barometer, during our stay at Nisqually, was -30.046 inches, and of the thermometer 66° 58′ Fahrenheit. The thermometer -at 4 A. M. on the 4th of July, was at 50° Fahrenheit, and on the same -day, at 2 P. M., 90° Fahrenheit. The lowest degree was 39° at 4 A. M., -May 22d, and at 5 P. M. of the same day, the temperature was 72° of -Fahrenheit. - -From June to September at Vancouver the mean height of the barometer -was 30.32 inches, and the thermometer 66° 33′ of Fahrenheit. Out of one -hundred and six days, seventy-six were fair, nineteen cloudy, and eleven -rainy. The rains are light; this is evident from the hills _not being -washed_, and having a sward to their tops, _although of great declivity_. - -The second, or middle section, is subject to droughts. During the summer -the atmosphere is much drier and warmer, and the winter much colder than -in the western section. Its extremes of heat and cold are more frequent -and greater, the mercury at times falling as low as minus 18° of {292} -Fahrenheit in the winter, and rising to 180° [_sic_] in the shade in -summer; the daily difference of temperature is about 40° Fahrenheit. It -has, however, been found extremely salubrious, possessing a pure and -healthy air. - -The stations of the missionaries and posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company, -have afforded me the means of obtaining information relative to the -climate. Although full data have not been kept, yet these observations -afford a tolerably good knowledge of the weather. - -In summer the atmosphere is cooled by the strong westerly breezes, which -replace the vacuum produced by the heated prairie grounds. No dews fall -in this section. - -The climate of the third, or eastern section, is extremely variable. The -temperature during the day, differing from 50° to 60°, renders it unfit -for agriculture, and there are but few places in its northern part where -the climate would not effectually put a stop to its ever becoming settled. - -In each day, from the best accounts, all the changes are experienced -incident to spring, summer, autumn, and winter. There are places where -small farms might be located, but they are few in number. - -{293} SOIL.—That of the first, or western section varies in the northern -parts from a light brown loam to a thin vegetable earth, with gravel -and sand as a sub-soil: in the middle parts, from a rich heavy loam and -unctuous clay to a deep heavy black loam on a trap rock; and in the -southern, the soil is generally good, varying from a black vegetable loam -to decomposed basalt, with stiff clay, and portions of loose gravel soil. -The hills are generally basalt, and stone, and slate. - -Between the Umpqua and the boundary, the rocks are primitive, consisting -of talcon slate, hornblende, and granite, which produce a gritty and poor -soil; some places of rich prairie however, occur covered with oaks. - -The soil of the second, or middle section, is for the most part a light -sandy loam, in the valleys rich alluvial, and the hills are generally -barren. - -The third, or eastern section, is a rocky, broken, and barren country. -Stupendous mountain spurs traverse it in all directions, affording little -level ground; snow lies on the mountains nearly, if not quite, the year -through. - -AGRICULTURE, PRODUCTIONS, &C.—The {294} first section, for the most part, -is a well-timbered country; it is intersected with the spurs, or offsets, -from the Cascade mountains, which render its surface much broken: these -are covered with a dense forest. It is well-watered, and communication -between the northern, southern, and middle parts is difficult, on account -of the various rivers, spurs of mountains, &c. - -The timber consists of pines, firs, spruce, oaks, (red and white), ash, -arbutus, arbor vitæ, cedar, poplar, maple, willow, cherry, and tew, with -a close undergrowth of hazel, rubus, roses, &c. The richest and best -soil is found on the second or middle prairie, and is best adapted for -agriculture, the high and low being excellent for pasture land. - -The pine woods run on the east side, and near the foot of the Cascade -range. The climate and soil are admirably adapted for all kinds of -grain, wheat, rye, oats, barley, peas, &c. Indian corn does not thrive -in any part of this territory where it has been tried. Many fruits -appear to succeed well, particularly the apple and pear. Vegetables grow -exceedingly well, and yield most abundantly. - -The surface of the middle section is about one thousand feet above the -level of the first {295} or western section, and is generally a rolling -prairie country. That part lying to the north of the parallel of 48° is -very much broken with mountain chains and rivers, consequently barren and -very rugged. From the great and frequent changes in its temperature, it -is totally unfit for agriculture, but is well supplied with game of all -the kinds which are found in the country. - -The mountain chains on the parallel of 48° are cut off by the Columbia, -as before stated, leaving an extensive rolling country in the centre of -the Territory, which is well adapted for grazing. - -The southern part of this section is destitute of timber or wood, unless -the wormwood (artimesia) may be so called. To the northward of the -parallel of 49° it is covered with forests. Wheat and other grains grow -well in the bottoms, where they can be irrigated. The soil in such places -is rich, and capable of producing almost any thing. - -The missionaries have succeeded in raising good crops. Stock succeeds -here even better than in the lower country. Notwithstanding the severe -cold, the cattle are not housed, nor is provender laid in for them, the -country being sufficiently supplied with fodder in the natural hay that -is abundant {296} everywhere in the prairie, which is preferred by the -cattle to the fresh grass at the bottoms. - -No attempts at agriculture have been made in the third section, except -at Fort Hall. The small grains thrive tolerably well, together with -vegetables, and a sufficient quantity has been obtained to supply -the wants of the post. The ground is well adapted for grazing in the -prairies, and, despite its changeable climate, stock is found to thrive -well and endure the severity of the winter without protection. - -This section is exceedingly dry and arid, rains seldom falling, and -but little snow. The country is partially timbered, and the soil much -impregnated with salts. The missionary station on the Koos-koos-ke, near -the western line of this section, is thought by the missionaries to be a -_wet climate_.[107] - -The soil along the river bottoms is generally alluvial, and would yield -good crops, were it not for the overflowing of the rivers, which check -and kill the grain. Some of the finest portions of the land are thus -unfit for cultivation; they are generally covered with water before the -banks are {297} overflown, in consequence of the quicksands which exist -in them, and through which the water percolates. - -The rivers of this Territory afford no fertilizing properties to the -soil, but, on the contrary, are destitute of all substances. The -temperature of the Columbia in the latter part of May was 42°, and in -September 68°. - -The rise of the streams flowing from the Cascade mountains takes place -twice a-year, in February and November, from the rains; that of the -Columbia in May and June, from the melting of the snows. Sometimes the -rise of the latter is very sudden, if heavy rains occur at that period; -but usually it is gradual, and reaches its greatest height from the -6th to the 15th of June. Its perpendicular rise is from eighteen to -twenty feet at Vancouver, where a line of embankment has been thrown up -to protect the lower prairie; but it has been generally flooded, and -the crops in most cases destroyed. It is the intention to abandon its -cultivation, and devote it to pasturage. - -The greatest rise in the Willamette takes place in February; and I was -informed that it rose sometimes twenty to twenty-five feet, {298} and -quite suddenly, but soon subsides. It occasionally causes much damage. - -Both the Willamette and the Cowelitz are much swollen by the backing -of their waters during the height of the Columbia, and all their lower -grounds submerged. This puts an effectual bar to their prairies being -used for any thing but pasturage, which is fine throughout the year, -excepting in the season of the floods, when the cattle are driven to the -high grounds. - -My knowledge of the agriculture of this Territory it will be well to -mention, is derived from visits made to the various settlements, except -Fort Langley and Fort Hall. - -The Indians on the different islands in Puget’s Sound and Admiralty -Inlet cultivate potatoes principally, which are extremely fine, and -raised in great abundance, and now constitute a large portion of their -food.[108] - -At Nisqually the Hudson’s Bay Company had fine crops of wheat, oats, -peas, potatoes, &c. The wheat, it was supposed, would yield fifteen -bushels to the acre. The farm has been two years under cultivation, and -is principally intended for a grazing and dairy farm. They have now -seventy milch cows, and make butter, &c., to supply their contract with -the Russians. - -{299} The Cowelitz farm is also in the western section. The produce of -wheat is good—about twenty bushels to the acre. The ground, however, has -just been brought under cultivation. The Company have here six hundred -acres, which are situated on the Cowelitz river, about thirty miles from -the Columbia, and on the former are erecting a saw and grist mill. The -farm is finely situated, and the harvest of 1841 produced seven thousand -bushels of wheat.[109] - -Several Canadians are also established here, who told me that they -succeeded well with but little work. They have erected buildings, live -comfortably, and work small farms of fifty acres. - -I was told that the stock on these farms did not thrive so well as -elsewhere. There are no low prairie grounds on the river in this -vicinity, and it is too far for them to resort to the Kamas plains, -a fine grazing country, but a few miles distant. The wolves make sad -depredations with the increase of their flock, if not well watched. - -The hilly portion of the country, although its soil in many places is -very good, is yet so heavily timbered as to make it, in the present state -of the country, valueless: this is also the case with many fine portions -of {300} level ground. There are, however, large tracts of fine prairie, -suitable for cultivation, and ready for the plough. - -The Willamette valley is supposed to be the finest portion of the -country, though I am of opinion that many parts of the southern portion -of the territory will be found far superior to it. The largest settlement -is in the northern part of the valley, some fifteen miles above the -falls. About sixty families are settled there, the industrious of whom -appear to be thriving. They are composed of American missionaries, -trappers, and Canadians, who were formerly servants of the Hudson’s Bay -Company. All of them appeared to be doing well; but I was on the whole -disappointed, from the reports that had been made to me, not to find the -settlement in a state of greater forwardness, considering the advantages -the missionaries have had. - -In comparison with our own country, I would say that the labour necessary -in this territory to acquire wealth or subsistence is in the proportion -of one to three; or in other words, a man must work through the year -three times as much in the United States, to gain the like competency. -The care of stock, which occupies so much time {301} with us, requires no -attention there, and on the increase only a man might find support. - -The wheat of this valley yields thirty-five to forty bushels for one -sown, or twenty to thirty bushels to the acre; its quality is superior to -that grown in the United States, and its weight nearly four pounds to the -bushel heavier. The above is the yield of new land; but it is believed -it will greatly exceed this after the third crop, when the land has been -broken up and well tilled. - -After passing into the middle section, the climate undergoes a decided -change; in place of the cool and moist atmosphere, one that is dry and -arid is entered, and the crops suffer from drought. - -The only wood or bush seen, is the wormwood, (artimesia), and this -only in places. All cultivation has to be more or less carried on by -irrigation. - -The country bordering the Columbia, above the Dalles, to the north and -south of the river, is the poorest in the territory, and has no doubt led -many to look upon the middle section as perfectly useless to man. Twenty -or thirty miles on either side of the river are so; but beyond that a -fine grazing country exists, and in very many places there are portions -of it that might be advantageously {302} farmed. On the banks of the -Wallawalla, a small stream emptying into the Columbia, about twenty-five -miles from the Company’s post, a missionary is established who raises -very fine wheat on the low bottoms, by using its waters for the purpose -of irrigation. This is also the case at the mission station at Lapwai, -on the Koos-koos-ke, where fine crops are raised; grains, vegetables and -some fruits thrive remarkably well. In the northern part of this section, -at Chimekaine, there is another missionary station. Near the Spokan, -and at Colville, the country is well adapted for agriculture, and it is -successfully carried on. Colville supplies all the northern posts, and -the missionaries in its vicinity are doing well. The northern part of -this section will be able to supply the whole southern part with wood. -At Colville the changes of temperature are great during the twenty-four -hours, but are not injurious to the small grain. The cultivation of fruit -has been successful. - -FISHERIES.—It will be almost impossible to give an idea of the extensive -fisheries in the rivers and on the coast. They all abound in salmon of -the finest flavour, which run twice a year, beginning in May {303} and -October, and appear inexhaustible; the whole population live upon them. -The Columbia produces the largest, and probably affords the greatest -numbers. There are some few of the branches of the Columbia that the -spring fish do not enter, but they are plentifully supplied in the fall. - -The great fishery of the Columbia is at the Dalles; but all the rivers -are well supplied. The last one on the northern branch of the Columbia is -near Colville, at the Kettle falls; but salmon are found above this in -the river and its tributaries. - -In Frazer’s river the salmon are said to be very numerous, but not large; -they are unable to get above the falls some eighty miles from the sea. - -In the rivers and sounds are found several kinds of salmon, salmon-trout, -sturgeon, cod, carp, sole, flounders, ray, perch, herring, lamprey eels, -and a kind of smelt, called “_shrow_,” in great abundance; also large -quantities of shell fish, viz: crabs, clams, oysters, muscles, &c., which -are all used by the natives, and constitute the greater proportion of -their food. - -Whales in numbers are found along the coast, and are frequently captured -by the {304} Indians in and at the mouth of the straits of Juan de Fuca. - -GAME.—Abundance of game exists, such as elk, deer, antelope, bears, -wolves, foxes, musk-rats, martins, bears and siffleurs, which are eaten -by the Canadians. In the middle section, or that designated as the -rolling prairie, no game is found. The fur-bearing animals are decreasing -in numbers yearly, particularly south of the parallel of 48°; indeed it -is very doubtful whether they are sufficiently numerous to repay the -expense of hunting them. - -The Hudson’s Bay Company have almost the exclusive monopoly of this -business. They have decreased, owing to being hunted without regard to -season. This is not, however, the case to the north; there the Company -have been left to exercise their own rule, and prevent the indiscriminate -slaughter of either old or young, out of the proper season. - -In the spring and fall, the rivers are literally covered with geese, -ducks, and other water fowl. - -In the eastern section, the buffalo abound, and are hunted by the -Oregon Indians, as well as the Blackfeet. Wolves are troublesome to -the settlers, but they are not so {305} numerous as formerly. From the -advantages this country possesses, it bids fair to have an extensive -commerce on advantageous terms with most ports of the Pacific. It is -well calculated to produce the following which, in a few years after its -settlement, would become its staples, viz: furs, salted beef and pork, -fish, grain, flour, wool, hides, tallow, lumber, and perhaps coal. A -ready market for all these is now to be found in the Pacific; and in -return for them sugar, coffee and other tropical productions, may be had -at the Sandwich Islands—advantages that few new countries possess, viz: -the facility of a market, and one that in time must become of immense -extent. - -_Manufacturing power._—This country, it is believed, affords as many -sites for water power as any other, and in many places within reach of -navigable waters. The timber of the western section, to the south of 49°, -is not so good as that of the north. This is imputed to the climate being -milder and more changeable. A great difference is found between the north -and south sides of the trees, the one being of a hard and close grain, -while the other is open and spongy. - -To the north of the parallel 49°, on Frazer’s River, an abundance of fine -timber {306} for spars of any dimensions is easily obtained. - -There will always be a demand for the timber of this country at high -prices throughout the Pacific. The oak is well adapted for ship timber, -and abundance of ash, cedar, cypress and arbor vitæ, may be had for fuel, -fencing, &c.; and, although the southern part of the middle section is -destitute of timber, it may be supplied from the eastern or northern -sections by water carriage. - -Intercommunication would at first appear to be difficult between the -different parts of the country, but I take a different view of it. - -Stock of all kinds thrive exceedingly well, and they will in consequence -always abound in the territory. The soil affords every advantage for -making good roads, and, in process of time, transportation must become -comparatively cheap. - -SETTLEMENTS.—They consist principally of those belonging to the Hudson’s -Bay Company, and where the missionaries have established themselves. -They are as follows: In the western section, Fort Simpson, Fort -McLaughlin, Fort Langley, Nisqually, Cowelitz, Fort George, Vancouver, -and Umpqua; Fort St. James, Barbine, Alexandria, Chilcothin, Kamloop’s, -(on Thompson’s {307} River); Okanagan, Colville and Wallawalla, in -the middle; and in the eastern, Kootanie and Fort Hall. Fort Boise -has been abandoned, as has also Kaima, a missionary settlement on the -Koos-koos-ke.[110] - -These are all small settlements, surrounded by palisades, with bastions -at their corners, enclosing the houses and stores of the Company, -sufficient to protect them against the Indians, but in no way to be -considered as forts. A few Indians reside near them, who are dependant -for their food and employment on them. - -These forts being situated for the most part near the great fisheries, -are frequented by the Indians, who bring their furs to trade for -blankets, &c., at the same time they come to lay in their yearly supply -of salmon. - -Vancouver is the principal depot from which all supplies are furnished, -and to which returns are made. - -At Vancouver, the village is separated from the fort, and nearer the -river. In addition to its being the depot of the Hudson’s Bay Company, -there is now attached to it the largest farm of the Puget Sound Company, -the stockholders of which are generally the officers and servants of -the Hudson’s Bay Company. They have now {308} farms in successful -operation at Vancouver, Cowelitz, Nisqually, Colville, Fort Langley, -and the Tualatine plains, about ten miles from Vancouver, all of which -are well stocked, and supply the Russian post at Sitka, under contract, -with a variety of articles raised on them. They have introduced large -herds and flocks into the territory from California, and during our stay -there several thousand head were imported.[111] They are thus doing -incalculable good to the territory, and rendering it more valuable -for future settlers. At the same time, this exerts an influence in -domesticating the Indians, not only by changing their habits, but food, -and attaching them to a locality. - -The Indians of the Territory are not a wandering race, as some have -asserted, but change for food only, and each successive season will -generally find them in their old haunts, seeking it. - -The settlements established by the missionaries, are at the Willamette -falls and valley, Nisqually and Clatsop, in the western section, and at -the Dalles, Wallawalla, Lapwai, and Chimekaine, on the Spokan, in the -middle.[112] - -Those of the middle section are succeeding well; and although little -progress has been made in the conversion of the Indians {309} to -Christianity, yet they have done much good in reforming some of the vices -and teaching some of the useful arts, particularly that of agriculture, -and the construction of houses, which has had the effect, in a measure, -to attach them to the soil. The men now rear and tend their cattle, plant -their potatoes and corn, which latter they exchange for buffalo meat -with those who hunt. The squaws attend to their household, and employ -themselves in knitting and weaving, which they have been taught. They -raise on their small patches, corn, potatoes, melons, &c., irrigating the -land for that purpose. There are many villages of Indians still existing, -though greatly reduced in numbers from former estimates. - -_Population._—It is extremely difficult to ascertain, with accuracy, -the amount of population in the Territory. The Indians change to their -different abodes as the fishing seasons come round, which circumstance, -if not attended to, would produce very erroneous results. - -The following is believed to be very nearly the truth; if any thing, it -is overrated: - - {310} Vancouver or Washington Island 5,000 - From the parallel of 50° to 54° north 2,000 - Penn’s Cove, Whidby’s Island, mainland (Shatchet tribe) 650 - Hood’s canal, (Suquamish and Toando tribe) 500 - At and about Okanagan 300 - About Colville, Spokane, &c. 450 - Willamette falls and valley 275 - Pillar rock, Oak Point, and Columbia River 300 - Port Discovery 150 } - Fort Townsend 70 } Chalams 420 - New Dungeness 200 } - Wallawalla, including the Nez-percés, Snakes, &c. 1,100 - Killamouks, north of Umpqua 400 - Cape Flattery and Queen Hythe to Point Granville, (Classet tribe) 1,250 - Blackfeet tribes that make incursions west of the Rocky Mountains 1,000 - Birch Bay 300 - Frazer’s River (Neamitch tribe) 500 - Chenooks 209 - Clatsops 220 - At the Cascades 105 - At the Dalles 250 - Y’Akama River 100 - {311} De Chute River 125 - Umpquas 400 - Roger’s [Rogue’s] River 500 - Klamets 300 - Shastys 500 - Kallapugus 600 - Nisqually 200 - Chikelis and Puget’s Sound 700 - Cowelits or Klakatacks 350 - Port Orchard 150 - ------ - 19,154 - -The whole Territory may be estimated as containing twenty thousand. Of -whites, Canadians, and half-breeds, there are between seven hundred and -eight hundred, of whom about one hundred and fifty are Americans; the -rest are settlers, and the officers and servants of the Company. The -Indians are rapidly decreasing in all parts of the country; the causes -are supposed to be their rude treatment of diseases, and the dissipated -lives they lead. - -The white American population, as far as I have been able to judge of -them, are orderly, and generally industrious; although they are, with -the exception of the missionaries, men who have led, for the most part, -dissolute lives. - -{312} The absence of spirits, as long as it continues, will probably -secure them from excesses. Very much to their credit, they have abandoned -the use of spirituous liquors, by consent of the whole community. - -I cannot but view this Territory as peculiarly liable to the vice of -drunkenness. The ease with which the wants of man are obtained, the -little labour required, and consequent opportunities for idleness, -will render it so. The settlers of the Willamette valley have, with -a praiseworthy spirit, engaged to prevent the establishment of -distilleries, and there are, as yet, no places where spirits can be -bought (to my knowledge) in the Territory. - -It is highly creditable to the Hudson’s Bay Company, that on a vessel -arriving on the coast with some spirits on board, in order to prevent -its introduction, they have purchased the whole cargo, while, at the -same time, their storehouses were filled with rum. They have, with -praiseworthy zeal, interdicted its being an article of trade, being well -satisfied that it is contrary to their interest, and demoralizing in -its effects on all the tribes and people with whom they have to deal, -rendering them difficult to manage, quarrelsome among themselves, {313} -and preventing their success in hunting. Endeavours have likewise been -made by the officers of the Company to induce the Russians, on their -side, to adopt this example, and do away with it as an article of trade, -but hitherto without success.[113] This no doubt has been one of the -causes affecting the decrease of tribes, as it was formerly almost the -only article of trade. - -In the event of the territory being taken possession of, the necessity -of circumscribing the use and sale of spirits cannot be too strongly -insisted upon by legal enactment, both to preserve order and avoid -expense. - -As far as the Indians have come under my notice, they are an inoffensive -race, except those in the northern parts. The depredations committed -on the whites may be traced to injuries received, or arise from -superstitious motives. - -MISSIONARIES.—Little has yet been effected by them in christianizing the -natives. They are principally engaged in the cultivation of the mission -farms, and in the care of their own stock, in order to obtain flocks -and herds for themselves, most of them having selected lands. As far as -my personal observations went, in the part of the {314} country where -the missionaries reside, there are very few Indians to engage their -attention; and they seemed more occupied with the settlement of the -country and in agricultural pursuits than in missionary labours. - -When there, I made particular inquiries whether laws were necessary for -their protection, and I feel fully satisfied that they require none at -present, besides the moral code it is their duty to inculcate. - -The Catholic portion of the settlement, who form a large majority, are -kept under good control by their priest, who is disposed to act in unison -with the other missionaries in the proper punishment of all bad conduct. - -I cannot close this report without doing justice to the officers of the -Hudson’s Bay Company’s service for their kind and gentlemanly treatment -to us while in the territory, and bearing testimony that, during all my -intercourse, and in their dealings with others, they seemed to be guided -by one rule of conduct highly creditable to them, not only as business -men, but gentlemen. - -They afforded us every assistance that was in their power both in -supplies and in {315} means to accomplish our duties. There are many -persons in the country who bear testimony to the aid and kindness -rendered them in their outset; and of their hospitality it is needless to -speak, for it has become proverbial. - -To conclude, few portions of the globe, in my opinion, are to be found so -rich in soil, so diversified in surface, or so capable of being rendered -the happy abode of an industrious and civilized community. For beauty of -scenery and salubrity of climate, it is not surpassed. It is peculiarly -adapted for an agricultural and pastoral people, and no portion of the -world beyond the tropics can be found that will yield so readily with -moderate labour, to the wants of man. - -THE END - - - - - DE SMET’S OREGON MISSIONS AND TRAVELS OVER THE - ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 1845-1846 - - Reprint of New York edition, 1847 - - [Illustration] - - [Illustration] - - Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by - EDWARD DUNIGAN, - In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United - States, for the Southern District of New York. - - - - -TO THE RIGHT REVEREND DR. HUGHES, BISHOP OF NEW YORK. - -MONSEIGNEUR, - -From the distant solitudes of the Rocky Mountains, in the midst of my -missions among the Children of the Forests, I had the honor of addressing -to you most of the letters contained in this Volume. I may, therefore, I -feel, take the liberty of inscribing it to you, not only as a token of -veneration for the distinguished qualities and eminent abilities which -mark your character and add lustre to your dignity, but, likewise, as a -tribute of personal friendship and esteem, with which I am allowed to -subscribe myself, - - Monseigneur, - - Your humble servant, - - P. J. DE SMET, S. J. - -New-York, April 19th, 1847. - - - - -PREFACE - - -The contents of the present volume, from the pen of the celebrated -Missionary of the Rocky Mountains, will be found, by the reader, to be -fraught with extraordinary interest. The manners and customs of the -North American Indians—their traditions, their superstitions, their -docility in admitting the maxims of the gospel, and the edifying lives -of thousands who have received the grace of baptism and instruction, are -described with a freshness of coloring, and an exactness of detail, that -will render them invaluable not only to our own times, but, especially, -to posterity. He travels through those vast and unexplored deserts, not -merely as a missionary, filled with the zeal which characterized the -apostles of the primitive Society to which he belongs, but with the eye -of a poet, and an imagination glowing with a bright yet calm enthusiasm. -Hence the exquisite descriptions of scenery, of incidents, of events; -descriptions which breathe the spirit of a mind imbued with the loftiest -conceptions of nature, and chastened with the sacred influences of faith. - -{xii} The reverend author having, before his recent departure for his -native land, left the supervision of this work to my care, I feel bound, -in justice to his modesty, to state, that the Introduction, taken from -the Catholic Almanac, is not from his pen: and he is not, therefore, -accountable for the epithets of praise (so eminently deserved, and yet so -repugnant to his humility), which, through it, are occasionally coupled -with his name. - -The lithographic sketches that accompany this Volume, are copied from the -original drawings of the Reverend Father Point, S. J.;[114] drawings of -such exquisite perfection, that they would do honor to any master: and -the more admirable, from the circumstance of their having been executed -with the pen, in the midst of the privations and difficulties of his -remote and arduous missions. - -In conclusion, I cannot but express the pleasure, instruction, and -edification, I have derived from the careful perusal of these beautiful -letters: and I feel convinced that they will prove, to all who read them, -a source of interest and delight which few volumes of the same dimensions -can open to the intellectual and Christian reader. - - C. C. P. - -New-York, August 1st, 1847. - - - - -[Illustration: OREGON Territory, 1846.] - - - - -OREGON MISSIONS - -AN OUTLINE SKETCH OF OREGON TERRITORY AND ITS MISSIONS - - -The political discussion, which has been going on for years between -the British government and that of the United States, in regard to the -boundary which defines their respective portions of the Oregon territory, -has turned upon this distant region a large share of public attention, -and has won for it an interest which will increase in proportion to the -advances of civilization and commerce within its borders. But it becomes -an object of much deeper interest in the eyes of the philanthropist and -Christian, when we look to the efforts which have been made, and which -are still continued, in order to diffuse the blessings of religious truth -among {14} its benighted inhabitants. To the Catholic, especially, does -this remote country present the most pleasing scenes for contemplation, -and by this reason we have been induced to lay before the reader, a brief -account of its discovery and settlement, and of the missions undertaken -for the spiritual welfare of its inhabitants. - -Oregon territory is that important part of North America which extends -from the 42d to the 50th degree of N. latitude, and from the Rocky -Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.[115] It is bounded on the north by the -Russian possessions, and on the south by California; forming a kind of -parallelogram, about seven hundred and fifty miles in length and five -hundred in breadth, and containing 375,000 square miles. - -There appears no reason to doubt of the Spaniards having been the first -to visit this country.[116] The documents we possess, and the tradition -of the natives, concur to render this opinion incontestible. According -to them a vessel made its appearance south of the Columbia river before -1792, and there is still living among them a woman whose father was one -of the crew attached to the vessel, and whose mother belonged to the -tribe of the Kilamukes.[117] When we add to this that crucifixes have -been {15} found in their hands transmitted to them from their ancestors, -that the island of Vancouver still exhibits the ruins of colonial -habitations, that the strait which separates it from the mainland bears -the name of _Juan Fuca_, and that the country itself is contiguous to -California, where the Spanish missionaries had penetrated nearly two -hundred years before, we cannot but look upon the Spaniards as the -discoverers of Oregon. - -After the voyage of Captain Cook in 1790, by which it was ascertained -that the sea along the N. W. coast of America abounded in otters, this -region was visited by vessels from almost every part of the world. The -people of the United States were not behind others in enterprise; in -1792, Captain Gray sailed up an unknown river of that country, to the -distance of eighteen miles, and the stream has since retained the name -of _Columbia_, from the ship which he commanded. In leaving the river, -Captain Gray passed the vessel of Captain Vancouver, who also navigated -the Columbia river about one hundred miles, to the point which bears his -name. In 1793 the country was visited by Sir Alexander McKenzie, after -discovering the river which retains his name.[118] In 1804, Messrs. {16} -Lewis and Clark were commissioned by the United States to explore the -sources of the Columbia, and they descended the river as far as Gray’s -Bay. A few years after, in 1810, Mr. Astor fitted out two expeditions -to Oregon, for the purpose of securing the interest of the fur-trade in -those parts. The party that had embarked by water arrived first, and -erected a fort called Astoria, about nine miles from the mouth of the -Columbia.[119] The company of the North-West (English) also considered -the fur-trade of Oregon as well worthy of attention, and they immediately -despatched an agent by land for the purpose of securing it; but he -arrived at Astoria several months after the first expeditions from the -United States. - -During the war of 1812, a British vessel sailed to the Columbia, in order -to take possession of Astoria and its treasure; but the captain was -cruelly disappointed in discovering that the place was already held by an -agent of the North-West Company, who had purchased it in anticipation of -the future war with the United States.[120] The Canadians who had settled -there under its original owners, were employed by the new proprietors, -and their numbers increased in proportion as the Company extended its -{17} operations. In this way the country was visited in every direction, -and many of the Indian tribes heard from them of the Catholic religion -and the worship of the true God. In 1821, the North-West and Hudson -Bay Companies united their interests, and gave a new impulse to the -fur-trade. Mr. John McLaughlin, who went to Oregon in 1824, was chiefly -instrumental in promoting the prosperity of the country.[121] He added to -the business posts, and gave employment to a greater number of Canadians -and Iroquois. They commenced at the same time the cultivation of wheat. -One of the settlers having undertaken, in 1829, to till the soil in the -valley of Willamette, his example was soon followed by others, and the -colony became so numerous that in 1834 an application was made to Dr. -Provencher, Vicar Apostolic of Hudson Bay, to procure a clergyman for -the service of the people.[122] The colonists, however, did not succeed -in obtaining a favorable answer to their petition, until the following -year, when two clergymen were appointed for the mission; but, owing to -the arrival of a Methodist preacher and of an Episcopalian minister in -Oregon, the former in 1834, and the latter in 1837,[123] the departure -of the Catholic clergymen was considerably {18} delayed. Rev. Mr. Demers -went as far as the Red River in 1837, and arrangements having been made -for himself and fellow-laborer to pass into Oregon the following year, -Rev. F. N. Blanchet left Canada at the appointed time, and joined his -companion at Red River, whence they both started on the 10th of July, and -after a perilous journey of between four and five thousand miles, and -the loss of twelve of their fellow-travellers in the rapids of Columbia -River, they arrived at Fort Vancouver, the 24th of November, of the same -year.[124] On their route the two missionaries were treated with the -utmost courtesy by the traders whom they met, and at Vancouver they were -received with every demonstration of respect by James Douglas, Esq., who -commanded that post during the absence of Mr. McLaughlin in England.[125] -On seeing the missionaries at length among them, the Canadians wept for -joy, and the savages assembled from a distance of one hundred miles, to -behold the _black gowns_ of whom so much had been said. - -Before we follow the ministers of God in their apostolic labors, we -shall allude as briefly as possible to the aspect of the country, to the -difficulties and dangers it presents to the missionary, {19} and to its -commercial and agricultural resources. - -We shall observe, in the first place, that the Columbia River stretches -from its mouth about 290 miles to the east, as far as Fort Walla Walla; -it then takes a northerly direction 150 miles, to Fort Okanagan; -thence it extends 170 miles easterly to Colville. Fort Vancouver, the -principal post in Oregon, is situated in 45° 36′ N. latitude, about one -hundred miles from the mouth of the Columbia, and on its western bank, -in ascending the river. The Willamette is a tributary of the Columbia, -falling into it four miles below Vancouver on the opposite side. Twenty -miles up the stream is a cascade of about twenty-five feet, and thirty -miles further is a Canadian establishment, which in 1838 numbered -twenty-six Catholic families, besides the settlers from the United -States. The residence of the Methodist minister was ten miles higher -up.[126] The River Cowlitz falls into the Columbia thirty miles below -Vancouver, on the same side. Forty-five miles from its mouth is seen the -establishment which bears its name. Four Catholic families resided here -on the arrival of the missionaries. From this place to {20} Nesqualy at -the southern extremity of Puget Sound, the distance is nearly seventy -miles, and it is equally far from the latter point to the island of -Whitby.[127] Two days’ journey further north will bring you to the River -Frazer, on which Fort Langley is situated.[128] This river falls into -Puget Sound or the Gulf of Georgia. - -The mission of St. Mary’s among the Flatheads is ten days’ journey from -Colville, towards the south-east, and about five hundred miles from -Vancouver.[129] The most distant to which Mr. Demers has penetrated -as yet, is Bear Lake in New Caledonia,[130] seven hundred miles from -Vancouver. The reader may form some idea of the almost insurmountable -difficulties to be encountered by our two missionaries, in visiting -their various posts, so widely distant from each other, especially in a -country overrun in every direction by lofty mountains. These mountains -generally extend from north to south. From the Valley of Willamette are -seen three elevated peaks, which have the form of a cone, and are covered -with perpetual snow; hence called _Snowy Mountains_. One of them Mt. St. -Helena, stands opposite Cowlitz to the east, and for some years past has -been noted for its volcanic {21} eruptions.[131] Besides the rivers we -have mentioned, there are several others, the principal of which are the -Clamet, Umpqua, and the Chikeeles.[132] The Columbia is navigable as far -as the cascade, fifty-four miles above Vancouver. - -The immense valleys in Oregon Territory, covered with extensive and -fertile prairies, follow the course of the mountains from north to -south, and are crossed in different directions by rivulets bordered -with trees. They easily yield to the plough, and though the first crop -is not very abundant, the second is generally sufficient to repay the -labor of tillage. The soil is for the most part fertile, particularly in -the south. Every kind of grain is successfully cultivated near Cowlitz, -Vancouver, in the Willamette Valley, and further south. The same may be -said of the neighborhood of Fort Walla Walla, Colville; the mission of -St. Mary’s; the mission of the Sacred Heart, of St. Ignatius, and St. -Francis Borgia, among the Pend-d’oreilles; of St. Francis Regis, in the -valley to Colville; of the Assumption and the Holy Heart of Mary, {22} -amongst the Skalsi. Other districts that are not tillable, afford an -excellent pasture for cattle. - -As to the climate of Oregon, it is not so severe as might be supposed -from its elevated latitude. The snow never falls to a greater depth than -three or four inches in the lower portions of the territory, and seldom -remains long on the ground. When the snows, after having accumulated -on the mountains and their vicinity in consequence of extreme cold, -begin to melt, and the heavy rains supervene, the plains around are -covered with water, and sometimes considerable damage is caused by the -inundation. The rains commence in October, and continue until March with -little interruption. The very cold weather lasts only for a few weeks. -In the month of June the Columbia always overflows its banks, from the -thaw which takes place on the mountains, and every four or five years -its waters rise to an extraordinary height, and do much injury in the -vicinity of Vancouver. - -Until the year 1830, the Territory of Oregon was thickly settled by -numerous tribes of Indians; but at that period the country bordering on -the Columbia was visited by a fatal scourge which carried off nearly -two-thirds of {23} the inhabitants.[133] It showed itself in the form -of an infectious fever, which threw the individual into a state of -tremor, and produced such a burning heat throughout the body, that the -patient would sometimes cast himself into the water to obtain relief. The -population of entire villages was cut off by this terrible pestilence. -Other villages were burnt in order to arrest the infection which would -have arisen from the pile of dead bodies that were left unburied. During -this fearful visitation, which attacked the colonists as well as the -natives, Dr. McLaughlin displayed the most heroic philanthropy, in his -laborious attention to the sick and dying. The Indians superstitiously -attributed this scourge to a quarrel between some agents of the Hudson -Bay Company and an American captain, which led the latter to throw a -species of charm into the river by way of revenge. The fever, however, -made its appearance annually, though in a less malignant form; and the -inhabitants have discovered both its preventive and its remedy. The -smallpox is the principal disease that alarms the natives; they are in -continual dread of it, and imagining that they have a short time to live, -they no longer build the large and convenient cabins to {24} which they -were formerly accustomed. Notwithstanding the ravages above mentioned, -the population of Oregon amounts to nearly 110,000 souls, residing -chiefly in the north. This part of the country, fortunately, escaped the -diseases which decimated the inhabitants of Willamette and the Columbia, -and still rages from time to time in the south. - -The tribes of this territory differ much in character and personal -appearance. The savages who frequent the coast, especially towards the -north, are of a much more barbarous and ferocious temperament than those -of the interior; nor are they less dissimilar in their manners, customs, -language, and external features. The tribes and languages are almost as -numerous as the localities. From twenty-five to thirty different idioms -have been distinguished among them, a circumstance which increases in -no small degree the labors of the missionary. In the interior of the -country, the natives are of a mild and sociable disposition, though proud -and vindictive; intelligent though inclined to indolence. Their belief -in the immortality of the soul consists in admitting a future existence, -happy or unhappy, that is, a state of plenty or want, according to -the merits or demerits of {25} every individual. The morals of this -savage race can scarcely be termed corrupt, considering their very -limited means of “_enlightenment_.” They have distinct ideas of right -and wrong, and recognize many leading principles of the natural law. -Theft, adultery, homicide, and lying, are condemned as criminal, and if -polygamy is tolerated, it is not approved; it is principally confined to -the chiefs, by way of maintaining peace with the neighboring nations. -Laxity of morals is far short of what might be supposed inevitable, in -their rude and uneducated state. Modesty, indeed, would require more; -but its rules are for the most part respected. But little intercourse -is carried on among young persons of different sex, and even in regard -to matrimonial unions, the engagement is arranged by the parents of the -parties. When a man of comfortable means takes to himself a wife, he is -obliged to compensate the parents of the latter by considerable presents. -But upon the death of the woman, these presents may be reclaimed. If in -consequence of harsh treatment she puts an end to her existence, the -circumstance reflects disgrace upon the husband, who is compelled, in -this case, to propitiate her parents by additional gifts. - -{26} Most of the work among these savages is performed by slaves, who are -well treated, except in case of old age or other inability, when they are -left to perish of want. Besides those who are born in this unhappy state, -there are others who become so, by the fortunes of war. All prisoners are -considered slaves by their conquerors, though, in general, only their -children experience this hard lot. Wars are sometimes engaged in for -the express purpose of acquiring slaves, which is considered a great -advantage among the savages. The white population have little to fear -from their attacks, except on the northern coast, where life is far from -being safe, and where the natives, in some cases anthropophagi, do not -hesitate to feast upon the flesh of their prisoners. - -Throughout the whole country, the habitations of the Indians are rather -huts than houses, from fifteen to twenty-five feet long, proportionably -wide, and verging into a conical form. Cross pieces of wood are -suspended in the interior for the purpose of drying their salmon and -other articles of food. Fire is kindled on the ground in the centre of -the cabin, the smoke escaping through the roof above. The dress of the -Indians is not more _recherché_ than their {27} dwellings. Formerly they -clothed themselves very comfortably and neatly, with the furs which -they possessed, but since the trade in skins has become so extensive, -the natives of Oregon are much worse provided for in this respect, and -the poor can scarcely protect themselves against the severity of the -seasons. To this circumstance, in part, is attributed the decrease of the -population, which has been observed within a few years past. Hunting and -fishing are the resources on which the Indian depends for subsistence. -His principal food is salmon, sturgeon, and other kinds of fish, with the -ducks, wild turkeys and hares, in which the country abounds. The fruits -of spontaneous growth, and particularly the root of the _cammas_, also -afford them nourishment.[134] - -Among the aborigines of Oregon there is no trace of any religious -worship. They have a belief which consists in certain obscure -traditions;[135] but no external forms of religion are visible among -them. The juggler exercises his {28} profession, though it is almost -universally done in behalf of the sick, for the purpose of curing them. -If he fail in his attempt, he is suspected of having used some evil -influence, and is made to pay the forfeit of his supposed offence. Though -nearly all these tribes, of whom we are speaking, possess no particular -form of worship, they are naturally predisposed in favor of the Christian -religion, especially those who live in the interior. We shall find the -most ample evidence of this in the sequel of our narrative. - -At the period when the two Catholic missionaries arrived in Oregon -territory, the Hudson Bay Company possessed from ten to twelve -establishments for the fur-trade, in each of which there was a certain -number of Canadians professing our holy faith, and in addition to these -there were twenty-six Catholic families at Willamette, and four at -Cowlitz. It is easy to imagine to how many dangers they had been exposed -of losing their faith, deprived as they were of religious instruction and -of every external incentive to the practice of piety, and surrounded by -individuals who were not inactive in their efforts to withdraw them from -the fold of Catholicity. - -The Methodist missionaries had already formed {29} two establishments, -one in the Willamette, where they had a school, and another about -fifty miles from the cascade. An Anglican minister, who resided at -Vancouver two years, left it before the arrival of the Catholic clergy. -The Presbyterians had a missionary post at Walla Walla, and among the -Nez-percés, and in 1839 they established a third station on the river -Spokane, a few days’ journey south of Colville.[136] In 1840, the Rev. -Mr. Lee brought with him fellow-laborers for the vineyard, with their -wives and children, and a number of husbandmen and mechanics. It was a -real colony. The preachers stationed themselves at the most important -posts, as at Willamette Falls, the Clatsops below fort George, and -Nisqualy, and thence visited the other settlements: they even penetrated -as far as Whitby.[137] Nothing short of the most arduous toil and -constant vigilance on the part of the Catholic clergymen, could have -withdrawn so many individuals from the danger of spiritual seduction. Our -two missionaries were indefatigable in their exertions, almost always -journeying from one post to another, to begin or to consolidate the good -work they had in view. - -{30} Vancouver was the first place that experienced the happy influence -of their apostolical zeal. Many of the settlers had lost sight of -the religious principles they had imbibed in their youth, and their -wives were either pagans in belief, or, if baptized, but superficially -acquainted with the nature of that holy rite. In this state of things, -which had given rise to many disorders, the missionaries found it -necessary to spend several months at Vancouver, and to labor with united -energies in instructing the people, baptizing children, performing -marriages, and inspiring a greater respect for the Christian virtues. -With this view they remained at Vancouver until the month of January, -1839, when Mr. Blanchet visited the Canadians at Willamette. It would be -difficult to describe the joy which his arrival awakened among them. They -had already erected a chapel seventy feet in length, which was dedicated -by the missionary under the invocation of St. Paul. His ministry at -this place was attended with the most signal success. Men, women and -children, all seemed to appreciate the presence of one who had come, as -a messenger from Heaven, to diffuse among them the {31} consolations of -religion. Before his departure, Mr. Blanchet rehabilitated a good number -of marriages, and baptized seventy-four persons. In April he started -for Cowlitz, where he remained until the latter end of June. Here also -his efforts were most successful. He had the happiness of instructing -twelve savages of Puget sound, who had come from a distance of nearly one -hundred miles in order to see and hear him. It was on this occasion he -conceived the idea of the Catholic _ladder_, a form of instruction which -represents on paper the various truths and mysteries of religion in their -chronological order, and which has proved vastly beneficial in imparting -catechetical instruction among the natives of Oregon.[138] These twelve -Indians having remained at Cowlitz long enough to acquire a knowledge of -the principal mysteries of our faith, and to understand the use of the -_ladder_ which Mr. Blanchet gave them, set about instructing their tribe -as soon as they returned home, and not without considerable success; for -Mr. Blanchet, the following year, met, in the vicinity of Whitby island, -with several Indians who had never seen a priest, and yet were acquainted -with the sign of the cross, and knew several pious canticles. - -{32} While Mr. Blanchet was at Cowlitz,[139] his fellow-laborer visited -Nisqualy, where he found the savages in the best dispositions. Having but -a short time, however, to pass among them, he merely laid the foundation -of a more important mission, and returned to Vancouver by the month -of June,—the time when the agents from New Caledonia, Upper Columbia, -and other different posts assemble there to deposite their furs. After -spending a month at Vancouver, availing himself of the favorable -opportunity for instruction which the concourse of visitors afforded, -he set out for Upper Columbia, where he visited Walla Walla, Okanagan -and Colville,[140] baptizing all the children that were brought to him -in the course of his journey. He spent three months in this excursion, -during which Mr. Blanchet attended to the wants of the faithful at -Vancouver, Willamette, and {33} Cowlitz. Though these stations afforded -ample occupation for a missionary, Mr. B. paid another visit to Nisqualy, -where he was again met by a considerable number of savages from Puget -sound, who hastened to Nisqualy as soon as they heard of his arrival, and -listened with joy and profit to the words of life. - -In October the two missionaries met at Vancouver, which was their place -of residence through the courtesy of James Douglas, Esq., and on the -10th of the same month they again separated, Mr. Blanchet starting for -Willamette, and Mr. Demers for Cowlitz. Their object was to spend the -winter months at these points in the further instruction of their flocks. -During the first year they baptized three hundred and nine persons. The -following spring Mr. Demers visited the Chinouks, a tribe living below -fort George.[141] From the Chinouks he repaired to Vancouver, to meet the -concourse of traders who assemble there in the month of June, after which -he set out for his stations at Walla Walla, Okanagan and Colville, as he -had done the preceding year. About this time Father De Smet, S. J., was -sent on a visit by his superior to the Flathead Indians, who had implored -this favor by repeated deputations from their country to {34} the bishop -of St. Louis. He found, to his great surprise, that Oregon already -possessed two Catholic missionaries; he wrote to Mr. Demers, informing -him that he would return to St. Louis, according to the order of his -superiors, to procure further aid for the promising missions of the Rocky -Mountains. - -Mr. Blanchet having visited the people at Nisqualy, was soon called away -by a special embassy from the Indians of Puget sound, who requested -his ministry. It was on this occasion at Whitby that he met with the -savages already acquainted with certain practices of the Catholic church, -though they had never seen a missionary.[142] His labors among the -Indians at this place were most consoling. A large cross was erected -as a rallying-point, many children were {35} baptized, and two tribes, -who were at war with each other, were reconciled. The Catholic _ladder_ -was passed from one nation to another, and all prayed to be instructed -still more fully in the truths of salvation. After baptizing one hundred -and four persons, the missionaries returned to Vancouver, and thence -repaired to their respective stations during the winter season. A wide -field was here opened to their zeal, not only among the catechumens who -solicited baptism, but among the settlers, who were anxious to repair -by their fervor the neglect of former years. In the summer of 1840 the -Columbia was visited by Captain Belcher, from England, for the purpose of -surveying the river.[143] - -In the spring of 1841, Mr. Demers, after giving the usual mission at -Vancouver, went to Nisqualy, and with the aid of Indian guides penetrated -as far as Fort Langley on the river Fraser. Here he was surrounded by an -immense number of savages, to whom he announced without delay the tidings -of salvation. His appeal was not in vain, all permitting their children -to be baptized, and soliciting the residence of a priest among them. -Seven hundred children received, on this occasion, the sacrament {36} of -regeneration. While Mr. Demers was thus occupied in gathering the first -fruits of the mission at Puget sound, Mr. Blanchet was equally engaged at -Willamette, Vancouver, Cowlitz and the Cascades. At the last mentioned -place several children were baptized, and a number of adults instructed -in the faith. - -During the year 1841, Oregon Territory was visited by two expeditions, -one from England under Sir George Simpson,[144] and the other from the U. -States, under the command of Captain Wilkes.[145] - -{37} Faithful to his word, Father De Smet returned among the Flatheads in -the autumn of the same year, accompanied by the Rev. Fathers Point and -Mengarini, and three lay brothers.[146] The mission of St. Mary’s was at -once established, and the most abundant harvest collected, (see Indian -sketches).[147] About the same time Messrs. Blanchet and Demers retired -to their usual winter stations, where they had the pleasure of learning -that two other missionaries, Messrs. John B. Bolduc and Ant. Langlois -had {38} set out from Canada to join them in their labor of love.[148] -During the winter, Mr. Blanchet narrowly escaped a watery grave, in -ascending the river Willamette on a visit to his friend Mr. Demers. In -the spring of 1842, Father De Smet unexpectedly made his appearance at -Vancouver, after a providential escape from shipwreck, in descending -the river Columbia. Fortunately he had left the barge in which his -fellow-travellers and his baggage were; and by this means he was saved, -while his effects and five of his companions were swallowed up in the -rapids.[149] - -The three missionaries met together, first at Willamette, and then at -Vancouver, and formed their plans for a concert of action in the great -work of evangelizing the natives of Oregon. The Indians of New Caledonia -had repeatedly asked for Catholic missionaries, and Mr. Demers started -for that country. Having embarked in a boat of the Hudson Bay Company, -he reached his destination after a travel of two months. The journey, -though fatiguing, was most consoling in its results. He was received by -the savages with open arms, and it is impossible to describe the ardor -with which they drank in the words of heavenly life as they fell from his -{39} lips. The Indians in this region appear to be no less predisposed to -receive the truths of Christianity than the Flatheads, who have evinced a -peculiar propensity to virtue. - -While Mr. Demers was so successfully occupied among the tribes of New -Caledonia, Father De Smet was bending his steps back to St. Louis, -to procure additional laborers for the mission. Two clergymen, the -Rev. Fathers De Vos and Hoeken,[150] with three lay brothers, were -immediately sent out, but they did not reach their destination until -the autumn of 1843. Mr. De Smet was at the same time despatched to -Europe, to make further provision for the conversion and civilization of -Oregon. In this way Mr. Blanchet found himself charged with the care of -all the stations, except those among the Flatheads, and upper Indians -of the Columbia, and was continually moving about to meet the wants of -the various missions. Fortunately Messrs. Langlois and Bolduc, after -a journey of one year since their departure from Canada, arrived at -Willamette on the 16th of September. They at once set themselves to work, -Mr. Langlois remaining at Willamette during the winter season, while Mr. -Blanchet was at Vancouver, {40} and Mr. Bolduc at Cowlitz. In the spring -of 1843, Mr. Demers returned from New Caledonia, much exhausted by the -labors he had undergone, and the privations he had suffered during his -journey; but these causes were not capable of diminishing his missionary -ardor. His fellow-laborers and himself found ample occupation, during -the summer months, at the three principal stations, and in fact such -was the call upon their services at these posts, and in the vicinity, -in consequence of the increasing numbers of their flock, that they were -unable to visit the more distant points, and were obliged to defer to a -later period the execution of their design, for some time contemplated, -of forming a mission at Whitby. - -In addition to his numerous cares, Mr. Blanchet undertook the erection of -an academy at Willamette, for which funds had been given by a Mr. Joseph -Laroque of Paris, and which is called St. Joseph’s College, in honor of -that gentleman. - -A teacher of French, and another of the English language, were employed -in the institution, which was opened in the month of October, and -numbered from the very commencement {41} twenty-eight boarders. Rev. Mr. -Langlois, who attended to the Willamette mission, also superintended the -Academy. - -About a year after, a public examination of the students was held, and -the inhabitants who attended, appeared much gratified at the progress -made by the pupils in the study of French and English, in writing, -arithmetic, and other branches. - -In the spring of 1844, Mr. Blanchet withdrew Mr. Demers from Cowlitz -and placed him at the _Falls_ or Oregon City, an important post, which -contained already sixty houses. The parsonage where Mr. Demers resided -could not be rented at less than ten dollars a month. Mr. Bolduc remained -at Cowlitz, and Mr. Blanchet went from one station to another, to -ascertain and provide for the wants of the different localities. - -During the vacation of the college Mr. Blanchet remained at Willamette, -to replace Mr. Langlois, who had set out upon a visit to the Jesuit -fathers, among the Flatheads, with a view to obtain some assistance for -his school. Mr. Demers was at this time at Vancouver. The missionaries, -not aware of Mr. De Smet’s voyage to Europe, had been long and anxiously -awaiting his arrival in Oregon. About fifteen {42} months had elapsed -since his departure for the east, and the vessel of the Hudson Bay -Company, which had reached Oregon in the spring, brought no intelligence -respecting his movements. Under these circumstances, Mr. Blanchet -and his companions began to be alarmed, when, in the midst of their -apprehensions, the indefatigable Jesuit made his appearance suddenly at -Vancouver, about the beginning of August. On the 9th of January, he had -left Belgium, with four priests, Rev. Fathers Accolti, Nobili, Ravalli, -and Vercruysse and Huybrechts a lay brother,[151] and six religious -ladies of Notre Dame of Namur, and after doubling Cape Horn the vessel -touched at Valparaiso and Lima, for the purpose of obtaining some -information regarding the entrance of the Columbia River and to leave a -part of a cargo.[152] Not having received a satisfactory answer to their -inquiries, they set out again for the north, and continued their course -until they found themselves in latitude 46° 19′, and longitude 123° 54′. -Here the captain passed three days in discovering the mouth of the river, -which was at length made known to him by the sight of a vessel going out. -Though it was growing dark, he immediately despatched an officer towards -the sail to make inquiries concerning {43} the mode of entering the -Columbia; but he did not return with the required information, and the -captain, being thrown upon his own resources, at once made preparations -for entering the river, and proceeded from east to west through a channel -altogether unknown to him. It was the 31st of July, feast of St. Ignatius -of Loyola. As he advanced, by the soundings, he found that the vessel was -in very shallow water, having only two and a half feet under her keel, -although at a considerable distance from the mainland. At this moment, -the safety of the vessel and crew seemed hopeless; but while shipwreck -was staring them in the face, they fell unexpectedly into deeper -soundings; the bar was crossed, and two hours after, the vessel anchored -off Fort George or _Astoria_.[153] {44} Mr. Blanchet and the people -of Willamette no sooner heard of Mr. De Smet’s arrival at Vancouver -than they hastened to meet him. The good father and the colony that -accompanied him, were received with every demonstration of civility by -Dr. McLaughlin and Mr. Douglas, who also tendered one of the company’s -boats to convey the missionary band to Willamette. Their journey to this -place was a real triumph, such was the joy and excitement produced among -the inhabitants by the accession of these new laborers to the vineyard. -The sisters [of] _Notre Dame_ soon occupied the building which had been -undertaken for their purposes, and in the month of December it was opened -as a boarding academy for girls. Father De Smet, about the same time, -directed his course towards the Flatheads, Father Devos having come to -supply his place in the south. The labors of the Jesuits among the tribes -of the north have been crowned with the most abundant success. In 1842, -a new mission, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was founded about eight days’ -journey south of St. Mary’s.[154] In addition to the increased resources -{45} which the mission received in 1844, we must mention also the arrival -of two other Jesuit Fathers and one lay brother, who went to Oregon, by -the way of the Rocky Mountains.[155] - -Such was the state of the country, and such the progress of religion -among the natives and colonists, when Mr. Blanchet received letters from -Canada in November last, informing him that, upon the application of -the Fifth Provincial Council of Baltimore, he had been appointed Vicar -Apostolic of Oregon Territory, and that bulls to that effect, dated -the 1st December, 1843, had been despatched to him. He was immediately -solicited by his fellow-laborers to accept the charge, and at first -determined to go to California for the ceremony of consecration. But -desirous of obtaining a further reinforcement for his extensive mission, -he concluded to visit Europe. Having appointed Rev. Mr. Demers his _Vicar -General_ and _administrator_ of the Vicariate during his absence, he -left Vancouver towards the end of November, arrived on the 22d of May at -London, and thence embarking for this country the 4th of June, in the -Cunard line of steamers, he reached Canada on the 24th of the same month, -after a journey of more than 22,000 miles. Mr. Blanchet recently received -{46} the episcopal consecration in Montreal, and has gone to Europe on -business connected with his mission. Six thousand savages brought within -the fold of the Christian church, form, indeed, but a small number among -the 100,000 who inhabit that immense region; but this success, achieved -in a few years, by a missionary force so limited, and compelled to -grapple with so many difficulties, is a bright and consoling evidence of -what can and will be accomplished by those who have been commissioned to -“go and teach all nations.” - -On the 1st of December, 1843, his Holiness, Gregory XVI, erected Oregon -Territory into an Apostolic Vicariate, and the Rev. Francis N. Blanchet, -was appointed to the episcopal charge of this extensive mission. His -consecration took place in Montreal, C. E., about the middle of the -year 1844. He immediately repaired to Europe, with a view to increase -the resources of his mission, and to devise means for promoting the -interests of religion in Oregon. At his request, and by a recent act of -the Holy See, the Territory of Oregon, from the 42d to the 54th degree -of N. latitude, has been divided into eight diocesses, viz: Oregon City, -Nesqualy, Vancouver’s Island, and Princess Charlotte, {47} on the coast, -and Walla Walla, Fort Hall, Colville, and New Caledonia, in the interior. -These diocesses form an ecclesiastical province, of which Oregon City is -the Metropolitan See. For the present, only three bishops are appointed -for the province, viz: those of Oregon City, Walla Walla, and Vancouver’s -Island, who will have a provisional jurisdiction over the other -diocesses. The episcopal districts of _Vancouver’s Island_, _Princess -Charlotte_, and _New Caledonia_, are not included within the territory -belonging to the United States. The Rt. Rev. Modest Demers, one of the -missionaries that visited Oregon in 1838, has been charged with the See -of Vancouver’s Island, and the administration of the two other districts -in the British portion of the territory. The region within the limits of -the United States embraces the five other diocesses above-mentioned. - - -ARCHDIOCESS OF OREGON CITY - -This district is under the jurisdiction of the Rt. Rev. F. N. Blanchet, -who has also the administration of Nesqualy. - - -DIOCESS OF WALLA WALLA - -This diocess is under the charge of the Rt. {48} Rev. Magloire Blanchet, -who was consecrated in Montreal, on the 27th of September, 1846. He has -also the present administration of Fort Hall and Colville.[156] - -The following clergymen are engaged in the missions of Oregon:— - - Rev. Accolti, Michael, - ” De Smet, Peter J., - ” De Vos, Peter, - ” Hoecken, Adrian, - ” Joset, Joseph, - ” Mengarini, Gregory, - ” Nobili, John, - ” Point, Nicholas, - ” Ravalli, Anthony, - ” Vercruysse, Aloysius, - ” Langlois, Anthony, - ” Bolduc, John Baptist, - -Who are all, with the exception of the last two, members of the Society -of Jesus. - -Archbishop Blanchet lately embarked from Europe, on his way to Oregon, -with ten secular priests and two regulars, three lay brothers of the -Society of Jesus, and seven female religious, for the wants of the -mission. The total number of clergymen is twenty-six. - -{49} Our information is not sufficiently detailed, to allow us to present -the religious statistics of the different diocesses into which Oregon has -been divided. We can only state in general, that since the year 1845, -several new stations have been formed, new churches erected, and a large -number of the aborigines of various tribes converted to the true faith. - -The state of religion is as follows: there are eighteen chapels, viz.: -five in the Willamette Valley; St. Paul’s Cathedral; St. Mary’s at the -Convent of the Sisters; St. Francis Xaverius’ Chapel; the new Church in -the Prairie; St. John’s Church in Oregon City; one at Vancouver; one at -Cowlitz; one at Whitby; four in New Caledonia, to wit: at Stuart’s Lake, -at Fort Alexandria, at the Rapids, and at the Upper Lake; St. Mary’s -Church among the Flatheads; the Church of the Sacred Heart among the -Pointed-Hearts; the Church of St. Ignatius among the Pend-d’oreilles -of the Bay; the Chapel of St. Paul among the Kettle-Fall Tribe near -Colville. The following are stations of 1846, where chapels are to be -erected, to wit: St. Francis Borgia among the Upper Kalispels; St. -Francis Regis in Colville Valley; St. Peter’s at the great Lakes of the -Columbia; the Assumption {50} among the Flatbow Indians; the Holy Heart -of Mary among the Koetenais. - -The institutions that have been commenced in Oregon, consist: 1st, of the -school of St. Mary’s among the Flatheads; 2d, of a college at St. Paul’s, -Willamette; and 3d, of an academy for girls at the same place, under the -charge of six sisters of Notre Dame. Other establishments are soon to be -commenced. - -The total number of Indians in the territory is about 110,000, of whom -upwards of 6,000 have been converted to the true faith. The number of -Catholics among the Canadians and settlers amounts to about 1,500. - - -No. I - -LETTER OF MR. BOLDUC, APOSTOLICAL MISSIONARY - -TO MR. CAYENNE. - - Cowlitz, 15th Feb., 1844. - -SIR,—Nearly a year has elapsed since I had the satisfaction of addressing -you. During that period, I have made many new excursions, of which I now -intend giving you an account. - -From the observations made by the first English navigators who visited -the coasts of America towards the north of the Columbia River, it appears -that the territory bearing the same name, was formerly discovered and -peopled by Spaniards. Even at the present day, we find ruins of birch -edifices, constructed for the purpose of drawing the savage nations to -the knowledge of the gospel. Among the natives, relics have been found -attesting this fact; a certain tribe has possessed for ages a brazen -crucifix, bearing the appearance of great antiquity, when, how, and -by whom it was brought thither, none can tell. It is probable it {52} -may have been introduced at that period, when the Spaniards seized on -California, and formed a settlement on Vancouver’s Island, separated -from Terra Firma by the strait of Juan de Fuca.[157] Gray discovered the -Columbia River; Vancouver ascended it to the point whereon is built the -fort that bears his name, and took possession of the surrounding country. - -The vast territory extending between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific -Ocean is divided into two zones, differing in their climate, soil and -productions. The line of separation runs parallel to the coasts of the -South Sea, from which it is distant about 200 miles. Less woody than the -regions of the West, the eastern part rises into table-land, which forms -the basis of the Mounts Hood, St. Helena, Reignier, and Baker.[158] The -summits of these mountains rise to the height of 15 or 16,000 feet, and -are crowned with eternal snow. Last year, Mounts St. Helena and Baker -became volcanoes. The latter, within the last few months, has undergone -considerable changes on the side where the crater was formed. - -In the oriental zone the climate is dry and salubrious; in winter as -well as summer, rain is very rare. Snow never covers the earth {53} -more than a foot deep; no marshy land is to be found; and the air being -neither foggy nor misty every species of fever is totally unknown. In -the inferior part, from October to March, the rains are continual; thick -clouds envelope the atmosphere, and hide the sun for entire weeks. -When the vapours no longer obscure the air, a mild and vivifying heat -is diffused around. This winter has been quite remarkable by the small -quantity of rain. During the greater part of February and the beginning -of March, the weather was delightful, we could have imagined ourselves in -May. The grass was verdant in the meadows, and strawberries were in full -bloom. - -In March, rain seldom falls; a glowing sun reanimates nature, which soon -appears in her gayest attire. Wheat sown in autumn surpasses in April, -that which we are accustomed to behold in Canada in the month of June. - -During summer, the weather is clear and sultry, sometimes, however, thick -clouds gather around, and appear as if they would burst in torrents over -our heads, but they are soon dissipated without thunder, and without -shedding on the earth a drop of that moisture which she seems to require -to perfect her harvest. - -{54} In June, the rivers, swollen by the melted snow, inundate the -plains, and increase the stagnant water formed by the rains of winter. -The vapors arising from the influence of a meridian sun, cause fever -and ague, which are more frequent when the rivers overflow their banks. -This malady reigns throughout the country from the end of August to -the middle of October, and persons once attacked generally suffer from -its baneful effects for several years; and as I have not escaped this -year, I have every reason to dread a recurrence in the future. You could -scarcely credit the relation of the terrible ravages which this epidemic -causes among the numerous tribes inhabiting the shores of the Columbia. -Entire camps have been swept away by this fatal scourge. When the savages -find themselves attacked by it, they hasten to plunge into the cold -rivers, and die immediately. The whites with proper attention baffle the -distemper. - -I informed you last year, that I intended opening a mission at Puget -Sound; and hoped, if possible, to reach Vancouver’s Island; this project -has been executed, and I will now give you a few details. - -To attain this object, I thought it better not {55} to go alone on the -island; no priest had as yet trodden the soil, and the savages were -little familiarized with the whites. Happily, the Hon. Hudson Bay Company -was about constructing a fort at the southern extremity of the island. -Mr. Douglas, the director of this expedition, generously invited me to -take my passage on board his vessel. Most willingly did I accept the -kind offer, and quitted Cowlitz 7th of March, for Shwally.[159] The -Steamboat Beaver awaited us some days; for, having several preparations -to make, we did not get on board before the morning of the 13th. After -having pursued our course during the day, towards evening we cast anchor -in still water, at a place named Pointe Perdrix, formed by a projection -of the Isle Whitby.[160] Fishing lines were soon prepared, and we had the -satisfaction of procuring an excellent dinner for the next day. We caught -a quantity of beautiful fish, not unlike the cod of Canada, some of them -were four feet in length. - -The waters of Puget Bay are richly stocked; salmon abound, and form -one of the principal resources of the natives. In July, August and -September, more are taken than can be consumed. A small fish, peculiar -to the north-western {56} coast is here found; it comes up the rivers -in spring, and contains such a quantity of oil, that when dried and lit -by the tail it burns like a candle. From this fish the savages extract -excellent oil, which they use for seasoning their food.[161] Early on -the 14th we raised anchor and directed our course towards Juan de Fuca -Strait. We landed, and after having visited a small camp of savages, -belonging to the Tribe of Klalams,[162] we bore away for the southern -point of Vancouver’s Island, whither we arrived about 4 o’clock in the -afternoon.[163] At first, only two canoes were perceived; but, after a -discharge of cannon, we saw the natives issuing from their haunts and -surrounding the steamboat. Next morning, the pirogues (Indian boats) came -from every side. I went on shore with the commander of the expedition -and the captain of the vessel; having received unequivocal proofs of the -good-will of the Indians, I visited their village situated six miles from -the port, at the extremity of the bay. - -Like the surrounding tribes, this one possessed a little fortress, -formed by stakes enclosing about 150 square feet.[164] The inhabitants -endeavor to secure themselves in this manner from the incursions of the -Toungletats, a powerful {57} and warlike tribe; one part of which encamps -on Vancouver’s Island, the other on the continent, north of Frazer’s -River.[165] These ferocious enemies enter the villages by night, massacre -all the men, and carry off the women and children whom they reduce -to slavery. On my arrival, all the tribe, men, women and children, -assembled to shake hands with me; a ceremony which these savages never -omit. They repaired to the great lodge belonging to their chief, where -I spoke to them concerning the existence of a God, the Creator of all -things; of the recompense promised to good actions, and the eternal -chastisements which await the commission of crime. My instructions were -often interrupted by the harangues of my auditors. The following one may -prove interesting: “Chief, listen to my words; ten years ago, I heard -that there was a Master above, who hated evil; and that among the French, -men were to be found who taught the knowledge of this Master. I also -heard that men of this description would come to our home. Since that -time, my heart, which was formerly very wicked, has become good; I no -longer do evil; and since you are come, all hearts are filled with joy.” - -{58} Another day, whilst I was speaking of baptism, and recounting to -them that several nations had caused their children to be baptized, a -man arose and said: “Thy words are good, but we have been told that all -who were baptized among the Kwaitlens, and the Kawitskins (near Frazer -River), died immediately;[166] however, since thou sayest it is a good -thing, we believe thee. If the sacred water will cause us to see the -Great Master after death, baptize all our camp; perform this charity, for -they nearly all die.” I promised I would return the following Sunday, and -confer the sacrament. - -My arrival being noised abroad, several neighboring nations came hither -in crowds. Saturday, the 18th, was employed in constructing a kind of -repository, whereon to celebrate mass the ensuing morn. Mr. Douglas gave -me several of his men to aid in the work. Branches of fir-trees formed -the sides of this rustic chapel; and the awning of the boat, its canopy. -Early Sunday morning, more than twelve hundred savages, belonging to the -three great tribes, Kawitskins, Klalams, and Isanisks, were assembled -in this modest sanctuary.[167] Our commander neglected nothing that -could render the ceremony imposing; he gave me liberty to {59} choose on -board, all that could serve for its decoration. He assisted at the mass -with some Canadians, with two Catholic ladies. It was in the midst of -this numerous assembly, that, for the first time, the sacred mysteries -were celebrated; may the blood of the Spotless Lamb, fertilize this -barren land, and cause it to produce an abundant harvest. This being the -day fixed for the baptism of the children, I repaired to the principal -village accompanied by all who had assisted at the divine service. On -arriving, I was again compelled to present my hand to about 600 persons. -The children were arranged along the sea-coast; I distributed to each -a small piece of paper with a name written thereon; and immediately -commenced the ceremony. It was about ten o’clock in the morning, and I -did not finish before night, the new Christians numbered 102. Though much -exhausted, I was obliged to walk two leagues to rejoin the steamboat. - -According to the plan traced out for our voyage, we were to remain here -but a few days; and then continue our course from fort to fort, until -we arrived at the Russian establishment at Sitka,[168] but the little -vessel bearing the provisions, came not. This delay grieved me {60} much, -for the grand vicar had communicated to me his intention of establishing -at the beginning of summer, a mission in Whitby Isle, and also of -employing me in this work of zeal. Fearing I would not return in time -if I delayed my departure, I resolved immediately to retrace my steps. -I purchased a canoe, and engaged the chief of the Isanisks and ten of -his men to conduct me direct to Whitby Isle. I quitted Vancouver the -24th of March, bearing with me the most lively sentiments of gratitude -towards the commander of the expedition and Captain Brotchie, for all -their kind and delicate attentions. The sea was calm, but the atmosphere -clouded; luckily, I took with me a compass, otherwise I should have -strayed from my course, having twenty-seven miles to traverse. The first -day we reached a little island between the extremity of Vancouver and -the continent where we passed the night.[169] My Indians, having shot -a sea-wolf, made a great feast. You would scarcely believe how much a -savage can devour at a repast; but if he is voracious in time of plenty, -he knows how to fast several successive days without enduring much -fatigue. - -The 25th there arose a strong north-westerly breeze. The rowers, before -quitting the coast, {61} ascended a hill to ascertain if the sea was much -agitated in the middle of the strait; they were some time before they -could decide the point; at last they declared, that with the aid of a -sail, we might brave the danger. A mast was prepared, a blanket affixed -to it, and thus equipped we confided ourselves to the mercy of the waves. -Towards three o’clock we landed at the isle of Whitby; not, however, -without experiencing some danger. - -A great number of savage Klalams and Skadjats came to meet us; I knew, by -reputation, the chief of the Skadjats, and asked to see him.[170] They -replied that he had left two days previously, to meet me at Vancouver’s -island. His two sons presented themselves; one of them, pressing my hand, -said, “My father, Netlan, is not here, he is gone to Ramoon (this is the -name of the southern point of Vancouver’s island); when he learns thou -art here he will soon return. He will be delighted if thou wilt remain -among us, for he is tired saying ‘_Mass_’ every Sunday, and preaching -to these people.” Later, I was informed that his Mass consisted in -explaining to the savages of his tribe the chronological history of -religion (traced on a map), in teaching them to make {62} numberless -signs of the cross, and singing a few canticles with the _Kyrie Eleison_. - -I pitched my tent near the cross planted by Mr. Blanchet when he first -landed in the island, in 1840. The next morning all the camp of the -Skadjats surrounded me to hear the word of God. You may form some idea of -the population of this tribe when I tell you, that I gave my hand to a -file of 650 persons, besides 150 others who had passed the night near my -tent not included in this number: and nearly all the old men and women, -besides the children, had remained in their huts. After the instruction, -several canticles were chanted in such full chorus that the sound was -deafening. - -Several parents had begged me to baptize their children. I repaired to -the village and requested to see all the children, under seven, who had -not received the grace of regeneration. Not one was forgotten; there were -150 present. The ceremony took place in a little meadow, surrounded -by lofty and antique fir-trees. It was not 12 o’clock when I began the -administration of the sacrament, and I did not finish before sun-set. -The day was most beautiful, but the ardent rays of the sun, joined to -the want of a substantial breakfast, caused me to {63} suffer much by -a violent headache. The 27th, the chief of the Skadjats declared to me -that I ought not to be lodged in a cotton house (under a tent); “for this -reason,” added he, “to-morrow thou must tell me in what place we shall -construct thee an abode, and thou wilt see how powerful is the effect -of my words when I speak to my people.” Beholding the good-will of the -chief, I pointed out a little eminence. Immediately afterward I saw two -hundred workmen, some having hatchets to fell the trees, others preparing -to remove them; four of the most skilful undertook the arrangement of the -edifice. In two days all was terminated, and I found myself installed in -a house 28 feet long by 25 in width. The wood was rough, the roof covered -with cedar-bark, and the interior overlaid with rush mats. During the -week I gave them several instructions, and taught them some canticles—for -without singing, the best things are of little value; noise is essential -to their enjoyment. - -I had terminated the exercises of the mission, when several savages -arrived from the continent; as soon as they perceived me, they cast -themselves on their knees, exclaiming, “Priest, priest, during four days -we have travelled to {64} behold thee, we have walked night and day, -and have scarcely tasted any food; now that we see thee our hearts are -joyful, take pity on us; we have learned that there is a Master on high, -but we know not how to speak to him. Come with us, thou wilt baptize our -children as thou didst those of the Skadjats.” I was moved by these -words, and would willingly have followed them to their forests, but it -was impossible to do so, my intended arrival having been announced at -Skwally. I quitted these good Indians the 3d April; during my abode -among them I experienced nothing but consolations which surpassed all my -expectations. - -By this relation you will perceive, sir, that the savages of Puget Bay -show much zeal for religion, yet they do not understand the full extent -of the term. If to be a Christian it were but necessary to know some -prayers, and sing canticles, there is not one among them who would not -adopt the title; but a capital point still to be gained is, a reformation -of morals. As soon as we touch this chord, their ardor is changed into -indifference. In vain the chieftains harangue their inferiors; how can -they expect to make any impression where they are themselves the more -guilty! - -{65} I do not mistrust Divine Providence, but I may say, without exposing -myself to illusion, that our best hopes are centred in the tribes -inhabiting the coasts of the ocean, or which are settled at the mouth of -the numerous tributaries. - - Sir, I have the honor to remain, - - Your very humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _J. B. Z. Bolduc_, - Apostolical Missionary. - - -No. II - -A. M. D. G. - - Sainte Marie du Willamette, 9th October, 1844. - -MY DEAR BROTHER,—On the 28th July, after a tedious navigation of nearly -eight months, we came in sight of the Oregon Territory. Oh! with what -transports of delight we hailed these long-desired shores. What heartfelt -thanksgivings burst from every tongue. All, with one accord, entoned that -magnificent hymn of praise, the “Te Deum.” But these moments of happiness -were not of long duration; they were succeeded by others, of deep -anxiety, as the remembrance of the perils yet to be encountered flashed -upon our minds. We were approaching the “Columbia.” The entrance into -this river is difficult and dangerous, even for seamen provided with good -charts; and our captain, unable to procure any, was, we know, entirely -unacquainted with the rocks and breakers, which, at this season, render -it almost impracticable. - -We soon perceived Cape Disappointment,[171] which seems to point out to -travellers the course {67} they are to pursue. It was growing late, and -the captain resolved to steer out into the open sea, to avoid the danger -of running aground during the night. As the vessel moved slowly onward, -leaving the shore in the distance, we stood upon deck, contemplating -from afar the high mountains and vast forests of Oregon. Here and there -we could distinguish the clouds of smoke curling upwards from the huts -of our poor Indians. This aspect filled my very soul with indescribable -emotions. It would be necessary to be placed in the same position, to -understand fully what were then our feelings. Our hearts palpitated with -joy as we gazed on those boundless regions, over which were scattered -so many abandoned souls—the young, the aged—dying in the shades of -infidelity, for want of missionaries; an evil which we were about to -alleviate, if not for all, at least for a great number. - -The 29th all the fathers celebrated the Holy Sacrifice, wishing to offer -a last violence to heaven, and force, as it were, a benediction on our -mission. The morning was dark and gloomy: so were our spirits. About 10 -o’clock the sky cleared, and allowed us to approach, with caution, the -vast and fearful mouth of the {68} Columbia. We soon discovered immense -breakers, several miles in extent—the infallible sign of a sand bank. The -shoals crossed the river, and seemed to oppose an invincible barrier to -our entrance. This sight filled us with consternation. We felt that to -attempt a passage would be exposing ourselves to an almost certain death. -What was to be done? What become of us? How extricate ourselves from so -perilous a situation? - -On the 30th our captain, from the topmast, caught the glimpse of a -vessel, slowly rounding the Cape, on its way out of the river. This -cheering sight was in a moment snatched from our eager view by an -intervening rock, under the shade of which it cast anchor, to await a -favourable wind. Its appearance, however, led us to conclude that the -passage of the river was yet practicable, and we hoped to be directed -by its course. About 3 o’clock the captain sent the lieutenant, with -three sailors, to sound the breakers, and seek a favorable opening for -our entrance on the morrow, which happened to be the 31st July, feast of -the great “Loyola.” This auspicious coincidence re-animated our hopes, -and roused our drooping courage. Full of confidence in the powerful -protection of our {69} glorious founder, we prostrated ourselves, and -fervently implored him not to abandon us in our extreme need. This duty -accomplished, we hastened on deck, to await the return of the shallop. -It was not until 11 o’clock that their little vessel came alongside -the “Indefatigable.” No one dared interrogate the sailors, for their -dejected countenances foreboded discouraging tidings. However, the -lieutenant assured the captain that he had found no obstacle, and that -he had passed the bar the preceding night, at 11 o’clock, with five -fathoms (30 feet) of water. Immediately were the sails unfurled, and -the “Indefatigable” slowly resumed her majestic course, under the favor -of a rising breeze. The sky was serene, the sun shone with unwonted -brilliancy. For a long time we had not beheld so lovely a day; nothing -but the safe entrance into the river was wanting, to render this the -_most beautiful_ day of our voyage. As we approached, we re-doubled -our prayers. All appeared recollected, and prepared for every event. -Presently our wary captain gave orders to sound. A hardy sailor fastened -himself to the side of the vessel, and lowered the plummet. Soon was -heard the cry, “Seven fathoms.” At intervals the cry was repeated: -“Six fathoms,” {70} “Five fathoms.” It may be imagined how our hearts -palpitated at each reiteration. But when we heard the thrilling cry of -“_Three fathoms_,” all hope vanished. At one moment it was thought the -vessel would be dashed against the reefs. The lieutenant said to the -captain, “We are between life and death; but we must advance.” The Lord -had not resolved on our destruction, but He wished to test the faith -of his servants. In a few moments the tidings of four fathoms roused -our sinking spirits: we breathed once more, but the danger yet impended -over us; we had still to sail two miles amidst these fearful breakers. -A second time is heard the chilling cry of “Three fathoms!” “We have -mistaken our route,” exclaimed the lieutenant. “Bah!” exclaimed the -captain, “do you not see that the Indefatigable passes over everything? -Keep on.” Heaven was for us; otherwise, neither the skill of our captain, -nor the sailors’ activity, could have rescued us from inevitable death. -We were amidst the southern channel, which no vessel had ever crossed. A -few moments after we learned that our escape had been miraculous. - -Our vessel had, at first, taken the right course for entering the river, -but, not far from its mouth, the Columbia divides into two branches, -{71} forming, as it were, two channels. The northern, near Cape -Disappointment, is the one we should have followed; the southern is not -frequented, owing to the tremendous breakers that obstruct its entrance -over which we had passed, the first, and probably the last. We also -learned, that the deputy of Fort Astoria, having descried our vessel two -days before, hastened, with some savages, to the extremity of the cape, -and endeavored, by means of large fires, hoisted flags, and the firing -of guns, to warn us of danger. We had, indeed, perceived these signals, -but without suspecting they were intended for us. God, no doubt, wished -to show us that he is sufficiently powerful to expose us to peril, and to -withdraw us from it unharmed. Glory to His holy name! glory, also, to St. -Ignatius, who so visibly protected his children on this, his festal day. - -About 4½, a canoe approached us: it contained Clatsop Indians, commanded -by an American resident of the coast.[172] The whoop of these wild men of -the forest much astonished our fathers, and the sisters of Notre Dame. -The only word we could distinguish was “Catche,” which they vociferated -countless times. Our captain made them a sign to approach, and permitted -them to {72} come on board. The American immediately accosted me, and -spoke of our perilous situation, saying, that he would have come to our -aid, but his Indians refused to brave the danger. The Indians, on their -side, endeavored by signs to make us comprehend how great had been their -terror, for, at every moment, they expected to see our vessel dashed -into a thousand pieces. They had wept for us, convinced, that without -the intervention of the “Great Spirit,” we could never have escaped the -dangers. Verily, these brave savages were not mistaken. All who know the -history of our passage affirm the same; they cease not to congratulate us -on so miraculous an escape. - -The second visit we received, was from some Tchinouks, a small tribe, -inhabiting the immense forests of the northern shore. The Clatsops, -whose number amounts to not more than one hundred and fifty men, occupy -the southern shore. The Tchinouks inhabit three villages beyond the -forest. The men wrap themselves in blankets when they appear before the -“whites,” and are excessively vain of their collars and ear-rings. Their -disposition is extremely sociable, and we found it necessary to be on the -reserve, to prevent their too great familiarity. {73} They are content, -provided they be not driven away, and they require no further attention -paid them. They are of a peaceable temper, and, as their wants are easily -supplied, they lead an inactive and indolent life. Fishing and the chase -form their sole occupation. Game abounds in their forests, and their -rivers are teeming with salmon. After providing for their daily wants, -they spend entire hours motionless, basking in the sun; it is needless to -add, they live in the most profound ignorance of religion. These are the -Indians who have the custom of flattening their children’s heads. - -The following morning we perceived a small skiff making its way towards -us. It belonged to Mr. Burney, the gentleman who, in our recent danger, -had acted so friendly a part.[173] He accosted us with the utmost -kindness, and invited us to return with him to Fort Astoria, of which -he is the Superintendant, that his wife and children might have the -pleasure of seeing us. Persuaded, that after so tedious a voyage, the -visit would be agreeable to all parties, I readily consented. Whilst this -hospitable family were preparing dinner we made a little excursion into -the neighboring forest. We were in admiration of the immense height and -prodigious {74} bulk of the fir trees, many of which were two hundred -feet high, and four and a half in diameter. We beheld one which measured -forty-two feet in circumference. - -After a ramble of two hours, Mr. Burney re-conducted us to the fort. - -In a second promenade several of our company greatly admired the tombs -of the savage. The deceased is placed in a sort of canoe, or hollow -trunk of a tree; the body is then covered with mats or skins; and the -savage entombing consists in thus suspending the corpse to the branches -of trees, or exposing it on the banks of the river. In one place we saw -about twelve of these sepulchres; they are ordinarily found in places -of difficult access, the better to secure them from the rapine of wild -beasts.[174] Not far from this cemetery one of our fathers, more curious -than the others, wandered a little distance into the woods; he speedily -hastened back, apparently in a panic, saying that he had seen the _muzzle -of a bear_, which did not look very tame. - -I set out for Fort Vancouver the 2d August, wishing to reach there -before my companions, that I might inform the Rev. Mr. Blanchet of our -happy arrival. As to our fathers, the remainder {75} of their voyage may -be summed up in few words. On the 3d and 4th their vessel was almost -stationary, for want of a favorable wind. At a glance, their three days’ -voyage might be measured. Towards evening a gentle breeze sprung up, and -thus permitted them to pursue their course. In a few hours they passed -the rocks, extending the distance of six leagues. They were then enabled -to keep the centre of the river, where the numerous windings of the -stream compelled them to make continual manœuvres. - -In this place the river is most magnificent: the smooth polished surface -of the waters—the rapid current, almost concealed from view by the -contraction of its rocky bed—the sullen roaring of the waterfalls and -cascades—produce upon the mind an effect of sublimity and grandeur not -to be described. One is never weary admiring the richness, beauty, and -variety of these solitary regions. The shores on either side are bordered -by lofty forests, and crowned with thickly-wooded forests. It is more -especially in the _forest_ that the grand, the picturesque, the sublime, -the beautiful, form the most singular and fantastic combinations. From -the loftiest giants of the forest down to the humblest {76} shrubs, _all_ -excite the spectator’s astonishment. The parasites form a characteristic -feature of these woodlands. They cling to the tree, climb it to a certain -height, and then, letting their tops fall to the earth, again take -root—again shoot up—push from branch to branch—from tree to tree, in -every direction—until tangled, twisted, and knotted in every possible -form, they festoon the whole forest with drapery in which a ground-work -of the richest verdure is diversified with garlands of the most varied -and many-colored flowers. In ascending the Columbia we meet, from time -to time, with bays of considerable extent, interspersed with handsome -little islands, which, thrown, as it were, like groups of flowers and -verdure, present a charming spectacle. Here the painter should go to -study his art—here would he find the loveliest scenery, the most varied -and brilliant coloring. At every step the scene becomes more ravishing; -the perspective more noble and majestic. In no other part of the world is -nature so great a _coquette_ as here. - -At length, on the 5th August, the vessel arrived at Fort Vancouver, about -7 o’clock in the evening. The governor, an excellent and truly pious -man, together with his lady, and the most {77} respectable personages -of the place, were assembled on the shore to receive us. As soon as the -ship had cast anchor we landed, and hastened to the fort, where we were -received and treated with all possible cordiality. Here we were obliged -to tarry eight days, for the Rev. Mr. Blanchet, who did not arrive till -the 12th, not having received my letter, informing him of our arrival. No -sooner was he aware of it than he hastened to join us, bringing with him -a considerable number of parishioners. He had travelled the entire night -and day, and we were delighted to meet this indefatigable clergyman. -Though so comfortably situated at the fort, yet we were anxious to arrive -as soon as possible at the place destined us by Divine Providence. The -pious religious likewise sighed after their convent home of Willamette. -Monsieur Blanchet accordingly made the necessary arrangement for our -departure, and we left Fort Vancouver on the 14th. - -An affecting adieu awaited us. Our worthy captain stood upon the shore. -The emotion was sensibly felt by each one of us. For eight months we had -shared the same dangers, and so often stood together, gazing in the very -face of death: could we then restrain the parting {78} tear, which seemed -to gush from the fountain of the heart, as we remembered his kindness. - -Our little squadron consisted of four canoes, manned by the parishioners -of Mr. Blanchet, and our own sloop. We sailed up the river, and soon -entered the Willamette, whose waters flow into the Columbia. - -As night approached we moored our vessels and encamped upon the shore. -There, grouped around the fire, we partook of our evening meal. The -night was calm and serene—all nature was hushed in profound silence—all -invited us to repose; but the swarms of musquetoes with which these woods -abound, prevented our slumber. The religious, to whom we had yielded the -tent, suffered equally with those who had nothing but the star-spangled -canopy of heaven above them. You will not, consequently, be surprised, -that the night appeared somewhat long, and that the morning’s dawn found -us on foot. It was the festival of the glorious Assumption of the Mother -of God, which, in these regions, is usually solemnized on the following -Sunday. Aided by the religious, I erected a small altar. Mr. Blanchet -offered the Holy Sacrifice, at which all communicated. - -Finally, the 17th, about 11 o’clock, we came {79} in sight of our -dear mission of Willamette. Mr. Blanchet charged himself with the -transportation of our baggage. A cart was procured to conduct the -religious to their dwelling, which is about five miles from the river. In -two hours we were all assembled in the chapel of Willamette, to adore and -thank our Divine Saviour, by the solemn chanting of the Te Deum, in which -all hearts and lips joined with lively emotion. - -Early in the morning of Sunday, the 18th, the day on which the Assumption -is celebrated here, we saw the Canadian cavaliers arriving in crowds -with their wives and children, whom they had brought from great -distances, to assist at the solemn services of the church. - -At 9 o’clock all were arranged in perfect order in the church; the men -on one side, the women on the other. The Rev. Mr. Blanchet celebrated -the August Sacrifice, assisted by twenty acolytes. The piety of his -parishioners contributed much to our edification. - -On arriving at the mission of St. Paul, of Willamette, we proceeded -at once to the residence of the Very Rev. Mr. Blanchet, who received -us with the greatest kindness, and immediately placed at our disposal -everything on {80} the place. My first care was, to seek some convenient -locality where, according to the plan of our Very Rev. Father General, -a mother mission could be established. For this purpose I made several -unsuccessful excursions into the adjacent country. The most eligible -situations were already occupied. The Methodists, indeed, offered to sell -me their Academy, which is a sufficiently large and handsome house, but -entirely destitute of wood and arable land.[175] In this perplexity Mr. -Blanchet relieved me, by a generous and disinterested offer. He proposed -to examine the property belonging to the mission, and take such portions -of it as I should judge most proper for our projected establishment. We -accordingly set out on this new excursion; but we had scarcely proceeded -two miles when we came to a point uniting every desirable advantage. -Picture to yourself an immense plain extending as far as the eye can -reach; on one side the snowy crests of the gigantic Hood, Jefferson, and -St. Helena (the three highest peaks of Oregon), towering majestically -upwards, and losing themselves in the clouds; on the east a long range -of distant hills, their blue-tinged summits melting, as it were, into -the deep azure of the sky; on the west the {81} limpid waters of two -small lakes, on whose beautiful shores the beaver, the otter, and the -musk-rat, sport in careless security, heedless of our presence. The -elevation on which we were standing, gradually sloping downward, and -forming a charming amphitheatre, extended to the borders of one of the -lakes. I hesitated not a moment in selecting this spot for the mother -mission. The sweet recollections of our first establishment on the -Missouri returned to my mind; and the remembrance of the rapid progress -of the Mission of St. Stanislaus, near St. Ferdinand, whose branches -now extend over the greater part of Missouri, Ohio, Louisiana, reaching -even the Rocky Mountains, and penetrating to the eastern boundary of -America, led me to breathe a fervent prayer, that here, also, might be -formed a station, whence the torch of faith would diffuse its cheering -light among the benighted tribes of this immense Territory. We have -also a fine view of the Willamette River, which, in this place, makes a -sudden bend, continuing its course amidst dense forests, which promise -an almost inexhaustible supply of materials for the construction of -our mission house. In no part of this region have I met with a more -luxuriant growth of pine, fir, elm, {82} oak, buttonball, and yew trees. -The intervening country is beautifully diversified with shadowy groves -and smiling plains, whose rich soil yields abundant harvests, sufficient -for the maintenance of a large establishment. Besides these advantages, -there are a number of springs, on one side of the hill, one of which is -not more than 100 feet from the house, and it will probably be of great -use hereafter.[176] Having now made choice of the locality, we commenced -without delay the erection of the buildings. The first thing to be done -was to clear the ground by cutting away the under-brush and isolated -trees, after which, with the aid of the inhabitants, we constructed three -wooden buildings, covered by a single roof of 90 feet; these were to -serve as workshops for the brother blacksmith, carpenter, etc. - -Besides these, a house, 45 by 35 feet, is now under way. It is to be two -stories, and will be the dwelling-house of the missionaries. - -We arrived in the Oregon Territory during the prevalence of a disease -(bloody flux) which was considered contagious, though the physicians -attributed it to the unwholesome properties of the river-water. Numbers -of savages fell victims to it, especially among the Tchinouks, {83} and -the Indians of the Cascades, large parties of whom encamped along the -banks of the river, on their way to Vancouver, to obtain the aid of a -physician. Those who could not proceed were abandoned by their friends; -and it was truly painful to see these poor creatures stretched out, and -expiring on the sand. The greater part of our sailors, and three of the -sisters, were attacked by the pestilence; the Rev. Father Accolti also -experienced its terrible effects; for myself, I was obliged to keep -my bed during 15 long days, and to observe a rigorous diet. But the -captain of our vessel was the greatest sufferer. The disease attacked -him so violently, that I seriously fear he will never again return to -the cherished family—the affectionate wife and children of whom he -used daily to speak with so much tenderness. He was a worthy man—an -experienced and skilful navigator; I esteemed him highly, although I -could not forbear blaming him for the little courage he had shown in -repressing the profane language of one of the passengers, who, from the -time of his embarkation until we landed him at Fort Vancouver, had never -ceased to offend our ears by his horrid oaths. The Almighty has denounced -his curse against the blasphemer; {84} and sooner or later it will fall -upon him. Poor “Indefatigable,” I tremble for thy fate. - -The winter was rapidly approaching, and, notwithstanding my weak state, I -could not resist my pressing desire to visit, once more, my dear Indians -of the mountains, who, on their side, await my return with the greatest -impatience, as I was informed by the Rev. F. Mengarini, who had come to -meet me.[177] To-day I shall have the happiness to set out for the Rocky -Mountains. - - I am, &c., - - _P. J. De Smet_. - -P. S.—On the 9th September the good sisters commenced instructing the -women and children, who were preparing for their first communion. As -their house was not yet habitable, they were obliged to give their -instructions in the open air. In three days’ time they had already 19 -pupils, from 16 to 60 years of age, all of whom came from a distance, -bringing with them provisions for several days, and sleeping in the -woods, exposed to all the inclemencies of the weather. It is easy to -conceive by this how eager these poor people are for instruction. Each -day the sisters devote six hours to teaching {85} them the usual prayers, -and manner of making the sign of the cross. On one occasion, it was -discovered that a woman had remained two days without food; the dogs had -devoured her little provision, and, lest she should miss the instruction, -she was unwilling to go home for another supply. - -24th.—The convent having as yet neither doors nor sashes, owing to the -scarcity of mechanics, some of these good Sisters were seen endeavoring -to handle the plane, others glazing, painting the windows and doors, &c. -They were the more ardently desirous for the completion of their new -habitation, as already thirty Canadian pupils had been offered them; and -thus would they be enabled to procure the means of giving a gratuitous -support and protection to the hapless orphans of the forests. These poor -children, rescued from their destitute condition, and placed under the -benign care of the kind Sisters, would enjoy the blessings of a Christian -education, and become, one day, co-operators in the mission. But, to -effect this, and to realize the cheering hopes it holds forth, funds -must be raised to provide the necessary clothing for the orphans, as -the profits arising from the school will not be more than sufficient to -defray {86} the expenses of their board. I here give you the brilliant -prospectus of their Academy. Per quarter, 100 lbs flour, 25 lbs pork, or -36 of beef, 1 sack of potatoes, 4 lbs hogs’ lard, 3 gallons peas, 3 doz. -eggs, 1 gallon salt, 4 lbs candles, 1 lb tea, 4 lbs rice. - -The Sisters took possession of their convent in the month of October; a -few days after, their chapel was solemnly consecrated by the Rev. Mr. -Blanchet; and they have since enjoyed the happiness of assisting every -day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, offered up at their simple altar -by one of the missionaries, stationed at St. Francis Xavier.[178] They -have also twice had the consolation of presenting at the table of the -Lord the little band of fervent neophytes, whom they had prepared with -so much care, for this solemn action. This success, in so short a time, -has induced us to conceive the project of founding another house of this -order in the village of Cuhute.[179] Monsieur Blanchet and Father De -Vos think, that the departure of the Protestant ministers, on account -of their fruitless labors, renders this an auspicious moment for the -establishment of a religious house. The station of Willamette would -furnish occupation sufficient for twelve Sisters, but unfortunately they -are but six in number. - -{87} We learn with pleasure that it is the intention of Monseigneur -Blanchet to visit Europe immediately after his consecration, in order -to obtain, if possible, twelve more of these zealous and devoted -religious, for the mission. God grant he may succeed; and that the want -of pecuniary means may not oppose an insurmountable obstacle to the -generous sacrifice, which, we are all well-assured, the pious Sisters of -the Congregation of Notre Dame are disposed to make again in our behalf. - - -No. III - -A. M. D. G. - - At the Foot of the Great Glaciere, one of the Upper Sources - of the Athabasca River, May 6th, 1846. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—I am late, but not forgetful of my duty and promises, for I -will remember the many obligations I have contracted, and the happy hours -I passed, when travelling in your paternity’s company. I now come to -redeem them, by troubling you with a dozen Rocky Mountain letters,[180] -including a narrative of my last year’s excursions and missions among -several Indian tribes; of what I have seen and heard; and of what -happened, as I was travelling along. I hope my letters may be consoling -to you, and serve as a proof that the work of God is progressing among -the long-benighted children of the Oregon desert, and among the lonely -tribes on the northern waters of the great Mackenzie River. Four priests -from Red River will soon find ample employment in the dreary regions of -the Hudson Bay Territory. How lamentable it is, that the great western -desert alone, extending from the States to the eastern {89} base of the -Rocky Mountains, and south to the Mexican lines, should be lying waste. -This would, indeed, present an extensive field to the zeal of Catholic -missionaries; and, from my personal observations, and those of all the -priests who have passed this desert, their efforts would be crowned with -the greatest success. Indians are, in general, carelessly judged and -little known in the civilized world; people will form their opinions from -what they see among the Indians on the frontiers, where the “fire water,” -and all the degrading vices of the whites have caused the greatest havoc. -The farther one penetrates into the desert the better he finds the -aborigines; and, in general, I found them most willing and anxious to -receive religious instruction, and to hear the good tidings of salvation. - -A bishop, and two or three priests, who would make it their business to -visit the different tribes of this vast land, remaining among each of the -tribes a reasonable and sufficient time to instruct the Indians, would -most certainly meet with the most abundant harvest; the scalping-knife -might thus soon be laid aside, and where the Indian war-whoop has for -centuries resounded, might be heard in its stead, {90} the canticles -and praises of the true and only living God. The idea of collecting -and settling these wandering nations, would, in my humble opinion, be -impossible, or, at least, a very slow work. The Indians might be made -good Christians, and still continue, at the same time, to lead a hunter’s -life, as long as buffalo and deer will supply their wants. - -Nothing, but the interest I feel for these poor people, and the assurance -I have that they will find a patron and friend in your paternity, make -me bold enough to make an appeal to you in their favor, so that a speedy -remedy may be applied to the existing and most distressing want of this -large district of the United States. Thousands of whites are well cared -for and are straying from the true path—the Indians have likewise souls -to be saved, redeemed by the Saviour’s precious blood, and thousands of -these bereft children are most anxious to enjoy the salutary blessings -with which their white brethren are favored. - -I remain, with the greatest esteem and respect, recommending myself at -the same time to your holy sacrifices and prayers. - -Your very humble and obedient servant in Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. IV - -A. M. D. G. - - St. Francis Xavier, Willamette, June 20th, 1845. - -RIGHT REV. BISHOP,[181] - -SIR,—In the beginning of February, I set out to visit our different -settlements and stations, and to form new ones among the neighboring -tribes of our reductions. The entire surface of this region was then -covered with snow, five feet deep; and I was compelled to go from the Bay -of Pends-d’oreilles to the Horse Plain, in a bark canoe, a distance of -250 miles.[182] - -I was among my dear _Flatheads_ and _Pends-d’oreilles_[183] (ear-rings) -of the mountains, during the Paschal time, and had the great consolation -of finding them replete with zeal and fervor in fulfilling the duties of -true children of prayer. The solemn feast of Easter, all the _Flatheads_ -at St. Mary’s devoutly approached the most blessed sacrament during my -mass; and about three hundred _Pends-d’oreilles_, (the greater number -adults), belonging to the station of St. Francis {92} Borgia,[184] -presented themselves at the baptismal font. Five chiefs were among the -number; the most distinguished are _Stiettiedloodsho_, or chieftain of -the Tribe Valiant; _Selpisto_, the head chieftain, and _Chalax_, that is -to say the _White Robe_, surnamed the Juggler or great medicine man.[185] -The word _medicine man_, in their language, is synonymous with juggler. - -How consoling it is to pour the regenerating waters of baptism on the -furrowed and scarified brows of these desert warriors,—to behold these -children of the plains and forests emerging from that profound ignorance -and superstition in which they have been for so many ages deeply and -darkly enveloped; to see them embrace the faith and all its sacred -practices, with an eagerness, an attention, a zeal, worthy the pristine -Christians. - -[Illustration: Interior of St. Mary’s Church, Flat-head Mission: -Communion at Easter - -(See Letter 4th)] - -Were I to give you the history of these chiefs, I should greatly exceed -the limits I have proposed. Suffice it to say, that these heroes of -the Rocky Mountains have been for years the terror of their enemies. -Chalax had acquired great celebrity _as a juggler_, and in predicting -future events; if we may credit the _Kalispels_ and the whites who have -travelled in company with him, these prophecies have been verified. -{93} He indicated the day, the place, and the number of _Blackfeet_ -who would attack their camp. Having interrogated him relative to this -affair, he, with great simplicity and candor, replied: “I am called -the Great Doctor, yet, never have I given myself up to the practices -of juggling, nor condescended to exercise its deceptions. I derive all -my strength from prayer; when in a hostile country, I address myself to -the Master of life, and offer Him my heart and soul, entreating him to -protect us against our enemies. A voice had already warned me of coming -danger; I then recommend prudence and vigilance throughout the camp; -for the monitory voice has never deceived me. I have now a favor to -request: the mysterious voice calls me by the name of _Chalax_, and, if -you will permit, I desire to bear that name until my death.” I willingly -consented, and then explained to him the ceremony of the _White Garment_ -he was about to receive, in the holy sacrament of baptism. To the name of -_Chalax_ I affixed that of the Prince of the Apostles. This is the same -chief, who on my first visit to the mountains, aided by only sixty men, -sustained during five days, an obstinate struggle against 200 lodges of -_Blackfeet_, whom he put to flight, {94} leaving on the ground eighty -men, whilst among the _Flatheads_ only one man was wounded. He died three -months after. - -With regret I parted from these good Indians, and my beloved brothers in -Jesus Christ, the Rev. Fathers Mengarini, Zerbinati, and four coadjutor -brothers; who are laboring with indefatigable zeal in this portion of our -Lord’s vineyard. - -As the snow was fast disappearing, the Kalispels of the bay were awaiting -my arrival. I re-entered my fragile canoe, guided by two Indians, and -made all possible haste to descend Clarke’s River. You may judge of its -impetuosity when I inform you, that we were sixteen days ascending the -river, and but four in descending the same. On returning to the bay, -accompanied by Rev. Father Hocken and several chiefs, my first care -was to examine the lands belonging to this portion of the Tribe of -Kalispels, and select a fit site for erecting the new establishment of -St. Ignatius.[186] We found a vast and beautiful prairie, three miles in -extent, surrounded by cedar and pine, in the neighborhood of the cavern -of New Manrese,[187] and its quarries, and a fall of water more than two -hundred feet, presenting every advantage {95} for the erection of mills. -I felled the first tree, and after having taken all necessary measures -to expedite the work, I departed for Walla Walla, where I embarked in -a small boat and descended the Columbia, as far as Fort Vancouver. -The melting of the snow had occasioned a considerable freshet, and -our descent was very rapid. The place was indicated to me where a few -months previously, four travellers from the United States had miserably -perished, victims of their own temerity and presumption. When advised to -provide themselves with a guide, they answered they had no need of any; -and when warned that the river was dangerous and deceptive, the pilot, -with a scoffing boast, replied, “I am capable of guiding my barge, were -it even across the infernal gulf.” The monitor wished them a fortunate -voyage, but at the same time trembled for their fate, saying: “This pilot -is not a native Indian, he is not an Iroquois, nor even a Canadian.” The -turbulent stream soon engulfed its presumptuous and daring victims. They -steered out into the midst of the river, and in an instant the canoe was -borne along with the rapidity of lightning, leaving in its train a thick -foam, caused by the violent plying of oars. Approaching the rapids, {96} -they fearlessly hurried onward—alas, their fate was soon to be decided. -Drawn by the eddy into the centre of a whirlpool, vainly they struggled -to extricate themselves—they beheld the dread abyss yawning to receive -its prey! Yet, an instant, the ill-fated barge twirled upon the surface, -and then sank, amidst the despairing shrieks of the helpless crew, -which the roaring waves rendered the more appalling, whilst the dismal -sounds re-echoing from shore to shore, proclaimed the new disaster of -the “Columbia.” Soon the waters resumed their wonted course, and left -no trace of the sad catastrophe. This fatal spot might appropriately -be designated, Presumptive’s Rapids; doubtless, it will be a lesson -to future boasters, not to venture, without pilot or guide, upon this -formidable tributary of the western ocean. - -After a prosperous voyage of five days, I debarked at Vancouver, where -I had the happiness of meeting Father Nobili, who, during eight months, -had applied himself to study the Indian language, while he exercised his -sacred ministry among the Catholics of the fort and the Indians of the -neighborhood. More than a tenth of the latter had been swept off by a -mortal disease; happily, they all had the consolation {97} of receiving -baptism before they expired. - -Father Nobili accompanied me in a Tchinouk canoe, up the beautiful -River of Multonomah or Willamette, a distance of about sixty miles, as -far as the village of Champois,[188] three miles from our residence of -St. Francis Xavier. On our arrival all the fathers came to meet us, -and great was our delight in being again reunited after a long winter -season. The Italian fathers had applied themselves chiefly to the study -of languages. Father Ravalli, being skilled in medicine, rendered -considerable services to the inhabitants of St. Paul’s Mission; for every -dwelling contained several sick. Father Vercruysse, at the request of -Right Rev. Bishop Blanchet, opened a mission among the Canadians who were -distant from St. Paul’s, and he succeeded in causing them to contribute -to the erection of a new church, in a central location. Father De Vos is -the only one of our fathers of Willamette who speaks English. He devotes -his whole attention to the Americans, whose number already exceeds 4,000. -There are several Catholic families, and our dissenting brethren seem -well disposed; many among them are eager to be instructed in the Catholic -faith. - -{98} Nowhere does religion make greater progress, or present brighter -prospects for the future, than in Oregon Territory. The Very Rev. Mr. -Demers, Vicar General and Administrator of the diocess in the absence -of the bishop, is preparing to build a brick cathedral. There is now -being built, under his superintendence, a fine church at the Falls of -Willamette, where, three years ago, was commenced the first town of -Oregon.[189] This rising village numbers more than 100 houses. Several -lots have been selected for a convent and two schools. A Catholic church -has been erected at Vancouver. - -The Convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame is fast progressing, and it -will be the finest building of Willamette. The church is eighty feet -long, and proportionably wide; it is under the invocation of the Blessed -Virgin. The religious have already fifty boarders. The Bishop’s College, -under the management of the Very Rev. Mr. Bolduc, is very prosperous. The -number of pupils has augmented; forty young men, chiefly _Metis_, are -receiving a Christian education. Some years ago, a church was erected at -Cowlitz, and the inhabitants are now preparing to construct a convent -under the direction of Rev. Mr. Langlois. - -{99} Our residence of St. Francis Xavier is completed; it will hereafter -serve for a novitiate and seminary, to prepare young men for the missions. - -Measures, which I trust will be realized, have been taken by our fathers -for visiting, during this year, the numerous tribes inhabiting the -Pacific coast north and south of the Columbia; where, already, the visits -of the bishop and his grand vicar have been so productive of favorable -results. The 17th Feb., 1842, Bishop Blanchet thus wrote to the Bishop of -Quebec: “God has deigned to bless our labors, and to fructify the divine -word. The adorable name of Jesus has been announced to new nations of the -north. Mr. Demers bent his steps to Fort Langley on Frazer’s River, in -which place he administered baptism to upwards of 700 children. Many of -them already enjoy the precious fruits of regenerating grace.” - -In my preceding letters, I gave you the details of our missions among -the mountains of the higher Oregon; of the conversion of two tribes, -the _Flatheads_ and the _Cœurs-d’Alène_ or _Pointed Hearts_; of the -first communion of the latter, and conversion of several _Kalispels_ -of the Bay, on the solemn festival of Christmas. From {100} 1839, -when the mission was established, to July, 1845, the reverend Canadian -missionaries baptized 3,000 persons. The number of Catholics residing at -the different stations of the Hon. Hudson Bay Co. in Oregon, together -with the colonists of the same nation, amounts to several hundreds. -By adding to these 2857 baptized since 1841 in the different mountain -missions, it gives us a total of more than 6,000 Catholics in Oregon. The -diminutive grain of mustard is fast extending far and wide its branches, -over this once sterile and neglected region. In the month of June, Father -Nobili, accompanied by a brother novice, left Willamette to visit the -tribes of New Caledonia. The Very Rev. Mr. Demers saw the following named -tribes: _Kameloups_, the _Atnans_ or _Shouwapemot_, the _Porteurs_ or -_Ltavten_, which names vary according to the different places where the -tents are pitched.[190] They affix the word ten which signifies people, -i. e., _Stelaoten_, _Nashkoten_, _Tchilkoten_, _Nazeteoten_.[191] Rev. -Mr. Demers had the consolation of baptizing 436 children among these -tribes. - -Such has since been the fervor and zeal of these poor Indians; who, -though deprived of a priest, have built three churches, hoping that a -{101} nepapayattok, or father would settle among them. - -Many Catholics reside in the different forts of this country. The -honorable gentlemen of the Hudson Bay Co., although Protestants, were -strongly interested in favor of these savages, and did all in their power -to facilitate the introduction of a clergyman into this portion of their -jurisdiction. - -I have the honor to be, with the most profound respect and esteem, -Monseigneur, your most humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ. - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. V - -A. M. D. G. - - Kalispel Bay, Aug. 7th, 1845. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—A few days after the departure of Father Nobili, who -obtained a place in a barge belonging to the Hon. Hudson Bay Co., I -started from St. Francis Xavier’s with eleven horses laden with ploughs, -spades, pickaxes, scythes, and carpenters’ implements. My companions -were the good Brother McGill,[192] and two metis or mongrels. We -encountered many obstacles and difficulties among the mountains, owing -to the cascades formed by the water, which, at this season, descends -on every side in torrents, and with irresistible fury upon the rocks, -over which we were compelled to cross. In the narrow valleys between -these mountains, the rhododendron displays all its strength and beauty; -it rises to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. Entire groves are -formed by thousands of these shrubs, whose clustering branches entwine -themselves in beautiful green {103} arches, adorned with innumerable -bouquets of splendid flowers, varying their hues from the pure white, to -the deepened tint of the crimsoned rose. - -Our path was strewed with the whitened bones of horses and oxen, -melancholy testimonies of the miseries endured by other travellers -through these regions. We passed the foot of Mt. Hood, the most elevated -of this stupendous chain. It is covered with snow, and rises 16,000 -feet above the level of the sea.[193] Capt. Wyeth, on beholding this -ridge from the summit of the Blue Mountains, thus speaks of it in his -journal:—“The traveller on advancing westerly, even at the distance of -160 miles, beholds the peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Several of them -rise 16,000 feet above the level of the sea. Every other natural wonder -seems to dwindle, as it were, into insignificance when compared to -this.”[194] From one single spot I contemplated seven of these majestic -summits extending from north to south, whose dazzling white and conic -form resemble a sugar loaf. - -We were twenty days going from Willamette to Walla Walla, across desert -and undulating lands, abounding in absinthium or wormwood, cactus, tufted -grass, and several species of such {104} plants and herbs as are chiefly -found in a sterile and sandy soil. - -Game is scarce in these latitudes; however, we found large partridges -and pheasants, aquatic fowls, small birds of various kinds, hares and -rabbits. Salamanders swarm in sandy places, and armadilloes are not -rare in the vicinity of the great Dalles. Fort Walla Walla is situated -in latitude 46° 2′, and longitude 119° 30′. The sandy neighborhood of -this settlement likens it to a little Arabia. The River Walla Walla pours -its waters a mile distant from the fort. The lowlands, when watered, are -tolerably fertile, and produce maize, wheat, potatoes, and pulse of every -kind. Cows and hogs are easily raised, and horses abound in this part of -the country. - -Having already spoken to you of the desert Nez-Percé and Spokane, I have -nothing further to add relative to this dreary region. On advancing -easterly towards the Blue Mountains, we find beautiful and fertile -plains, interspersed with limpid and wholesome streams. The valleys are -picturesque, covered with luxuriant prairies, and forests of pine and -fir. The _Nez-Percé Kayuses_ inhabit these delightful pastures.[195] They -are the most wealthy tribes in Oregon; {105} even some private families -possess 1500 horses. The savages successfully cultivate potatoes, pease, -corn, and several kinds of vegetables and fruits. No situation affords -finer grazing for cattle; even in winter they find an abundance, nor do -they need shelter from the inclemency of the weather. Snow is never seen, -and the rains are neither destructive nor superabundant. - -About the middle of July, I arrived safely with all my effects, at the -Bay of Kalispels. In my absence the number of neophytes had considerably -increased. On the feast of the Ascension, Father Hocken had the happiness -of baptizing more than one hundred adults. Since my departure in the -spring, our little colony has built four houses, prepared materials for -constructing a small church, and enclosed a field of 300 acres. More -than four hundred _Kalispels_, computing adults and children have been -baptized. They are all animated with fervor and zeal; they make use of -the hatchet and plough, being resolved to abandon an itinerant life -for a permanent abode. The beautiful falls of the Columbia, called the -Chaudières,[196] in the vicinity of Fort Colville, are distant two days’ -journey from our new residence of St. Ignatius. - -From eight to nine hundred savages were {106} there assembled for the -salmon fishery. I repaired thither in time to spend with them the nine -days preceding the feast of our holy founder. Within the last four years, -considerable numbers of these Indians were visited by the “black-gowns,” -who administered the sacrament of baptism. I was received by my dear -Indians with filial joy and tenderness. I caused my little chapel of -boughs to be placed on an eminence in the midst of the Indians’ huts, -where it might not inaptly be compared to the pelican of the wilderness -surrounded by her young, seeking with avidity the divine word, and -sheltering themselves under the protection of their fostering mother. I -gave three instructions daily; the Indians assisted at them with great -assiduity and attention. - -Last year, the feast of St. Ignatius proved for me a day of danger, -trial, and uneasiness. I love to recall it to my mind, for it terminated -joyfully, and so gloriously, that I know my companions can never forget -it, and they will return lasting thanks to the Almighty, for the -display of His mercy. Without a chart or any knowledge of the mouth -of the Columbia, we traversed, as if borne on angels’ wings, this -formidable river. This year, I passed the feast {107} of St. Ignatius -amidst many occupations, but they were of such a nature as to console -the missionary’s heart, and repay him a hundred-fold, for the trifling -privations, pains, and fatigues he endures. - -[Illustration: Mission of St. Ignatius at Kalispel Bay, among the Pends -d’Oreilles - -(See Letter 5th)] - -More than one hundred children were presented for baptism, and eleven old -men borne to me on skins, seemed only awaiting regenerating waters, to -depart home and repose in the bosom of their divine Saviour. The eldest -among them, apparently about one hundred, and blind, addressed me in the -following pathetic words:—My life has been long on earth, and my tears -have not ceased to flow; even now I daily weep, for I have beheld all my -children and early associates disappear. I find myself isolated among my -own nation, as if I were in a strange land, thoughts of the past alone -occupy me, and they are of a mournful and bitter nature. Sometimes I find -consolation in remembering that I have avoided the company of the wicked. -Never have I shared in their thefts, battles or murders. This blessed -day, joy has penetrated the inmost recesses of my soul; the Great Spirit -has taken pity on me, I have received baptism, I return him thanks for -this favor, and offer him my heart and life. - -{108} A solemn mass was celebrated, during which the Indians chanted -canticles in praise of God. The ceremonies of baptism followed, and -all terminated in the most perfect order, to the great delight and -gratification of the savages. It was indeed a most imposing spectacle, -all around contributed to heighten the effect. The noble, and gigantic -rock, the distant roar of the cataracts breaking in on the religious -silence of that solitude, situated on an eminence overlooking the -powerful Oregon River, and on the spot where the impetuous waters freeing -themselves from their limits, rush in fury, and dash over a pile of -rocks, casting upwards a thousand jets d’eau, whose transparent columns -reflect, in varied colors, the rays of the dazzling sun. - -There were besides the _Shuyelphi_ or _Chaudière_ Indians, the -_Sinpoils_, the _Zingomenes_ and several _Kalispels_, accompanied me in -the capacity of singers and catechists.[197] - -I gave the name of St. Paul to the _Shuyelphi_ nation, and placed under -the care of St. Peter the tribe inhabiting the shores of the great -Columbia lakes, whither Father Hocken is about to repair, to continue -instructing and baptizing their adults. My presence among the Indians did -not interrupt their fine and abundant {109} fishery. An enormous basket -was fastened to a projecting rock, and the finest fish of the Columbia, -as if by fascination, cast themselves by dozens into the snare. Seven or -eight times during the day, these baskets were examined, and each time -were found to contain about 250 salmon. The Indians, meanwhile, were seen -on every projecting rock, piercing the fish with the greatest dexterity. - -They who know not this territory may accuse me of exaggeration, when -I affirm, that it would be as easy to count the pebbles so profusely -scattered on the shores, as to sum up the number of different kinds -of fish, which this western river furnishes for man’s support; as the -buffalo of the north, and deer from north to east of the mountains, -furnish daily food for the inhabitants of those regions, so do these -fish supply the wants of the western tribes. One may form some idea of -the quantity of salmon and other fish, by remarking, that at the time -they ascend the rivers, all the tribes inhabiting the shores, choose a -favorable location, and not only do they find abundant nutriment during -the season, but, if diligent, they dry, and also pulverize and mix -with oil a sufficient quantity for the rest of the year. Incalculable -shoals of {110} salmon ascend to the river’s source, and there die in -shallow water. Great quantities of trout and carp follow them, and regale -themselves on the spawn deposited by the salmon in holes and still water. -The following spring the young salmon descend towards the sea, and I have -been told, (I cannot vouch for the authenticity,) that they never return -until the fourth year. Six different species are found in the Columbia -River.[198] - -I left Chaudière or Kettle Falls, August 4th, accompanied by several -of the nation of the _Crees_ to examine the lands they have selected -for the site of a village. The ground is rich and well suited for all -agricultural purposes. Several buildings were commenced; I gave the -name of St. Francis Regis to this new station, where a great number of -the mixed race and beaver hunters have resolved to settle, with their -families.[199] The 6th I traversed the high mountains of the _Kalispels_, -and towards evening reached the establishment of St. Ignatius. The Rev. -Fathers Hocken and Ravalli, with two lay brothers, superintend this -interesting little settlement. These fathers likewise visit the different -neighboring tribes, such as the _Zingomenes_, _Sinpoils_, _Okinaganes_, -the stations of St. Francis {111} Regis, of St. Peter, and that of St. -Paul, the _Flat-bows_, and the _Koetenays_.[200] I purpose visiting -these two tribes, who have never yet had the consolation of beholding -a “black gown” among them. All these tribes comprehend, on an average, -about five hundred souls. - -I am, with profound respect and esteem, - - Your lordship’s most obedient servant, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. VI - -A. M. D. G. - - Station of the Assumption, Arcs-a-plats, August 17th, 1845. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—The 9th of August I continued my route towards the country -of the _Arcs-a-plats_. The roads were still inundated by the great -freshet. I preferred ascending the Clark or Flathead River, in my bark -canoe, and sent my horses across the forests bordering the river, to -await me at the great lake of the _Kalispels_.[201] I had here a very -agreeable and unexpected interview; as we approached the forests, several -horsemen issued forth in tattered garments. The foremost gentleman -saluted me by name, with all the familiarity of an old acquaintance. I -returned the gracious salutation, desiring to know whom I had the honor -of addressing. A small river separated us, and, with a smile, he said, -“Wait until I reach the opposite shore, and then you will recognise -me.” He is not a {113} beaver hunter, said I to myself; yet under this -tattered garb and slouched hat, I could not easily descry one of the -principal members of the Hon. Hudson Bay Co., the worthy and respectable -Mr. Ogden. I had the honor and good fortune of making a voyage with him, -and in his own barge, from Colville to Fort Vancouver, in 1842; and no -one could desire more agreeable society.[202] It would be necessary -for you to traverse the desert, to feel yourself insulated, remote -from brethren, friends, to conceive the consolation and joy of such an -rencounter. - -Mr. Ogden left England in the month of April last, accompanied by two -distinguished officers. It was a source of great pleasure to receive -recent news from Europe. The Oregon question appeared to me somewhat -alarming. It was neither curiosity nor pleasure that induced these two -officers to cross so many desolate regions, and hasten their course -towards the mouth of the Columbia. They were invested with orders from -their government to take possession of “Cape Disappointment,” to hoist -the English standard, and erect a fortress for the purpose of securing -the entrance of the river, in case of war.[203] In the Oregon question, -“John Bull,” without much talk, attains his {114} end, and secures the -most important part of the country; whereas “Uncle Sam,” displodes a -volley of words, inveighs and storms! Many years have been passed in -debates and useless contention, without one single practical _effort_ -to secure his real or pretended rights. The poor Indians of Oregon, -who alone have a right to the country, are not consulted. Their future -destiny will be, undoubtedly, like that of so many other unfortunate -tribes, who, after having lived peaceably by hunting and fishing, during -several generations, will finally disappear, victims of vice and malady, -under the rapacious influence of modern civilization. - -The route from the great _Kalispel_ lake to the _Arcs-a-plats_, or -Flatbow country, is across dense forests, and much obstructed by fallen -trees, morasses, frightful sloughs, from which the poor horses with much -difficulty extricate themselves; but, having finally surmounted all these -obstacles, we contemplate from an eminence a smiling and accessible -valley, whose mellow and abundant verdure is nourished by two lovely -lakes, where the graceful river of the Arcs-a-plats or McGilvray, winds -in such fantastic beauty, that it serves to make the weary traveller not -only forget his past dangers, but {115} amply compensates him for the -fatigues of a long and tiresome journey.[204] - -This section of the valley of _Arcs-a-plats_ greatly resembles the two -valleys of the _Pointed Hearts_; same fertility of soil, lakes, pastures, -willow and pine groves; elevated mountains covered to the very summit -with dense forests of trees, low lands, in which the towering cedar -displays all its majesty and splendid foliage; and, as Racine says:— - - “Elevent aux cieux - Leurs fronts audacieux!” - -The river is, in this place, deep and tranquil; moving along with a tardy -pace until aroused from its inertness by the universal thaw; it then -descends with such astounding impetuosity that it destroys the banks, and -in its furious course, uproots and bears along trees, fragments of rocks, -&c., which vainly oppose its passage. In a few days the entire valley is -overflowed, and it presents to view immense lakes and morasses, separated -by borders of trees. Thus does the kind providence of God, assist his -poor creatures who inhabit these regions, by the liberality with which he -ministers to their wants. - -{116} These lakes and morasses, formed in the spring, are filled with -fish; they remain there inclosed as in natural reservoirs, for the use -of the inhabitants. The fish swarm in such abundance that the Indians -have no other labor than to take them from the water and prepare them for -the boiler. Such an existence is, however, precarious; the savages, who -are not of a provident nature, are obliged to go afterwards in quest of -roots, grain, berries and fruits; such as the thorny bush which bears a -sweet, pleasant, blackberry; the rose-buds, mountain cherry, cormier or -service berry, various sorts of gooseberries and currants of excellent -flavor; raspberries, the hawthorn berry, the wappato, (sagitta-folia,) -a very nourishing, bulbous root; the bitter root, whose appellation -sufficiently denotes its peculiar quality, is, however, very healthy; -it grows in light, dry, sandy soil, as also the caious or biscuit -root.[205] The former is of a thin and cylindrical form; the latter, -though farinaceous and insipid, is a substitute for bread; it resembles -a small white radish; the watery potatoe, oval and greenish, is prepared -like our ordinary potatoe, but greatly inferior to it; the small onion; -the sweet onion, which bears a lovely flower resembling the {117} tulip. -Strawberries are common and delicious. To this catalogue I could add a -number of detestible fruits and roots which serve as nutriment for the -Indians, but at which a _civilized_ stomach would revolt and nauseate. I -cannot pass over in silence the camash root, and the peculiar manner in -which it is prepared. It is abundant, and, I may say, is the queen root -of this clime. It is a small, white, vapid onion, when removed from the -earth, but becomes black and sweet when prepared for food. The women -arm themselves with long, crooked sticks, to go in search of the camash. -After having procured a certain quantity of these roots, by dint of long -and painful labor, they make an excavation in the earth from twelve to -fifteen inches deep, and of proportional diameter, to contain the roots. -They cover the bottom with closely-cemented pavement, which they make red -hot by means of a fire. After having carefully withdrawn all the coals, -they cover the stones with grass and wet hay; then place a layer of -camash, another of wet hay, a third of bark overlaid with mould, whereon -is kept a glowing fire for fifty, sixty, and sometimes seventy hours. The -camash thus acquires a consistency equal to that of the jujube. {118} It -is sometimes made into loaves of various dimensions. It is excellent, -especially when boiled with meat; if kept dry, it can be preserved a long -time.[206] - -As soon as their provisions are exhausted the Indians scour the plains, -forests, and mountains, in quest of game. If they are unsuccessful in the -chase, their hunger becomes so extreme, that they are reduced to subsist -on moss, which is more abundant than the camash. It is a parasite of -the pine, a tree common in these latitudes, and hangs from its boughs -in great quantities; it appears more suitable for mattresses, than for -the sustenance of human life. When they have procured a great quantity, -they pick out all heterogeneous substance, and prepare it as they do the -camash; it becomes compact, and is, in my opinion, a most miserable food, -which, in a brief space, reduces those who live on it to a pitiable state -of emaciation.[207] - -Such are the _Arcs-a-plats_. They know neither industry, art, nor -science; the words _mine_ and _thine_ are scarcely known among them. -They enjoy, in common, the means of existence spontaneously granted them -by Nature; and as they are strangely improvident, they often pass from -the greatest abundance to extreme scarcity. {119} They feast well one -day, and the following is passed in total abstinence. The two extremes -are equally pernicious. Their cadaverous figure sufficiently demonstrates -what I here advance. I arrived among the _Arcs-a-plats_ in time to -witness the grand _fish festival_, which is yearly celebrated; the men -only have the privilege of assisting thereat. Around a fire fifty feet -long, partially overlaid with stones of the size of a turkey’s egg, -eighty men range themselves; each man is provided with an osier vessel, -cemented with gum and filled with water and fish. The _hall_ where this -extraordinary feast is celebrated is constructed of rush mats, and has -three apertures, one at either extremity for the entrance of guests; -the middle one serves for transporting the fish. All preparations being -completed, and each man at his post, the chief, after a short harangue -of encouragement to his people, finishes by a prayer of supplication to -the “Great Spirit,” of whom he demands an abundant draught. He gives the -signal to commence, and each one armed with two sticks flattened at the -extremity, makes use of them instead of tongs, to draw the stones from -the embers, and put them in his kettle. This process is twice renewed, -and in {120} the space of five minutes the fish are cooked. Finally, they -squat around the fire in the most profound silence to enjoy the repast, -each trembling lest a bone be disjointed or broken,—an indispensable -condition (a _sine quâ non_) of a plentiful fishery. A single bone broken -would be regarded as ominous, and the unlucky culprit banished the -society of his comrades, lest his presence should entail on them some -dread evil. - -A species of sturgeon which measures from six to ten, and sometimes -twelve feet in length, is taken by the dart in the great lake of -_Arcs-a-plats_.[208] - -Since my arrival among the Indians, the feast of the glorious Assumption -of the Blessed Virgin Mary has ever been to me a day of great -consolation. I had time to prepare for the celebration of this solemn -festival. Thanks be to the instructions and counsels of a brave Canadian, -Mr. Berland,[209] who for a long time has resided among them in the -quality of trader, I found the little tribe of _Arcs-a-plats_ docile, -and in the best disposition to embrace the faith. They had already been -instructed in the principal mysteries of religion. They sang canticles -in the French and Indian tongues. They number about ninety families. I -celebrated the first Mass ever offered in their {121} land; after which -ten adults already advanced in age and ninety children received baptism. -The former were very attentive to all my instructions. In the afternoon, -the erection of the cross was as solemn as circumstances would admit. -There was a grand salute of ninety guns, and at the foot of the lowly -standard of the God-Saviour, the entire tribe made a tender of their -hearts to Him, with the promise of inviolable attachment to all the -duties of true children of prayer, availing themselves of this occasion -to renounce the remains of their ancient juggling and superstition. The -cross was elevated on the border of a lake, and the station received -the beautiful name of the Assumption. Under the auspices of this good -Mother, in whose honor they have for many years sung canticles, we -hope that religion will take deep root and flourish amidst this tribe, -where union, innocence, and simplicity, reign in full vigor. They -ardently desire to be taught agriculture, the advantages of which I have -explained, and promised to procure the necessary seed and implements of -husbandry. - -I have the honor to be, monseigneur, your most humble and obedient -servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. VII - -A. M. D. G. - - Ford of Flat-Bow River,[210] Sept. 2d, 1845. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—The _Flat-bows_ and _Koetenays_ now form one tribe, -divided into two branches. They are known throughout the country by the -appellation of the _Skalzi_.—Advancing towards the territory of the -Koetenays we were enchanted by the beautiful and diversified scenery. -We sometimes traversed undulatory woods of pine and cedar, from which -the light of day is partially excluded. We next entered sombre forests, -where, axe in hand, we were forced to cut our way and wind about to avoid -hosts of trees that had been levelled by the autumnal blasts and storms. -Some of these forests are so dense that, at the distance of twelve feet, -I could not distinguish my guide. The most certain way of extricating -one’s-self from these labyrinths, is to trust to the horse’s sagacity, -which, if left unguided, will follow the track of other animals. This -expedient has saved me a hundred times. - -{123} I cannot refrain from communicating to your lordship the gloomy -and harrowing thoughts which imagination conjures up in these dismal -regions. The most fearful apprehensions dismay the bravest heart and -cause an involuntary shudder, as some dire apparition of a bear or -panther stalks in fancy before the mind, whilst groping our way amidst -these dark and frightful haunts, from which there is no egress. We caught -a transitory glimpse of many charming spots covered with vegetation as -we pursued our winding path near the river, wherever it deviated from -its natural course. At a place called the Portage, the river crosses a -defile of mountains, or rather of precipitous and frightful rocks; and -the traveller is compelled, for the distance of eight miles, to risk his -life at every step, and brave obstacles that appear, at first sight, -insuperable.[211] - -Whatever can be imagined appalling seems here combined to terrify the -heart—livid gashes of ravines and precipices, giant peaks and ridges -of varied hue, inaccessible pinnacles, fearful and unfathomable chasms -filled with the sound of ever-precipitating waters, long, sloping and -narrow banks, which must be alternately ascended, and many times have I -been obliged {124} to take the attitude of a quadruped and walk upon my -hands; often during this perilous passage did I return fervent thanks to -the Almighty for his protection from impending danger. Amid these stern, -heaven-built walls of rocks, the water has forced its way in varied -forms, and we find cataracts and whirlpools engulfing crags and trees, -beneath their angry sway. Whilst the eye rests with pleasure on the rich -and russet hues of distant slopes, upland turf and rock-hung flower—the -ear is stunned by the confused sounds of murmuring rills, rushing -streams, impetuous falls, and roaring torrents. - -An extensive plain at the base of the Portage mountain presents every -advantage for the foundation of a city. The mountains surrounding this -agreeable site are majestic and picturesque. They forcibly recalled -to my memory the noble Mapocho Mountains that encompass the beautiful -capital of Chili (Santiago). Innumerable little rills, oozing from the -mountain’s stony bosom, diffuse a transparent haze over the valleys and -lower slopes. The fine river Des Chutes comes roaring down and crosses -the plain before it joins its waters to the McGilvray, which tranquilly -pursues its course.[212] The quarries and forests appear inexhaustible; -and having remarked {125} large pieces of coal along the river, I am -convinced that this fossil could be abundantly procured. What would -this now solitary and desolate land become, under the fostering hand of -civilization? Indeed, the entire tract of the _Skalzi_ seems awaiting -the benign influence of a civilized people. Great quantities of lead -are found on the surface of the earth; and from the appearance of its -superior quality, we are led to believe there may be some mixture of -silver.[213] - -Poor, unfortunate Indians! they trample on treasures, unconscious of -their worth, and content themselves with the fishery and chase. When -these resources fail, they subsist upon roots and herbs; whilst they eye, -with tranquil surprise, the white man examining the shining pebbles of -their territory. Ah! they would tremble, indeed, could they learn the -history of those numerous and ill-fated tribes that have been swept from -their land, to make place for Christians who have made the poor Indians -the victims of their rapacity. After a few days’ journey we arrived at -the Prairie du Tabac, the usual abode of the _Koetenays_.[214] Their -camp is situated in an immense and delightful valley, bounded by two -eminences, which, from their gentle and regular declivity, covered with -{126} smooth pebbles, appear to have originally bounded an extensive lake. - -On my arrival, I found about thirty lodges of _Koetenays_; hunger had -forced many families to cross the great mountain. They came in quest -of the buffalo, elk, antelope, and stag. I was received with every -demonstration of joy and filial affection by those who remained in the -lodges. They hailed me with a long and boisterous discharge of musketry. -Several showed me their journal, consisting of a square stick on which -they had notched the number of days and weeks elapsed since I abode with -them in the neighborhood of the great lake Teteplatte.[215] They had -computed forty-one months and some days. - -Mr. Berland had exerted his zeal to maintain the _Koetenays_ and their -brethren in the good dispositions in which I had the consolation of -finding them. Since my last visit they have followed, to the very letter, -all they remembered of my recommendations. I was obliged to decide some -controversial points, which they had misinterpreted or misapprehended. -They habitually assembled for morning and evening prayer, continued -the practice of singing canticles, and faithfully observed the Sabbath -precept. - -{127} On the feast of the Holy Heart of Mary I sang High Mass, thus -taking spiritual possession of this land, which was now for the first -time trodden by a minister of the Most High. I administered the Sacrament -of Baptism to one hundred and five persons, among whom were twenty -adults. An imposing ceremony terminated the exercises of the day. Amidst -a general salute from the camp, a large cross was elevated. The chiefs, -at the head of their tribe, advanced and prostrated themselves before -that sacred ensign, which speaks so eloquently of the love of a Man-God, -who came to redeem a fallen race. At the foot of that sacred emblem, they -loudly offered their hearts to him who has declared himself our Master, -and the Divine Pastor of souls. This station bears the name of the Holy -Heart of Mary. One of our Fathers will soon visit the two branches of -this tribe. - -Though these poor people were much in want of food, they pressed me to -remain some days amongst them, whilst they listened with avidity to my -instructions relative to their future conduct. After my departure they -divided into small bands to go in search of provisions among the defiles -of the mountains. - -The 30th August I bade adieu to the _Koetenays_. {128} Two young men of -their tribe offered to conduct me to the country of the _Black-feet_, -and a third Indian, an expert hunter and good interpreter, completed -the number of my little escort. I then journeyed on towards the sources -of the Columbia.—The country we traversed was highly picturesque and -agreeably diversified by beautiful prairies, from which poured forth -spicy odors of flower, and shrub, and fresh spirit-elating breezes, -smiling valleys and lakes, surrounded by hoary and solemn pines, -gracefully waving their flexible branches. We also crossed magnificent -dark Alpine forests, where the sound of the axe has never resounded; -they are watered by streams which impetuously rush over savage crags and -precipices from the range of mountains on the right.[216] This stupendous -chain appears like some impregnable barrier of colossal firmness. - -I am, with every sentiment of the most profound respect, your lordship’s -humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. VIII - -A. M. D. G. - - Head of the Columbia, September 9th, 1845. - - All hail! Majestic Rock—the home, - Where many a wand’rer yet shall come, - Where God himself from his own heart, - Shall health, and peace, and joy impart.[217] - -MONSEIGNEUR,—The 4th September, towards noon, I found myself at the -source of the Columbia. I contemplated with admiration those rugged and -gigantic mountains where the Great River escapes—majestic, but impetuous -even at its source; and in its vagrant course it is undoubtedly the most -dangerous river on the western side of the American hemisphere. Two small -lakes from four to six miles in length, formed by a number of springs and -streams, are the reservoirs of its first waters.[218] - -I pitched my tent on the banks of the first fork that brings in its -feeble tribute, and which we behold rushing with impetuosity over the -inaccessible rocks that present themselves on {130} the right. What -sublime rocks! How varied in shape and figure! The fantastic in every -form, the attractive, the ludicrous, and the sublime, present themselves -simultaneously to the view; and by borrowing ever so little the aid of -the imagination, we behold rising before our astonished eyes, castles of -by-gone chivalry, with their many-embattled towers—fortresses, surrounded -by their walls and bulwarks—palaces with their domes—and, in fine, -cathedrals with their lofty spires. - -On arriving at the two lakes, I saw them covered with swarms of aquatic -birds—coots, ducks, water-fowl, cormorants, bustards, cranes, and swans; -whilst beneath the tranquil water lay shoals of salmon in a state of -exhaustion. At the entrance of the second lake, in a rather shallow and -narrow place, I saw them pass in great numbers, cut and mutilated, after -their long watery pilgrimage among the rapids, cataracts, valleys, and -falls; they continue this uninterrupted procession during weeks and -months.[219] - -Perhaps I shall scarcely be believed when I affirm that the salmon fish -are quarrelsome. I witnessed with surprise the sharp and vengeful bites -they mutually inflicted. These two lakes {131} form an immense tomb, -for they there die in such numbers as frequently to infect the whole -surrounding atmosphere. - -In the absence of man, the grey and black bear, the wolf, the eagle, and -vulture assemble in crowds, at this season of the year. They fish their -prey on the banks of the river, and at the entrance of the lakes;—claws, -teeth and bills serving them instead of hooks and darts. From thence, -when the snow begins to fall, the bears, plump and fat, resume the road -back to their dens in the thick of the forests, and hollows of rocks, -there to pass the four sad wintry months in complete indolence, with no -other pastime or occupation, than that of sucking their four paws. - -If we may credit the Indians, each paw occupies the bear for one moon,(a -_month_,) and the task accomplished, he turns on the other side, and -begins to suck the second, and so on with the rest. - -I will here mention, _en passant_, all the hunters and Indians remark -that it is a very uncommon incident for a female bear to be killed when -with young, and, notwithstanding, they are killed in all seasons of the -year. Where they go—what becomes of them during the period {132} they -carry their young—is a problem yet to be solved by our mountain hunters. - -When emigration, accompanied by industry, the arts and sciences, shall -have penetrated into the numberless valleys of the Rocky Mountains, the -source of the Columbia will prove a very important point. The climate -is delightful; the extremes of heat and cold are seldom known. The snow -disappears as fast as it falls; the laborious hand that would till these -valleys, would be repaid a hundred fold. Innumerable herds could graze -throughout the year in these meadows, where the sources and streams -nurture a perpetual freshness and abundance. The hillocks and declivities -of the mountains are generally studded with inexhaustible forests, in -which the larch tree, pine of different species, cedar and cypress abound. - -In the plain between the two lakes, are beautiful springs, whose waters -have re-united and formed a massive rock of soft sandy stone, which -has the appearance of an immense congealed or petrified cascade. Their -waters are soft and pellucid; and of the same temperature as the milk -just drawn from the cow.[220] The description given by Chandler of the -famous fountain of Pambouk Kalesi, on the ancient Hieropolis of {133} -Asia Minor, in the valley of Meander, and of which Malte Brun makes -mention, might be literally applied to the warm springs at the source of -the Columbia.[221] The prospect unfolded to our view was so wonderful, -that an attempt to give even a faint idea of it, would savor of romance, -without going beyond the limits of fact. - -We contemplated with an admiring gaze, this vast slope, which, from a -distance, had the appearance of chalk, and when nearer, extends like an -immense concreted cascade, its undulating surface resembling a body of -water suddenly checked or indurated in its rapid course. - -The first lake of the Columbia is two miles and a half distant from the -River des Arcs-a-plats, and receives a portion of its waters during the -great spring freshet. They are separated by a bottom land.[222] The -advantages Nature seems to have bestowed on the source of the Columbia, -will render its geographical position very important at some future day. -The magic hand of civilized man would transform it into a terrestrial -paradise. - -The Canadian! Into what part of the desert has he not penetrated? The -monarch who rules at the source of the Columbia is an honest emigrant -{134} from St. Martin, in the district of Montreal, who has resided for -twenty-six years in this desert. The skins of the rein and moose deer -are the materials of which his portable palace is composed; and to use -his own expressions, he EMBARKS on horseback with his wife and seven -children, and LANDS wherever he pleases. Here, no one disputes his right, -and Polk and Peel, who are now contending for the possession of his -dominions, are as unknown to our carbineer, as the two greatest powers -of the moon. His _sceptre_ is a beaver trap—his _law_ a carbine—the -one on his back, the other on his arm, he reviews his numerous furry -subjects the beaver, otter, muskrat, marten, fox, bear, wolf, sheep, and -white goat of the mountains, the black-tailed roe-buck, as well as its -red-tailed relative, the stag, the rein and moose deer; some of which -_respect his sceptre_—others _submit to his law_. He exacts and receives -from them the tribute of _flesh_ and _skins_. Encircled by so much -grandeur, undisturbed proprietor of all the sky-ward palaces, the strong -holds, the very last refuge which Nature has reared to preserve alive -liberty in the earth—solitary lord of these majestic mountains, that -elevate their icy summits even to the clouds,—Morigeau (our Canadian) -{135} does not forget his duty as a Christian. Each day, morning and -evening, he may be seen devoutly reciting his prayers, midst his little -family. - -Many years had Morigeau ardently desired to see a priest; and when he -learned that I was about to visit the source of the Columbia, he repaired -thither in all haste to procure for his wife and children the signal -grace of baptism. The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, this -favor was conferred on them, and also on the children of three Indian -families, who accompany him in his migrations. This was a solemn day for -the desert! The august sacrifice of Mass was offered; Morigeau devoutly -approached the Holy Table;—at the foot of the humble altar he received -the nuptial benediction; and the mother, surrounded by her children -and six little Indians, was regenerated in the holy waters of baptism. -In memory of so many benefits, a large cross was erected in the plain, -which, from that time, is called the _Plain of the Nativity_. - -I cannot leave my good Canadian without making an honorable mention of -his royal CUISINE A LA SAUVAGE. The first dish he presented me contained -two paws of a bear. In Africa, {136} this ragout might have given some -alarm; in effect, it bears a striking resemblance to the feet of a -certain race. A roast porcupine next made its appearance, accompanied by -a moose’s muzzle; the latter I found delicious. Finally, the great kettle -containing a sort of hotch-potch, or salmagundi, was placed in the midst -of the guests, and each one helped himself according to his taste. - -Some remains of beef, buffalo, venison, beavers’ tails, hare, partridges, -&c., made an agreeable, substantial, famous soup. - -I am, monseigneur, your most humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. IX - -A. M. D. G. - - Foot of the Cross of Peace, September 15th, 1845. - - “——Here - Poplars and birch trees ever quivering played, - And nodding cedars formed a vagrant shade; - On whose high branches, waving with the storm, - The birds of broadest wings their mansion form; - The jay, the magpie, the loquacious crow, - And soar aloft and skim the deeps below. - Here limpid fountains from the clefts distil, - And every fountain forms a noisy rill, - In mazy windings wand’ring down the hill.” - -MONSEIGNEUR,—We bade adieu to the Morigeau family on the 9th, and to -their companions of the chase, the _Sioushwaps_.[223] We quitted the -upper valley of the Columbia by a small footpath, which soon conducted -us to a narrow mountain defile, where the light of day vanished from -view, amidst the huge, bold barriers of colossal rocks. The grand, the -sublime, the beautiful, here form the most singular and fantastic {138} -combinations. Though gray is the prevailing color, we find an immense -rock of porphyry, or white-veined granite. Here and there, from the -fissures of the rock, or wherever there is a handful of dust, the -heavy and immortal pine enroots itself, adding its gloomy verdure to -the variegated hues of the torpid rocks. These circuitous paths often -present the most ravishing and picturesque vistas; surrounded by colossal -walls, the greatest diversity and most beautiful scenery in nature is -spread out before the eye, where the plush and cedar rise majestically -in these venerable woods, the graceful poplar waves on high its emerald -plumes, and fights its battles with the howling storm, whilst over the -precipitous and jagged rocks, the scarcely-waving pine fills the brown -shade with religious awe. The birch springs from an earth carpetted with -moss, and shines like magnificent silver columns, supporting diadems of -golden autumnal leaves, amidst the redolent purple-berried juniper and -azure turpentines, of these humid dells and forests. - -After a day’s journey through these primeval scenes, we reached the banks -of the river Arcs-a-plats, where innumerable torrents rush headlong, -with a thousand mazes from the mountain’s {139} brow, and in their union -form this noble river. From afar is heard the deafening and continuous -sound of its own dashes, as it traverses a rocky bed with extraordinary -rapidity. We crossed the river in order to attempt the passage of another -defile, still more wonderful, where the waters of the Vermillion have -forced an opening.[224] Here, everything strikes the eye; all is wild -sublimity, in this profound but turbulent solitude. Projecting mountains -rise like holy towers where man might commune with the sky;—terrible -precipices hang in fragments overhead—the astounding noise of the -deep-tongued waves, in their unconfined flow, resembles that of the angry -tempest, sweeping wild and free, like the spirit of liberty. Now the -breaking waves play low upon the rock-ribbed beach, and madly plunge into -an abyss—anon it returns foaming to its sedgy bed, apparently sporting -with the sedges for diversion—falling from slope to slope, from cascade -to cascade, passing in its course a long train of rapids—now concealing -itself under the tufted foliage of cedar and pine—again pouring its -brilliant and crystalline waters into a capacious basin, as if to take -breath before quitting the ravine, and {140} finally precipitating its -wandering course with renovated vigor. - -From this almost impenetrable forest issues a harmonious sound. ’Tis the -whistling or lowing of the noble stag, calling its companion. The moose, -the most vigilant of animals, gives the signal of alarm. He has heard the -crackling branch—he has inhaled the hunter’s deadly breath; a confused -noise is heard from the mountain; the sportsman raises his eager eye to -its summit, and scans a flock of rein-deer perched upon the snow; they -are startled at the approach of man; in an instant they are lost among -the inaccessible pinnacles, the - - “Palaces where Nature thrones - Sublimity in icy halls.” - -We often catch a glimpse of the graceful forms and nimble feats of the -roe-bucks, as they caper and gallop, or tarry an instant to look around, -with their lancet ears distended to catch every sound; these wild, forest -stragglers resume their course, and finally penetrate into the sombre -forest. Flocks of wild goats gambol carelessly and tranquilly beside -herds of mountain sheep above overhanging precipices and peaked rocks, -chequered by patches of snow, far beyond the reach of human footsteps. - -{141} A monstrous animal, the grey bear, which replaces on our mountains, -the African lion, is not content with growling and menacing the intrepid -venturer, who dares infringe on his cavernous dominions, but grinds his -teeth, expressive of his rage. Suddenly, a well-aimed gun-shot forces him -to make a lowly reference; the formidable beast rolls in the dust, biting -the sand saturated with his blood, and expires. - -The ordinary music of the desert is, the shrill cry of the panther, and -the howling of the wolf. The diminutive mountain hare, six inches high, -and whose biography has not yet found a place in natural history, amuses -itself amidst the stony rubbish, and exhibits wonderful activity; whilst -his neighbor, the lubberly porcupine, clambers up, seats himself upon -a branching cypress and gnaws the bark. He views the eager huntsman -with a careless and indifferent air, unconscious that his tender flesh -is regarded as a most delicious morsel. The industrious beaver, like -a wary sentinel, warns his family of man’s approach by striking the -water with his tail. The muskrat, or musquash, plunges immediately into -the water. The otter quits his sports and slides upon his belly among -the reeds—the timid squirrel leaps from bough to {142} bough, until it -reaches the topmost shade of the cypress; the marten jumps from tree to -tree, and buries itself in the foliage—the whistler and weasel repair -to their respective domicils:—a precipitous flight alone saves the -fox his rich silvery pelisse—the badger, or the groundhog, too remote -from his dwelling, digs the sandy soil, and buries himself alive, to -avoid pursuit—his magnificent skin is destined to adorn the loins of an -Indian—it requires the joint efforts of two men to force him from his -hiding place, and to kill him. - -The evening previous to our egression from the blind mazes of this -tangled wood, our eyes were recreated by a ravishing scene. When it -presents itself after a disastrous combat, the spectacle consoles the -afflicted heart of the savage warrior. From the mountain’s top we -contemplated the “dance of the manitous or spirits, and the glorious -entrance of departed champions into the country of souls.” Vast columns -of light varying in splendor, appeared to divert and balance themselves -in the heavens:—some of perpendicular form; others resembling undulatory -waves; now concealing, now exhibiting themselves under diversified -aspects until the entire hemisphere seemed brilliantly {143} illuminated. -All these masses united at the zenith, and then separated under a variety -of forms. - - Mysterious, solemn, cold and clear, - Their steps majestic rise, - Like barriers round this earthly sphere, - Like gates of Paradise. - Well may imagination faint - Before your sacred blaze, - And baffled science fail to paint - The source of heaven-lit rays. - -The aurora borealis, is a phenomenon which I always contemplate with -mingled admiration and pleasure. All that is seen, all that is heard -in this unfathomable solitude, is both agreeable and instructive. It -strikes, captivates, and elevates the mind towards the Author of nature. -_Mirabilia opera Domini!_ - -After much fatigue, labor, and admiration, on the 15th we traversed the -high lands separating the waters of Oregon from those of the south branch -of the Sascatshawin, or the ancient Bourbon river, so called before the -Canadian conquest by the British.[225] It is the largest tributary of -the Winnepeg, which flows into Hudson’s Bay by the River Nelson, 58 deg. -north latitude.[226] - -{144} The Christian’s standard, _the cross_, has been reared at the -source of these two rivers: may it be a sign of salvation and peace to -all the scattered and itinerant tribes east and west of these gigantic -and lurid mountains. - -On the cypress which serves for constructing the cross, the eagle, emblem -of the Indian warrior, perches himself. The huntsman aims—the noble bird -lies prostrate, and even in his fall, seems to retain his kingly pride. -It so forcibly recalls to memory the beautiful lines of the illustrious -Campbell, that I quote them in full:— - - Fallen as he is, the king of birds still seems - Like royalty in ruins. Though his eyes - Are shut, that looked undazzled on the sun, - He was the sultan of the sky, and earth - Paid tribute to his eyrie. It was perched - Higher than human conqueror ever built - His bannered fort.... - - ... He cloved the adverse storm - And cuffed it with his wings. He stopped his flight - As easily as the Arab reins his steed, - And stood at pleasure ’neath heaven’s zenith, like - A lamp suspended from its azure dome; - Whilst underneath him the world’s mountains lay - Like mole-hills, and her streams like lucid threads. - -We breakfasted on the bank of a limpid lake at the base of the “Cross of -Peace,” from whence {145} I have the honor of dating my letter, and of -giving you the renewed assurance of my profound respect and veneration; -recommending to your fervent prayers, in a special manner, this vast -desert, which contains so many precious souls still buried in the shades -of death. - -Monseigneur, your very humble and devoted servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. X - -A. M. D. G. - - Camp of the Assiniboins, Sept. 26th, 1845. - - “Here bloomy meads with vivid greens are crown’d, - And glowing violets throw sweet odors round.” - -MONSEIGNEUR,—By a steep declivity we entered a rich valley, agreeably -diversified by enamelled meads, magnificent forests, and lakes—in -which the salmon-trout so abound, that in a few minutes we procured -sufficient for an excellent repast. The valley is bounded on either -side by a succession of picturesque rocks, whose lofty summits, rising -in the form of pyramids, lose themselves in the clouds. The far-famed -Egyptian monuments of Cheops and Cephren dwindle into nought, before -this gigantic architectural cliff of nature. The natural pyramids of the -Rocky mountains seem to deride the artificial skill of man; they serve as -a resting place for the clouds that come hither to seek repose, and to -encircle their giant brows. The Lord’s omnipotent {147} hand has laid the -foundations—_he_ has permitted the elements to form them, and in every -age they proclaim His power and glory! - -We emerged from this delightful valley, on the 18th of September, after -a three days’ excursion, and recommenced our mountainous peregrination, -which presented nothing but obstacles and contusions, both to men and -horses. For the space of six hours we were compelled to trace our route -across fragments of broken rocks, through an extensive and parched -forest, and where millions of half-consumed trees lay extended in -every direction. Not a trace of vegetation remained, and never had I -contemplated so dismal and destructive a conflagration! - -We reached the River des Arcs or Askow, in the evening, and pitched our -solitary tent upon the shore.[227] Here we discovered some vestiges of -a savage party. Five days previous, nine lodges of Indians had encamped -upon the very spot. We made a careful search, and my guides imagined they -were the formidable Black-feet![228] We, the same day, saw two smokes at -the extremity of the plain over which these barbarians had travelled. -My companions seemed to hesitate, as we drew near the vicinity {148} -of these fearful Black-feet. They recounted to me their inauspicious -dreams, and wished to deter me from proceeding. One said: “_I_ saw -myself devoured by a wild bear;” another, “_I_ saw ravens and vultures, -(ill-omened birds), hovering over the head of our father;” a third saw -a bloody spectacle. I gave them, in my turn, the history of one of _my_ -sentries, the archetype of vigilance, courage and simplicity. - - “Midst the dark horrors of the sable night - (No idle dream I tell nor fancy’s strain) - Thrice rose the red man’s shade upon my sight, - Thrice vanished into dusky air again. - With courage high my panting bosom swells, - Onward I rushed upon the threatening foe, - When, hark! Horrific rise the spectre’s yells - He points the steel and aims the fatal blow; - Guard, sentinel! to arms! to arms! to arms! - Indians! Indians! my voice swelled loud and deep: - The camp is roused at dread of my alarms, - They wake and find—_that I am sound asleep_!” - -They were greatly amused at the recital of _his_ imaginary fancies, -and seemed to understand how little import I attached to such visions. -“Happen what may,” said they, “we shall never quit our father until -we see him in a place of safety.” This was precisely what I desired. -I could not, however, deceive myself. {149} I had finally entered a -land, the theatre of so many sanguinary scenes. I was now on the very -confines of these barbarous people, from which, possibly, I should never -return! It not unfrequently happens, that, in their unbridled fury -when they hear some relative has been killed, the Black-feet despatch -the first stranger they meet, scalp him—and then abandon to the wolves -and dogs, the palpitating limbs of the unfortunate victim of their -vengeance, hatred, and superstition. I declare to you, I was beset by a -thousand disquietudes concerning the fate that awaited me. Poor nature! -this timid and fragile _meus homo_ is sometimes terrified. He would -wish to look back and listen to dreams. My longing desires repeated -incessantly—_Advance_! I placed my whole confidence in God—the prayers -of so many fervent souls encouraged and re-animated me; I resolved not -to be deterred by an uncertain danger. The Lord can, when he pleases, -mollify these pitiless and ferocious hearts. The salvation of souls is -at stake, and the preservation of the mission of St. Mary’s depends -on my proceeding; for there, the incursions of the Black-feet are very -frequent. What consideration could deter me from a project {150} which my -heart had cherished, since my first visit among the mountains? - -The 19th and 20th, we followed the tracks of our unknown predecessors, -and they appeared more and more recent. I despatched my two guides to -reconnoitre, and ascertain whom we were so closely pursuing.—One of them -returned the same evening, with the news that he had found a small camp -of Assiniboins of the forest; that they had been well received; that a -disease reigned in the camp, of which two had lately died, and that they -expressed great desire to see the _Black-gown_. The following morning we -joined them, and journeyed several days in company. - -The Assiniboins of the forest do not amount to more than fifty lodges -or families, divided into several bands.[229] They are seldom seen in -the plains; the forest is their element, and they are renowned huntsmen -and warriors. They travel over the mountains and through the woods, over -the different forks and branches of the sources of the Sascatshawin -and Athabaska. Agriculture is unknown to this tribe; they subsist -exclusively on small animals, such as big-horns, goats, bucks; but -especially on the porcupine, which swarms in this region. When pressed by -{151} hunger, they have recourse to roots, seeds, and the inner bark of -the cypress tree. They own few horses, and perform all their journeys on -foot. - -Their hunters set out early in the morning, kill all the game they meet, -and suspend it to the trees, as they pass along,—their poor wives, -or rather their slaves, often bearing two children on their backs, -and dragging several more after them, tardily follow their husbands, -and collect what game the latter have killed. They had a long file of -famished dogs, loaded with their little provisions, etc. Every family has -a band of six to twelve of these animals, and each dog carries from 30 -to 35 lbs. weight. They are the most wretched animals in existence; from -their tender-hearted masters and mistresses they receive more bastinados -than morsels, consequently they are the most adroit and incorrigible -rogues to be found in the forest. Every evening we find it necessary -to hang all our property upon the trees, beyond the reach of these -voracious dogs. We are even compelled to barricade ourselves within our -tents at night, and surround them with boughs of trees; for, whatever is -of leather, or whatever has pertained to a living being, these crafty -rogues bear away, and devour. You will say I have little charity {152} -for these poor brutes—but be not astonished. One fine evening, having -neglected the ordinary precaution of blocking up the entrance of my tent, -I next morning found myself without shoes—with a collarless cassock—and -_minus_ one leg to my _culottes de peau_!!! One of the chiefs of this -little camp recounted to me, that last winter, one of his nation, having -been reduced to extreme famine, (and such cases are not rare,) had eaten -successively, HIS WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN. The monster then fled into the -desert, and he has never been heard of since. - -The Oregon missionary, Rev. Mr. Bolduc, related in his journal, that -at Akena, one of the Gambia Isles, he saw an old dame, who, having had -_eight_ husbands, had eaten three of them, during a time of famine!! I -add this last fact to give you a reverse to the above horrible picture. - -The Assiniboins have the reputation of being irascible, jealous, and -fond of babbling; in consequence of these bad qualities, battles and -murders are not unfrequent among them, and of course continual divisions. -Every evening I gave them instruction, by means of an interpreter. They -appeared docile, though somewhat timorous: for they had frequently -been visited {153} by persons who defamed both priests and religion. I -rendered all the little services in my power to their invalids, baptized -six children and an old man who expired two days after, he was interred -with all the funeral ceremonies and prayers of the church. - -Cleanliness is a virtue which has no place in the Indian catalogue -of domestic or personal duties. The Assiniboins are filthy beyond -conception; they surpass all their neighbours in this unenvied -qualification. They are devoured by vermin, which they, in turn, consume. -A savage, whom I playfully reprehended for his cruelty to these little -invertebral insects, answered me: “He bit me first, I have a right to be -revenged.” Through complacency, I overcame natural disgust, and assisted -at their porcupine feast. I beheld the Indians carve the meat on their -leathern shirts, highly polished with grease—filthy, and swarming with -vermin, they had disrobed themselves, for the purpose of providing a -table-cloth!—They dried their hands in their hair—this is their only -towel—and as the porcupine has naturally a strong and offensive odor, -one can hardly endure the fragrance of those who feast upon its flesh and -besmear themselves with its oil. - -{154} A good old woman, whose face was anointed with blood, (THE INDIANS’ -MOURNING WEEDS,) presented me a wooden platter filled with soup; the horn -spoon destined for my use was dirty and covered with grease; she had the -complaisance to apply it to the broad side of her tongue, before putting -it into my unsavory broth. - -If a bit of dried meat, or any other provision is in need of being -cleansed, the dainty cook fills her mouth with water and spirts it -with her whole force upon the fated object. A certain dish, which is -considered a prime delicacy among the Indians, is prepared in a most -singular manner, and they are entitled to a patent for the happy faculty -of invention. The whole process belongs exclusively to the female -department. They commence by rubbing their hands with grease, and -collecting in them the blood of the animal, which they boil with water; -finally, they fill the kettle with fat and hashed meat. But—HASHED WITH -THE TEETH! Often half a dozen old women are occupied in this mincing -operation during hours; mouthful after mouthful is masticated, and thus -passes from the mouth into the cauldron, to compose the choice ragout -of the Rocky mountains. Add to this, by way of an exquisite desert, an -immense dish of crusts, {155} composed of pulverized ants, grass-hoppers -and locusts, that have been dried in the sun, and you may then be able to -form some idea of Indian luxury. - -The American porcupine, the _Hystrix dorsata_, is called by modern -Zoologists, the _Prickly Beaver_. In fact there is great similarity -between the two species in size and form, and both inhabit the same -region. The porcupine, like the beaver, has a double peltry or fur; -the first is long and soft; the second, is still softer, and greatly -resembles down or felt. They both have two long sharp, strong tusks, at -the extremity of the jaw-bone. The Flat-heads affirm that the porcupine -and beaver are brothers, and relate that anciently they abode together; -but that, having frequently been discovered by their enemies, through the -indolence, idleness and extreme aversion of the porcupines for the water, -the beavers met in council and unanimously agreed upon a separation. The -latter availed themselves of a fine day and invited their spiny brethren -to accompany them in a long ramble, among the cypress and juniper of the -forest. The indolent and heedless porcupines, having copiously regaled -themselves with the savory buds of the one, and the tender rind {156} of -the other, extended their weary limbs upon the verdant moss, and were -soon lost in profound sleep. This was the anticipated moment for the wily -beavers to bid a final adieu to their porcupine relatives. - -The Assiniboins inhabiting the plains are far more numerous than their -mountain brethren. They number about six hundred lodges; they own a -greater number of horses, and the men, in general, are more robust, and -of a commanding stature. They are more expert in thieving, are greater -topers, and are perpetually at war. They hunt the buffalo in the great -plains between the Sascatshawin, the Red river, Missouri, and Yellow -Stone.[230] - -The Crows, Black-feet, Arikaras and Sioux are their most inveterate -enemies.—They speak nearly the same language as the Sioux, and have the -same origin. - -I have the honor to be, with the most profound respect and veneration, -monseigneur, your very humble and very obedient servant in Christ Jesus, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XI - -A. M. D. G. - - Fort of the Mountains, October 5, 1845. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—The last few days we journeyed with the little Assiniboin -camp, the aspect of the country offered nothing very interesting. We -passed from valley to valley between two high chains of adamantine -mountains, whose slopes are, here and there, ornamented with mounds of -perpetual snow. A beautiful crystalline fountain issues from the centre -of a perpendicular rock about five hundred feet high, and then pours its -waters over the plain in foam and mist. - -The 29th we separated from the Assiniboins; the path conducted us through -a thick forest of cypress; I am told this is the last—DEO GRATIAS! -These belts of tall firs are very numerous, and form great obstacles -and barriers to land communications between the east and west of the -mountains. I have a little word of advice to {158} give all who wish to -visit these latitudes. At the entrance of each thick forest, one should -render himself as slender, as short, and as contracted as possible, -imitating the different evolutions in all encounters of an intoxicated -cavalier, but with skill and presence of mind. I mean to say, he should -know how to balance himself—cling to the saddle in every form, to avoid -the numerous branches that intercept his passage, ever ready to tear -him into pieces, and flay his face and hands. Notwithstanding these -precautions, it is rare to escape without paying tribute in some manner -to the ungracious forest. I one day found myself in a singular and -critical position: in attempting to pass under a tree that inclined -across the path, I perceived a small branch in form of a hook, which -threatened me. The first impulse was to extend myself upon the neck -of my horse. Unavailing precaution! It caught me by the collar of my -surtout, the horse still continuing his pace.—Behold me suspended in the -air—struggling like a fish at the end of a hook. Several respectable -pieces of my coat floated, in all probability, a long time in the forest, -as an undeniable proof of my having paid toll in passing through it. A -crushed and torn hat—{159} an eye black and blue—two deep scratches on -the cheek, would, in a civilized country, have given me the appearance -rather of a bully issuing from the _Black Forest_, than a missionary. - -To render a bad forest superlatively so, a great fall of snow is -necessary. This special favor was lavished upon us in this last passage. -Wo to the first pedestrians! The branches groan under the burden of their -wintry shroud, and seem to present the motto: “_Si tangas frangas!_” and -assuredly, at each rubbing of the hat, the least touching of the arm -or leg, a deluge of snow showers down upon the shivering cavalier and -horse. Immediately the branch rises proudly as if in derision. On such -occasions, there is nothing better to be done than to form a rear guard, -and walk in the track of the predecessor. - -In pursuing our route, the 27th, on one of the branches of the river -“a la Biche,” (Red Deer on the maps), we remarked several sulphurous -fountains, which furnish great quantities of sulphur, and a coal mine, -apparently very abundant.[231] - -[Illustration: Hunters at the Buffalo Feast] - -I here beg the favor of a short digression from my subject. Coal abounds -east of the Rocky {160} Mountains, on the borders of the Missouri and -Yellow Rock, on the Sascatshawin and Athabaska. Saltpetre is found in -abundance, and iron is not scarce in many parts of the mountains. I have -already spoken of lead in the country of the “Koetenays,” the name of the -river at the copper mine in the north, indicates its riches; bars of this -precious metal are discovered among the rocks bordering the river. Rock -salt is found in powder, and very plentiful in the Pays Serpent.[232] - -The valley is picturesque and variegated; flocks of sheep and goats -contribute to beautify the scenery. We find many tracks of the bears -and buffaloes; on seeing the latter my party became animated; for the -buffaloes’ flesh is, without contradiction, the most delicate of these -regions. One is never tired of it. Hitherto, the animals of the mountains -had abundantly satisfied our necessities, for the huntsmen killed no -less than eighteen pieces, without counting the fowl and fish which -are so plentiful in this country. The same evening the remainder of -our provisions was consumed, and a buffalo chase was proposed for the -following day. One of the sportsmen set out early, and at breakfast time -we perceived him coming, with a round {161} fat cow; immediately the -ribs, tripes, etc., honored the fire with their presence. The rest of the -day was spent in seeking fresh provisions. - -The 30th, we continued our route through the valley, where a rivulet -of clear water meanders. It is similar to all the other valleys west -of the mountains, agreeably diversified with meadows, lakes, and -forests—the valley widens in proportion as one descends—the rocky banks -disappear—the mountains decrease, and appear insensibly to commingle with -one another. Some are covered with forests even to their tops, others -present cones, elevated ramparts, covered with rich verdure. - -The 4th October, after having traversed the great chain of mountains -nineteen days in pursuit of the Black-Feet, we entered the vast plain, -this ocean of prairies, inhabited by a multitude of roving savages, -buried in the deepest superstition. The Black-Feet, Crows, Serpents, -Arikaras, Assiniboins of the plains, the Sheyennes, Camanches, Sioux, -Omahas, Ottos, Pawnees, Kants, Saucs, Ajouas,[233] etc., etc., are -without pastors! We hope that Divine Providence has not deferred the -epoch when the darkness now overwhelming these immense regions will -give place to the beneficial light of {162} the gospel;—that worthy and -zealous pastors will come to guide in the way of salvation these poor and -unhappy children of the desert, who, during so many ages, have groaned -under the dominion of the devil, and among whom the war-song and the cry -of carnage never ceased to resound. There, we hope, will reign in their -turn, peace and Christian charity, and the fragrance of divine love and -praise ascend to the only true God. - -The worthy Bishop of Juliopolis has established his See on the Red -river, a tributary of the Winnepeg, amidst the possessions of the -Anglo-Indians.[234] Already two of his zealous missionaries, Rev. Messrs. -Thibault and Bourassa, have penetrated to the very foot of the Rocky -Mountains, whilst other indefatigable priests have been employed, for -many years, in extending the kingdom of God in this immense diocess. -The population of Red River is about 5,500 souls, of whom 3,175 are -Catholics. There are 730 houses inhabited. I had the honor of receiving a -letter from the Rev. Mr. Thibault on my arrival in this latitude. He says: - -“From the month of March to September last, I have labored among the -mountain nations; they are well disposed to embrace the {163} faith. I -cannot give you a better idea of these people than by comparing them to -the Flatheads. I have baptized more than five hundred children and adults -in the course of this mission. As soon as I find the opportunity of a -water conveyance, I shall continue my labors among these good savages, -and extend my route as far as McKenzie’s river. A rich harvest would be -there found for many laborers in the sacred ministry, for this nation is -populous and occupies a vast extent of country, without including several -other nations I visited this summer. ‘Come, then, to us,’ said they, -‘we, also, shall be happy to learn the joyful news you have brought our -brethren of the mountains; we are to be pitied, not knowing the word of -the Great Spirit; be, therefore, charitable to us—come, teach _us_ the -way of salvation—we will listen to it.’ - -“My fellow-laborer, Bourassa, set out in September, to announce the -Gospel to the Indians residing near the river de la Paix.”[235] - -From Lake St. Anne, or Manitou, the ordinary residence of these two -gentlemen, they extend their apostolic course to the different tribes on -the rivers Athabaska and McKenzie, Peace river, and Slave lake.[236] - -{164} Within the limits, as far as they have travelled, are found -the Black-Feet, Crees, Assiniboins of the forest, of the mountains, -Beaver Hunters, Flat-side Dogs, Slaves, and Deer-Skins.[237] (It is by -these names that the different Indians are known among the whites and -travellers.) - -The great Indian district of the United States is (if I may say so) the -only one deprived of spiritual succor and the means of salvation. It -contains several hundred thousand savages. This vast territory is bounded -on the north-west by the Anglo-Indian possessions—east by the Western -States—south by Texas and Mexico—west by the Rocky Mountains. It contains -many forts or trading houses, in which the greater number of persons -employed are Canadian Catholics or French creoles. The principal of these -forts are, Fort des Corbeaux, or Alexander, on the Yellow Stone, Fort la -Ramee, on a branch of the river Platte, Fort Osage, on the river of the -same name—Fort Pied-noir, or Lewis, at the mouth of the river Maria, Fort -Union near the mouth of the Yellow Rock, Fort Berthold, Fort Mandan or -Clark, near the mouth of the Little Missouri, Fort Pierre, Fort Look-out -and Fort Vermillion at the mouth of this river, the other trading {165} -houses among the Pottowatomies of Council Bluffs and of Belle-vue for the -Ottos and Pawnees. The great depository which furnishes these Forts and -receives all the peltry and buffalo hides, is kept at St. Louis.[238] - -Monseigneur Loras, Bishop of Dubuque, has sent two priests among the -Sioux, on the river St. Pierre, a tributary of the Mississippi.[239] - -The Society of Jesus has a mission among the Pottowatomies on Sugar -Creek, a tributary of the Osage river.[240] The Ladies of the Sacred -Heart have an establishment here. During the summer of 1841, the late -distinguished Madame de Galitzin, provincial of the Order in America, -visited this section of the country for the purpose of founding, among -these rude savages, a house of education, in which the hapless children -of the desert now enjoy the benefit of being instructed in the Christian -faith, of being formed to habits of industry and cleanliness, and -acquiring a knowledge of those branches of education suited to their -condition.—These two missions are located near the frontiers of the -States, and are the only ones in this immense territory. - -The upper Missouri, and all its branches as far as the Rocky Mountains, -are without spiritual assistance {166}. Wherever _the priest_ has passed -in traversing the desert, he has been received with open arms among the -tribes that rove over this country—alas! so long a time forgotten and -neglected! - -The evening of 4th October, I arrived at the Fort des Montagnes, -belonging to the Hon. Hudson Bay Company, without having accomplished -the object of my travels and my desires, namely, meeting the -_Black-feet_.[241] The respectable and worthy commander of the Fort, -Mr. Harriot, an Englishman by birth, is among the most amiable gentlemen -I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He invited, and received into -his hospitable Fort the poor missionary, a Catholic and stranger, with -politeness and cordiality truly fraternal. These qualities characterize -all the gentlemen of the Hudson Bay Company, and although Mr. Harriot -is a Protestant, he encouraged me to visit the _Black-feet_, who would -soon arrive at the Fort, promising me to use all his influence with these -barbarians to obtain me a friendly reception. He has resided many years -among them, nevertheless he did not conceal from me that I should soon be -exposed to great dangers. “We are in the hands of God—may His holy will -be done.” - -{167} I am, with the most profound respect and esteem, monseigneur, your -very humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XII - -A. M. D. G. - - Fort of the Mountains, October 30th, 1845. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—A band of about twenty Crees, encamped near the Fort, came -to shake hands cordially with me on my arrival. The joy my presence -seemed to occasion them, proved that I was not the first priest they -had seen. Moreover, the greater number wore medals and crosses. -They informed me that they too had been so fortunate as to have a -_Black-Gown_, (Rev. Mr. Thibault,) who taught them to know and serve the -Great Spirit—and baptized all their little children, with the exception -of three, who were absent on the occasion. These children were brought -to me—I administered baptism to them, and at the same time to one of -my guides, a Koetenay. During their stay at the Fort, I gave them -instructions every evening. - -Two Crees, of the same band and family, father and son, had been killed -in a quarrel two {169} years since. The presence of the offending party -for the first time since the perpetration of the murder, rekindled in -the others that spirit of rancor and revenge so natural to an Indian’s -breast, and there was every reason to apprehend fatal consequences from -the old feud. - -With the approbation of Mr. Harriot, I assembled them all in the Fort; -the governor himself had the kindness to be my interpreter. He made a -long discourse on the obligation and necessity of their coming to a -sincere reconciliation; the matter was discussed in form, each Indian -giving his opinion in turn, with a good sense and moderation that -surprised me. I had the pleasure and satisfaction of seeing the calumet -passed around the assembly. This is the solemn pledge of peace—the -token of Indian brotherhood—the most formal declaration of the entire -forgetfulness and sincere pardon of an injury. - -The Cree nation is considered very powerful, and numbers more than six -hundred wigwams. This tribe is one of the most formidable enemies of -the Black-Feet, and continually encroaches upon the territory of its -adversaries. The preceding year they carried off more than six hundred -horses. The actual limit of the country {170} they traverse extends -from the bases of the Rocky Mountains, between the two forks of the -Sascatshawin, some distance beyond the Red River. Their turbulent and -warlike spirit, and rapacity for plunder, especially for horses, are -among the great obstacles which retard the conversion of the larger -portion of this tribe. - -The example of their brethren, who listen with docility to the -exhortations of their zealous and indefatigable missionary will, we -trust, produce fruit in due time, and be imitated by the entire nation. - -To give you an idea of their military discipline, and of the profound -superstition in which these unfortunate people are still immersed, I will -relate to you some of their proceedings. - -The Crees were meditating a deadly stroke upon the Black-Feet, and for -this purpose they collected all their ready forces, amounting to more -than eight hundred warriors. Before setting out in quest of the enemy, -every species of juggling and witchcraft imaginable was resorted to, in -order to secure the success of the expedition. It was decided that a -young girl, with a bandage over her eyes, should be placed at the head of -the Indian army, and thus blindfold, serve as a guide to the combatants. -In case {171} of success, the heroine was destined to become the bride -of the most valiant. According to the Oracle, none but the great _chief_ -himself had the privilege of shoeing or unshoeing her. - -This concluded, they began their march, intoxicated with confidence -and presumption, following this extraordinary guide over the hills and -valleys, ravines, marshes, and swamps. One day she would direct her -steps towards the north, the next to the south or west—the point of the -compass mattered naught—the Manitou of war was supposed to guide her, -and day after day the infatuated Crees continued to follow the steps of -the blindfolded Indian. They had already penetrated far into the plain, -when they were discovered by a party of seven Black-feet. The latter -might easily have escaped under favor of the night, but the Partisan, -or Black-foot Chieftain, a man of undaunted courage, determined to -oppose this formidable force. With the aid of their poniards they made -themselves a hollow, in which they took shelter. - -The following morning, at day-break, the eight hundred champions -surrounded their feeble prey. The first who pressed forward to dislodge -them were driven back several times, with the loss of seven men and -fifteen wounded. The failure of {172} ammunition at length put the -Black-feet at the mercy of the Crees, by whom they were cut into pieces. -The first engagement threw the victorious party into consternation, for -they too numbered seven killed and fifteen wounded. They removed the -bandage from the young heroine’s eyes, and the _Manitous_ whom they had -thought so propitious, being now judged unfavorable to their warlike -projects, the warriors hastily dispersed, taking the nearest road back to -their respective homes. - -The Crees have rather a singular custom among them, and one contrary to -the practice of other nations. They stain the faces of the warriors who -fall in combat, clothe them in their richest ornaments, and thus expose -them in places conspicuous to their enemies. They place near them their -guns, bows and arrows, to show that in their death there was no cause -for compassion; and this they do purposely that they may be cut into -pieces—an opportunity which an enemy never suffers to escape, and which -a Cree warrior regards as the height of his wishes. Other nations, on -the contrary, carry off and conceal their dead, to save them from the -rapacity and insults of their enemies, and to be cut into pieces, even -after death, is {173} considered a great dishonor among them.—The Crees -and _Sauteux_ are allies, and considerably intermixed by reciprocal -marriages. The latter form the most numerous and widely-diffused nation -of these parts.—They are to be met with from the confines of Lower Canada -even to the foot of the Rocky Mountains.[242] - -This is also the nation of medicine, _par excellence_:—for all pretend -to be jugglers, and sell their medicines and quackery at a high price. -In consequence of this attachment to their old, superstitious practices, -and the great profits they derive from them, the seed of the Divine Word -has hitherto fallen upon an unprofitable soil. An adroit impostor who has -been baptized, and who is, moreover, a great medicine man among them, has -contributed not a little to keep his nation in an obstinate ignorance, -which makes them prefer the shades of paganism to the beneficial light of -the gospel. Falling one day into a species of lethargy, it was thought -that he had expired—but recovering after a short time, he assembled his -band, and told them the following story: - -“Immediately after my death I repaired to the heaven of the white man, -or Christians, where the Great Spirit and Jesus Christ dwell, {174} -but they refused to admit me on account of my red skin. I then went to -the country where the souls of my ancestors are, and there, too, I was -refused admittance on account of my baptism. I am, therefore, come back -to this earth, to renounce the promises I made in baptism and resume my -medicine bag, hoping to expiate my former error by my sincere attachment -to jugglery, and thus render myself once more worthy of the beautiful -and spacious plains of that happy and delightful abode, where reigns -everlasting spring, and numberless flocks and herds afford an abundant -and everlasting subsistence to all the inhabitants of the Indian Elysium.” - -This extravagant report which has been circulated throughout the whole -tribe and among the neighboring people, has greatly contributed to attach -them to their old customs and superstitions,—and make them turn a deaf -ear to the instructions of their worthy missionary. - -The Rev. Mr. Belcourt has, notwithstanding, succeeded in converting a -considerable number, whom he has persuaded to renounce the illusions of -their brethren, and united in a village at St. Paul des Sauteux, where -they persevere fervently in all the practices of religion. The {175} -number of faithful, in this spot, increases every year.[243] - -At length, on the 25th October, thirteen Black-Feet arrived at the -Fort. They saluted me with a politeness truly _à la sauvage_, rough and -cordial, at the same time. The old chief embraced me quite tenderly -when he learned the object of my journey. He was distinguished from his -companions by his dress—being decorated from head to foot with eagles’ -plumes, and wearing a large breast-plate in form of medallion, _figured -with blue_, as a mark of distinction. He was profuse in attention to -me, making me sit beside him whenever I went to visit them in their -apartment—shaking me affectionately by the hand and amicably rubbing -my cheeks with his scarlet-painted nose. He cordially invited me to his -country, offering to be my guide and to introduce me to his people. The -difference of physiognomy existing between the Indians inhabiting the -plains east of the mountains and those near the upper waters of the -Columbia, is as great as the stupendous rocks that separate them. The -latter are remarkable for their mildness, serenity and affability, while -cruelty, craft—the word BLOOD, in fine, may be read in every feature of -the Black-Foot Indian. {176} Scarcely could an innocent hand be found in -the whole nation. The Lord, however, is all powerful—“from stones he can -raise up children unto Abraham,” and, full of confidence in the treasures -of His holy grace and mercies, I purpose to visit them. The essential -point and my greatest perplexity is, to find a good and faithful -interpreter; the only one now at the Fort is a suspicious and dangerous -man:[244] all his employers speak ill of him—he makes fine promises. In -the alternative of either renouncing my project or being of some utility -to those poor, unfortunate Indians, I accept his services. May he be -faithful to his engagement! - -I have the honor to be, monseigneur, your very humble and very obedient -servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XIII - -A. M. D. G. - - Fort of the Mountains, October 30th, 1845. - -The year 1845 will be a memorable epoch in the sad annals of the -Black-Feet nation. It has been a year of disasters. In two skirmishes -with the Flat-heads and Kalispels, they lost twenty-one warriors. The -Crees have carried off a great number of their horses, and twenty-seven -scalps. The Crows have struck them a mortal blow—fifty families, the -entire band of the _petite Robe_, were lately massacred, and one hundred -and sixty women and children have been led into captivity.[245] - -What a dreadful state for these unfortunate beings. In the first -excitement, numbers of the captives were sacrificed by the Crow squaws -to the manes of their husbands, brothers, fathers, or children. The -survivors were condemned to slavery. The smallpox shortly after made its -appearance in the conquerors’ camp, and spread {178} rapidly from lodge -to lodge. The Black-Feet had suffered from this scourge a few years -previous, and thousands had fallen victims to it. - -The Crows, therefore, interrogated their captives to know by what means -they had escaped death. A dark spirit of vengeance seized the latter; -they counselled cold baths as the only efficacious remedy, to stop the -progress of the disease. The sick immediately plunged into the water, and -mothers went to the river to bathe their little children. Some plunged -into their graves; others gave up their last sigh while endeavoring to -reach the shore—and disconsolate mothers returned to their cabins with -dead or expiring infants in their arms. Cries of despair succeeded to the -shouts of victory—desolation and mourning replaced the fanatic, barbarous -joy of the Crows. Death visited every tent of the victorious camp! - -The tradition of man’s creation and future immortality exists among -most of the Indian tribes; I have had the opportunity of visiting and -questioning them on the subject. Those who live by fishery, suppose their -Heaven to be full of lakes and rivers, abounding in fish, whose enchanted -shores and verdant islands produce fruits of every kind. - -{179} I encamped on the banks of two lakes to the east of the Rocky -Mountains, which the Black-Feet call the _lake of men_ and the _lake of -women_. According to their traditions, from the first of these issued -a band of young men, handsome and vigorous, but poor and naked. From -the second an equal number of ingenious and industrious young women, -who constructed and made themselves clothing. They lived a long time -separate and unknown to each other, until the great Manitou Wizakeschak, -or the old man, (still invoked by the Black-Feet,) visited them; he -taught them to slay animals in the chase, but they were yet ignorant of -the art of dressing skins. Wizakeschak conducted them to the dwelling -of the young women, who received their guests with dances and cries of -joy. Shoes, leggins, shirts, and robes, garnished with porcupine quills, -were presented them. Each young woman selected her guest, and presented -him with a dish of seeds and roots; the men, desiring to contribute to -the entertainment, sought the chase, and returned loaded with game. The -women liked the meat, and admired the strength, skill, and bravery of -the hunters. The men were equally delighted with the beauty of their -trappings, and admired the industry of the women. {180} Both parties -began to think they were necessary to each other, and Wizakeschak -presided at the solemn compact in which it was agreed that the men -should become the protectors of the women, and provide all necessaries -for their support: whilst all other family cares should devolve upon the -women. - -The Black-Feet squaws often bitterly complain of the astonishing folly of -their mothers in accepting such a proposition; declaring, if the compact -were yet to be made, they would arrange it in a very different manner. - -The Black-Foot heaven is a country composed of _sandy hills_, which they -call _Espatchekie_, whither the soul goes after death, and where they -will find again all the animals they have killed, and all the horses -they have stolen. The buffalo, hind, and stag, abound there. In speaking -of the departed, a Black-Foot never says, such a one is dead, but -_Espatchekie etape_—to the _Sand hills_ he is gone. - - Fort Auguste, on the Saschatshawin, December 31st, 1846. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—I arranged with the thirteen Black-Feet of whom I spoke in -my last, that {181} they should precede me among their people, to pave -the way, as it were, and prepare their minds to receive me.—Everything -seemed propitious, and accordingly, on the 31st of October, I took leave -of the friendly Mr. Harriot. I was accompanied by my interpreter, a young -Metif of the Cree nation, who had charge of the horses. Notwithstanding -his good resolutions, my interpreter did not long leave me in doubt of -his true character. The wolf cannot remain concealed beneath the sheep’s -clothing. He became sullen and peevish, always choosing to halt in those -places where the poor beasts of burden could find nothing to eat, after -their long day’s journey. The farther we penetrated into the desert, the -more and more sulky he became. It was impossible to draw from him a -single pleasant word, and his incoherent mutterings and allusions became -subjects of serious apprehension. Thus passed ten sorrowful days; my last -two nights had been nights of anxiety and watching; when fortunately, I -encountered a Canadian, on whom I prevailed to remain with me some time. -The following day my interpreter disappeared. Although my situation was -extremely precarious in this dangerous desert, without interpreter, -without guide, {182} yet I could not but feel relieved of a heavy burden -by the departure of this sullen and gloomy fellow. Had it not been for -my opportune meeting with the Canadian, it is probable I should not have -escaped his deep laid scheme against me. - -Friends and travellers in the desert, beware of choosing for your guide, -or placing your dependence on a morose Metif, especially if he has been -for some time a resident among the savages; for such men usually possess -all the faults of the white man joined to the cunning of the Indian. I -determined to continue my route in search of a Canadian interpreter, whom -we understood was some distance in advance of us on the same road. For -eight successive days we wandered on in that labyrinth of valleys, but -in vain; although in the heart of their territory, neither the Canadian -nor the Black-Feet were to be found. Large marauding parties of the Crees -were beating the country at that time, and it appeared evident from the -tracks, that they had carried everything before them. It snowed without -intermission during four days;—our poor horses were nearly exhausted—my -wallet contained nothing but crumbs—the passage from the east to the -western {183} side of the mountains was become impracticable, and I had -no alternative, but to repair to one of the forts of the Hudson Bay -Company, and beg hospitality during the inclement season. - -The entire region in the vicinity of the first eastern chain of the Rocky -Mountains, serving as their base for thirty or sixty miles, is extremely -fertile, abounding in forests, plains, prairies, lakes, streams, and -mineral springs. The rivers and streams are innumerable, and on every -side offer situations favorable for the construction of mills. The -northern and southern branches of the Sascatshawin water the district -I have traversed, for a distance of about three hundred miles. Forests -of pine, cypress, thorn, poplar and aspen trees, as well as others of -different kinds, occupy a large portion of it, covering the declivities -of the mountains, and banks of the rivers. - -These, ordinarily, take their rise in the highest chains, whence they -issue in every direction like so many veins. The beds and sides of -these rivers are pebbly, and their courses rapid, but as they recede -from the mountains they widen, and the currents lose something of their -impetuosity. Their waters are usually very clear. In this climate wens -are not unfrequent. {184} The country would be capable of supporting a -large population, and the soil is favorable for the produce of barley, -corn, potatoes, and beans, which grow here as well as in the more -southern countries. - -Are these vast and innumerable fields of hay forever destined to be -consumed by fire, or perish in the autumnal snows? How long shall these -superb forests be the haunts of wild beasts? And these inexhaustible -quarries, these abundant mines of coal, lead, sulphur, iron, copper, and -saltpetre—can it be that they are doomed to remain for ever inactive? -Not so—the day will come when some laboring hand will give them value: -a strong, active, and enterprising people are destined to fill this -spacious void.—The wild beasts will, ere long, give place to our domestic -animals; flocks and herds will graze in the beautiful meadows that -border the numberless mountains, hills, valleys, and plains of this -extensive region. A large portion of the surface of the country is -covered with artificial lakes, formed by the beavers. On our way, we had -frequently occasion to remark, with wonder and admiration, the extent and -height of their ingeniously constructed dams and solid lodges. These are -remains of the admirable {185} little republics, concerning which so many -wonders have justly been recorded. Not more than half a century ago, such -was the number of beavers in this region, that a good hunter could kill a -hundred in a month’s space. - -I reached Fort Augustus or Edmondton towards the close of the year. Its -respectable Commandant, the worthy Mr. Rowan, received me with all the -tenderness of a father, and together with his inestimable family, showed -me every kindness and attention.[246] Never shall I have it in my power -to cancel the debt of gratitude I owe them.—May heaven protect and repay -them with its choice blessings; such is the most sincere prayer of a poor -priest, who will ever remember them. - -I must await a more favorable moment for visiting the Black-Feet. The -skirmishing parties appear to be still scouring the country. The tidings -which reach us concerning them tell only of plunder and bloodshed. -Meanwhile, I have the honor of being, with profound respect and esteem, -Monseigneur, your very humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. [De] Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XIV - -A. M. D. G. - - Fort Jasper, April 16th, 1846. - -MONSEIGNEUR,—Fort Edmondton or Auguste is the great emporium of -the Hudson Bay Company in the districts of Upper Sascatshawin and -Athabasca:[247] Forts Jasper, Assiniboine, Little Slave Lake, on the -river Athabasca,[248] Forts des Montagnes, Pitt, Carrollton, Cumberland, -on the Sascatshawin, depend on it.[249] The respectable and worthy Mr. -Rowan, Governor of this immense district, unites, to all the amiable -and polite qualities of a perfect gentleman, those of a sincere and -hospitable friend; his goodness and paternal tenderness render him a true -patriarch amidst his charming and numerous family. He is esteemed and -venerated by all the surrounding tribes, and though advanced in age, he -possesses extraordinary activity. - -The number of servants at Edmondton, including children, is about eighty. -They form a {187} well-regulated family. Besides a large garden, a -field of potatoes and wheat, belonging to the establishment, the lakes, -forests, and plains of the neighborhood furnish provisions in abundance. -On my arrival at the Fort, the ice-house contained thirty thousand white -fish, each weighing four pounds, and five hundred buffaloes, the ordinary -amount of the winter provisions. Such is the quantity of aquatic birds in -the season, that sportsmen often send to the Fort carts full of fowls. -Eggs are picked up by thousands in the straw and reeds of the marshes. - -The greater number of those employed being Catholics, I found sufficient -occupation. Every morning I catechized the children, and gave an -instruction; in the evening, after the labors of the day, I recited the -prayers for the honorable Commander and his servants. I must acknowledge, -to the credit of the inhabitants of Edmondton, that their assiduity and -attention to religious duties, and the kindness and respectful regard -evinced for me, were a source of great consolation during my sojourn of -two months among them. May God, who has granted them so liberally and -plentifully the dews of the earth, enrich them likewise with those of -Heaven; {188} such is the most sincere wish and prayer of a friend who -will never forget them. - -I visited Lake St. Anne, the ordinary residence of Messrs. Thibault and -Bourassa; the latter gentleman was absent. The distance from the fort to -the lake is about fifty miles. I mentioned this interesting mission in my -preceding letters, and I will now say a word relative to the country.—The -surface of this region is flat for the most part, undulating in some -places—diversified with forests and meadows, and lakes teeming with fish. -In Lake St. Anne alone were caught, last autumn, more than seventy -thousand white fish, the most delicious of the kind; they are taken with -the line at every season of the year. - -Notwithstanding the rigor and duration of the winter in this northern -region, the earth in general appears fertile; vegetation is so forward -in the spring and summer, that potatoes, wheat and barley, together with -other vegetables of Canada, come to maturity. Lake Saint Anne forms -one of a chain of lakes; I counted eleven of them, which flow into the -Sascatshawin by the small river Esturgeons, or _Sturgeon_. Innumerable -republics of beavers formerly existed there; each lake, each marsh, each -river, {189} bears, even to this day, proofs of their labors. What I here -say of beavers is applicable to almost all the Hudson territory. When -the reindeer, buffalo, and moose abounded, the Crees were then peaceful -possessors;—animals have disappeared, and with them the ancient lords of -the country. Scarcely do we meet with a solitary hut—but now and then the -tracks of some large animal. Seventeen families of Metifs, descendants of -English Canadians and savages, have assembled and settled around their -missionaries. The Crees have gained the buffalo plains, and they contend -for them with the Black-Feet, whose mortal foes they have become. - -In proportion as the rigors of winter began to give place to the cheering -dawn of spring, simultaneously did my pulse beat to approach near the -mountain, there to await a favorable opportunity to cross it, so that I -might arrive as early as possible at the mission of St. Ignatius. - -The 12th of March, I bade farewell to the respectable Rowan family, -and to all the servants of the Fort. I was accompanied by three brave -Metifs, whom Mr. Thibault was so kind as to procure me. At this season, -the whole country lies buried in snow, and voyages are {190} made in -sledges drawn by dogs. Our provisions and baggage were conveyed in two -of these sledges; the third, drawn by four dogs, was reserved for me. I -found this mode of travelling quite a novelty; and on the glittering ice -of the rivers and lakes, it was particularly convenient and agreeable. -The third day we encamped near Lake de l’Aigle Noir, which abounds in -white fish; on the sixth, we arrived at Fort Assiniboine,[250] built in a -meadow on the river Athabasca, where it is two hundred and thirty-three -fathoms broad, which breadth it seems to preserve more or less until it -leaves the Rocky Mountains, its current is extremely rapid. In the spring -it can be descended in three days from Fort Jasper to Fort Assiniboine, -a distance of more than three hundred miles. With our sledges we were -nine days accomplishing the journey. The bed of the river is studded -with islands, which, by their various positions and features, render the -prospect very agreeable. Its shores are covered with thick forests of -pine intersecting rocks and high hills which embellish and give a touch -of the picturesque to the general monotony of the desert. - -The principal branches are the Pembina, which measures four hundred and -sixty-four {191} feet across—the river des Avirons, one hundred and -twenty-eight feet; the river Des Gens Libres, the branch McCloud, and -river Baptist Berland, are about eighty fathoms wide at their mouth. The -rivers Du Vieux, du Milieu, des Prairies, and des Roches, form beautiful -currents.[251] Lake Jasper, eight miles in length, is situated at the -base of the first great mountain chain. The fort of the same name, -and the second lake, are twenty miles higher, and in the heart of the -mountains.[252] The rivers Violin and Medicine on the southern side, and -the Assiniboine on the northern, must be crossed to arrive there,[253] -and to reach the height of land at the _du Committees Punch Bowl_, we -crossed the rivers Maline, Gens de Colets, Miette and Trou, which we -ascended to its source.[254] The river Medicine mingles its waters with -those of the Sascatshawin; the Assiniboine and Gens de Lolets with those -of the Boucane, a tributary of a la Paix.[255] The waters of the Miette, -have their source at the same height, with some branches of the river -Frazer, which crosses New Caledonia.[256] - -Some years since, the valleys and high forests of Athabasca were -exclusively appropriated to the chase by the Assiniboines of the forests: -{192} the scarcity of game forced them to quit their land—since their -departure the animals have increased in an astonishing manner. In various -places on the river, we saw ravages of the beavers which I should have -taken for recent encampments of savages, so great a quantity of felled -trees was there. Many wandering families of the carrier tribe and -Achiganes or Sock Indians of New Caledonia,[257] compelled by hunger, -have quitted their country, traversed the last of the mountains, and -now cross the valleys of this region in quest of food. They nourish -themselves with roots, and whatever they can catch, many of them have -their teeth worn to the gums by the earth and sand they swallow with -their nourishment. In winter they fare well: for then the moose, elk and -reindeer are plentiful. The reindeer feed on a kind of white moss, and -the paunch is considered delicious when the food is half digested. By way -of a dainty morsel, the Indians pluck out the eyes of fish with the end -of the fingers and swallow them raw, likewise the tripes with their whole -contents, without further ceremony than placing them an instant on the -coals, from thence into the omnibus or general reservoir, without even -undergoing the operation of the jaws. - -{193} The Montagnees Indians[258] inhabit the lower part of Athabasca, -also the great lake of this name.[259] The elk is very common, and the -reindeer are found in large bands; the chase of the latter is both easy -and singular. They regularly bend their course northward in autumn, and -return towards the south in the spring. The Indians know their usual -crossing-places over the lakes and rivers—and when the herd (often many -hundreds in number) are in the water, and approach the opposite shore, -the huntsmen leave their concealment, jump into their light canoes, and -yell with all their strength to make them return to the centre; there -they harass them, continually driving them from the shore, until the -poor animals become exhausted; then begins the work of carnage; they are -killed without difficulty by daggers and darts, and it rarely happens -that one effects his escape. They cover their huts and dress themselves -with the skins of the reindeer. Lakes and marshes being so numerous in -this country, swans, geese, bustards, and ducks of various species, come -hither in thousands during the spring and autumn. The savages travel -over these marshy places in _Rackets_ in quest of eggs, on which they -mostly subsist during this season. Often squares of {194} several acres -are found covered with nests. White fish, carp, trout, and unknown fish, -abound in all these lakes and rivers. - -Two missionaries, a Father of the order of Oblats of Marseilles and a -Canadian priest, are on the way, with the intention of penetrating into -the interior of the country. The reception given to Mr. Thibault last -summer by the Montagnees, leaves little doubt of the happy results of -this praiseworthy and holy enterprise.[260] On the banks of the Jasper, -we met an old Iroquois called Louis Kwaragkwante, or the travelling sun, -accompanied by his family, thirty-six in number. He has been forty years -absent from his country, during which he has never seen a priest—has -dwelt in the forest of Athabasca on Peace river and subsisted by hunting -and fishing. The good old man was overwhelmed with joy, and the children -experienced a similar feeling with their father. I will give you the old -man’s words in English, on learning that I was a priest: “How glad I am -to have come here, for I have not seen a priest for many years. To-day I -behold a priest, as I did in my own country-my heart rejoices—wherever -you go I shall follow you with my children-all will hear the word of -prayer-all will have the happiness {195} to receive baptism.—Therefore -my heart rejoices and is happy.” The little Iroquois camp immediately -set out to follow me to Fort Jasper. Most of them know their prayers in -Iroquois. I remained fifteen days at the Fort, instructing them in the -duties of religion—after Mass, on Sunday, all were regenerated in the -waters of baptism, and seven marriages renewed and blessed. The number -of baptized amounted to forty-four; among whom was the lady of Mr. -Frazer, (Superintendent of the Fort), and four of his children and two -servants.[261] - -I have the honor to be, with the most profound respect and high regard, -Monseigneur, your very humble and obedient servant in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XV - -A. M. D. G. - - Foot of the Great Glaciere, at the Source of - the Athabasca, May 6th, 1846. - -MONSEIGNEUR—Provisions becoming scarce at the Fort, at the moment when -we had with us a considerable number of Iroquois from the surrounding -country, who were resolved to remain until my departure, in order -to assist at the instructions, we should have found ourselves in an -embarrassing situation had not Mr. Frazer come to our relief, by -proposing that we should leave the Fort and accompany himself and family -to the Lake of Islands, where we could subsist partly on fish.[262] As -the distance was not great, we accepted this invitation, and set out to -the number of fifty-four persons, and twenty dogs. I count the latter, -because we were as much obliged to provide for them, as for ourselves. A -little note of the game killed by our hunters during the twenty-six days -of {197} our abode at this place, will perhaps afford you some interest; -at least, it will make you acquainted with the animals of the country, -and prove that the mountaineers of Athabasca are blessed with good -appetites. Animals killed—twelve moose deer, two reindeer, thirty large -mountain sheep or big horn, two porcupines, two hundred and ten hares, -one beaver, two muskrats, twenty-four bustards, one hundred and fifteen -ducks, twenty-one pheasants, one snipe, one eagle, one owl; add to this -from thirty to fifty fine white fish every day and twenty trout, and then -judge whether or not our people had reason to complain; yet we heard them -constantly saying; “How hard living is here? The country is miserably -poor—we are obliged to fast.” - -As the time approached at which I was to leave my new children in Christ, -they earnestly begged leave to honor me, before my departure, with a -little ceremony to prove their attachment, and that their children might -always remember him who had first put them in the way of life. Each -one discharged his musket in the direction of the highest mountain, a -large rock jutting out in the form of a sugar loaf, and with three loud -hurrahs gave it my name. {198} This mountain is more than 14,000 feet -high, and is covered with perpetual snow. - -On the 25th April, I bade farewell to my kind friend Mr. Frazer, and his -amiable children, who had treated me with every mark of attention and -kindness. - -All the men in the camp insisted on honoring me with an escort, and -accompanied me a distance of ten miles. Here we separated, each one -affectionately pressed my hand—mutual good wishes were exchanged—tears -flowed on both sides—and I was left with my companions in one of those -wild ravines where nothing meets the eye, but ranges of gloomy mountains -rising on all sides, like so many impassable barriers. - -Upper Athabasca is, unquestionably, the most elevated part of North -America. All its mountains are prodigious, and their rocky and snow-capt -summits seem to lose themselves in the clouds. At this season, immense -masses of snow often become loosened and roll down the mountains’ sides -with a terrific noise, that resounds throughout these quiet solitudes -like distant thunder—so irresistible is the velocity of their descent, -that they frequently carry with them enormous fragments of rock, and -force a {199} passage through the dense forests which cover the base of -the mountain. At each hour, the noise of ten avalanches descending at -once, breaks upon the ear; on every side we see them precipitated with a -frightful rapidity. - -From these mountains, the majestic river of the north, the upper branch -of the Sascatshawin, the two great forks of the McKenzie, the Athabasca -and Peace rivers, the Columbia, and Frazer at the west, derive the -greater part of their waters. - -In the neighborhood of the Miette river, we fell in with one of those -poor families of Porteurs or “Itoaten,” of New Caledonia, of whom I -spoke to you in a former letter; they saw us from the summit of the -mountain that overlooks the valley through which we were passing, and -perceiving we were whites, hastened down to meet us. They appeared -overjoyed at seeing us, particularly when they discovered that I was a -Black-gown; they crowded around me, and begged me to baptize them with -an earnestness that affected me to tears, though I was able to grant -this favor to only two of their smallest children, the others required -instruction, but there was no interpreter. I exhorted them to return soon -to their own country, where they {200} would find a Black-gown (Father -Nobili) who would instruct them. They made the sign of the cross, recited -some prayers in their own language, and sang several hymns with great -apparent devotion. The condition of these people seemed very wretched; -they had no clothes but a few rags and some pieces of skins, and yet, -notwithstanding their extreme poverty, they laid at my feet the mountain -sheep they had just killed. - -The history of a poor young woman, one of their number, deserves to be -recorded, as it affords a lively picture of the dangers and afflictions -to which these unfortunate people are often exposed. When she was about -fifteen years of age, her father, mother, and brothers, together with -another family of her nation, were surprised in the wood by a party -of Assiniboine warriors, and massacred without mercy. At the time of -this horrid scene, the young girl was in another part of the forest -with her two sisters, both younger than herself; they succeeded in -concealing themselves, and thus escaped falling into the hands of the -assassins. The hapless orphan wandered about the desert for two years, -without meeting any human being, subsisting on roots, wild fruits, and -porcupines. {201} In winter she sheltered herself in the abandoned den -of a bear. The sisters left her at the end of the first year, since which -they have never been heard of. At length, after three years, she was -fortunately found by a good Canadian, who took her home, provided her -with comfortable food and clothing, and six months after restored her to -her tribe. - -We resumed our journey the following day, and arrived about nightfall on -the banks of the Athabaska, at the spot called the “Great Crossing.” Here -we deviated from the course of that river, and entered the valley de la -Fourche du Trou.[263] - -As we approached the highlands the snow became much deeper. On the 1st -of May, we reached the great Bature, which has all the appearance of a -lake just drained of its waters. Here we pitched our tent to await the -arrival of the people from Columbia, who always pass by this route on the -way to Canada and York Factory. Not far from the place of our encampment, -we found a new object of surprise and admiration. An immense mountain of -pure ice, 1,500 feet high, enclosed between two enormous rocks. So great -is the transparency of this beautiful ice, that we can easily distinguish -{202} objects in it to the depth of more than six feet. One would say, by -its appearance, that in some sudden and extraordinary swell of the river, -immense icebergs had been forced between these rocks, and had there piled -themselves on one another, so as to form this magnificent glacier. What -gives some color of probability to this conjecture is, that on the other -side of the glacier, there is a large lake of considerable elevation. -From the base of this gigantic iceberg, the river Trou takes its rise. - -The people of Columbia have just arrived. I must therefore take this -present opportunity, the only one I shall have for a long time, of -sending you my letters, and before closing this, permit me again to -recommend myself and all my missions to your holy sacrifices and fervent -prayers.[264] - -Meantime, I have the honor to be, with the most sincere respect and -esteem, Monseigneur, your very humble and obedient servant in Jesus -Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XVI - -A. M. D. G. - - Boat Encampment on the Columbia, May 10th, 1846. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL:—By my last letter to the -distinguished Prelate of New-York, in which I gave my different -missionary excursions during 1845-46 among several tribes of the Rocky -Mountains, you have learned that I had arrived at the base of the Great -Glacier, the source of the river _du Trou_, which is a tributary of -the Athabaska, or Elk river. I will now give to your reverence the -continuation of my arduous and difficult journey across the main chain -of the Rocky Mountains, and down the Columbia, on my return to my dear -brethren in Oregon. - -Towards the evening of the 6th of May, we discovered, at the distance -of about three miles, the approach of two men in snow shoes, who soon -joined us. They proved to be the forerunners {204} of the English Company -which, in the spring of each year, go from Fort Vancouver to York -Factory, situated at the mouth of the river Nelson, near the fifty-eighth -degree north latitude.[265] In the morning my little train was early -ready; we proceeded, and after a march of eight miles we fell in with the -gentlemen of the Hudson Bay Company. The time of our reunion was short, -but interesting and joyful. The great melting of the snow had already -begun, and we were obliged to be on the alert to cross in due time, the -now swelling rapids and rivers. The news between travellers, who meet -in the mountains is quickly conveyed to one another. The leaders of the -company were my old friends, Mr. Ermatinger, of the Honorable Hudson -Bay Company,[266] and two distinguished officers of the English army, -Captains Ward and Vavasseur, whom I had the honor of entertaining last -year at the Great Kalispel lake. Capt. Ward is the gentleman who had the -kindness to take charge of my letters for the States and for Europe. - -Fifteen Indians of the Kettle-Fall tribe accompanied him. Many of them -had scaled the mountains with one hundred and fifty pounds weight upon -their backs. The worthy Capt. {205} Ward spoke many things in praise of -them. He admired their honesty and civility, and above all, their sincere -piety and great regularity in their religious duties; every morning and -evening, they were seen retiring a short distance from the camp, to sing -one or two hymns, and join in common prayer. “I hope,” added the Captain, -“I shall never forget the example, which these poor, but good savages, -have given me. During the time that they were with me, I was much struck -by their becoming deportment, and I have never seen more sincere piety -than they exhibited.” - -The gentlemen of the English Company were now at the end of their chief -difficulties and troubles. They gladly threw away their snow shoes to -take horses for four days; at Fort Jasper they were to enter skiffs, to -go to Fort Assiniboine, on the river Athabasca. For myself, I had to try -the snow shoes for the first time in my life; by means of them, I had to -ascend those frightful ramparts, the barriers of snow, which separate the -Atlantic world from the Pacific Ocean. I have, in my previous letters, -already told you, that this is probably the most elevated point of the -Rocky Mountains, where five great rivers derive their sources, {206} -viz.: the north-branch of the Sascatshawin, flowing into Lake Winnepeg, -the Athabasca and Peace rivers, uniting and flowing into Great Slave -Lake, which is discharged into the Northern Ocean, by the Mackenzie, the -most solitary of rivers. From the bosom of these mountains the Columbia -and Frazer rivers derive water from a thousand fountains and streams. - -We had now seventy miles to travel in snow shoes, in order to reach -the boat encampment on the banks of the Columbia. We proposed to -accomplish this in two days and a half. The most worthy and excellent -Messrs. Rowan and Harriot, whose kindness at the Rocky Mountain House -and Fort Augustus I shall ever acknowledge, were of opinion, that it -was absolutely impossible for me to accomplish the journey, on account -of my heavy mould, and they wished to dissuade me from attempting it. -However, I thought I could remedy the inconvenience of my surplus stock, -by a vigorous fast of thirty days, which I cheerfully underwent. I found -myself much lighter indeed, and started off somewhat encouraged, over -snow sixteen feet deep. We went in single file—alternately ascending and -descending—sometimes across plains piled up with avalanches—sometimes -{207} over lakes and rapids buried deeply under the snow—now, on the side -of a deep mountain—then across a forest of cypress trees, of which we -could only see the tops. I cannot tell you the number of my summersets. -I continually found myself embarrassed by my snow shoes, or entangled in -some branch of a tree. When falling, I spread my arms before me, as one -naturally would do, to break the violence of the fall; and upon deep snow -the danger is not great,—though I was often half buried, when I required -the assistance of my companions, which was always tendered with great -kindness and good humor. - -We made thirty miles the first day, and then made preparations to -encamp. Some pine trees were cut down and stripped of their branches, -and these being laid on the snow, furnished us with a bed, whilst a -fire was lighted on a floor of green logs. To sleep thus—under the -beautiful canopy of the starry heavens—in the midst of lofty and steep -mountains—among sweet murmuring rills and roaring torrents—may appear -strange to you, and to all lovers of rooms, rendered comfortable by -stoves and feathers; but you may think differently after having come and -breathed the pure air of the {208} mountains, where in return, coughs -and colds are unknown. Come and make the trial, and you will say that it -is easy to forget the fatigues of a long march, and find contentment and -joy even upon the spread branches of pines, on which, after the Indian -fashion, we extended ourselves and slept, wrapped up in buffalo robes. - -The next morning we commenced the descent of what is called the Great -Western Slope. This took us five hours. The whole slope is covered with -gigantic cedars, and with pine trees of different species. Wo to the -man, who happens to have a heavy body, or to make a false step. I say -this from experience; for many times I found myself twenty or thirty feet -from the point of my departure—happy indeed if, in the fall, I did not -violently strike my head against the trunk of some great tree. - -At the foot of the mountain an obstacle of a new kind presented itself. -All the barriers of snow, the innumerable banks, which had stopped the -water of the streams, lakes, and torrents, were broken up during the -night, and swelled considerably the Great Portage river.[267] It meanders -so remarkably in this straight valley, down which we travelled for a day -and a half, {209} that we were compelled to cross the said river not less -than forty times, with the water frequently up to our shoulders. So great -is its impetuosity, that we were obliged mutually to support ourselves, -to prevent being carried away by the current. We marched in our wet -clothes during the rest of our sad route. The long soaking, joined to -my great fatigue, swelled my limbs. All the nails of my feet came off, -and the blood stained my moccasins or Indian shoes. Four times I found -my strength gone, and I should certainly have perished in that frightful -region, if the courage and strength of my companions had not roused and -aided me in my distress. - -We saw May-poles all along the old encampments of the Portage. Each -traveller who passes there for the first time, selects his own. A young -Canadian, with much kindness, dedicated one to me, which was at least one -hundred and twenty feet in height, and which reared its lofty head above -all the neighboring trees. Did I deserve it? He stripped it of all its -branches, only leaving at the top a little crown; at the bottom my name -and the date of the transit were written. Moose, reindeer, and mountain -goats are frequently found in this region. - -{210} We next passed through a thick and mountainous forest, where hoary -pines lay prostrate by thousands—and where many a giant tree, in its -full vigor, had been levelled to the ground by the raging tempest. On -issuing from the forest, an extensive marsh presented itself, through -which we had to plod, up to the knees in mud and water; this trouble was -trifling compared to the past, and we were still more encouraged at the -sight of a beautiful and verdant plain, where four reindeer were seen -carousing, bouncing, and jumping in the midst of plenty. No doubt they, -as well as ourselves, had issued forth from the snowy and icy cliffs, and -felt light-hearted and joyful at the delightful prospect of mountain and -plain at this season of the year. On approaching, a dozen guns were at -once levelled against the innocent and timid creatures. I was pleased to -observe, by the wonderful rapidity with which they used their legs, that -no one had injured their noble and beautiful frames. - -Towards the middle of the day we arrived at the Boat Encampment, on the -bank of the Columbia, at the mouth of the Portage river.[268] Those who -have passed the Rocky Mountains at fifty three degrees of north latitude, -during {211} the great melting of the snows, know whether or not we merit -the title of good travellers. It required all my strength to accomplish -it, and I confess that I would not dare undertake it again. - -After so many labors and dangers, we deserved a repast. Happily, we found -at the encampment all the ingredients that were necessary for a feast—a -bag of flour, a large ham, part of a reindeer, cheese, sugar, and tea in -abundance, which the gentlemen of the English Company had charitably left -behind. While some were employed refitting the barge, others prepared -the dinner; and in about an hour we found ourselves snugly seated and -stretched out around the kettles and roasts, laughing and joking about -the summersets on the mountains, and the accidents on the Portage. I -need not tell you, that they described me as the most clumsy and awkward -traveller in the band. - -Three beautiful rivers unite at this place: the Columbia, coming from the -south-east—the Portage river, from the north-east, and the Canoe river -from the north-west. We were surrounded by a great number of magnificent -mountains, covered with perpetual snow, and rising from twelve to sixteen -thousand feet {212} above the level of the ocean. The Hooker and the -Brown are the highest, the latter measuring sixteen thousand feet.[269] - -Very Rev. and dear Father Provincial, your humble brother in Jesus Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XVII - -A. M. D. G. - - St. Paul’s Station, near Colville, May 29th, 1846. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL—The Columbia at the Boat Encampment -is 3,600 feet above the level of the sea. Having finished our meal, we -launched the barge and rapidly descended the river, which was now swollen -many feet above its usual level. Did not more serious avocations call him -away, an admirer of Nature would willingly linger in a region like this. -The volcanic and basaltic islands—the range of picturesque mountains, -whose bases came to bathe in the river, whilst their summits seemed to -be struggling, in the giant efforts of the avalanche, to throw off the -winding-sheet of winter, in order to give place to the new and beautiful -verdure of the month of May, with its smiling and varied flowers—the -thousand fountains which we could at one view behold, {214} leaping out -with soothing music from the shelves of perpendicular rocks bordering the -river—all lent their aid to increase the beauty of the scenery of Nature, -which, in this region of the Columbia, seems to have put forth all her -energy to display her grandeur and magnificence. - -After some hours of descent we came to Martin’s rapid, where a Canadian, -so called, together with his son, found a watery grave. Its roar is -deafening, and the agitation of the water resembles that of a raging -sea-storm. The whole bed of the river is here strewed with immense -fragments of rocks. Guided by an expert Iroquois pilot, and aided with -ten oars, the boat darted over its boisterous surface, dancing-like and -leaping from wave to wave, with the rapidity of lightning. - -At sunset we were at the Dalle of the Dead. (_Dalle_ is an old French -word, meaning a trough, and the name is given by the Canadian voyageurs -to all contracted running waters, hemmed in by walls of rocks.) Here, -in 1838, twelve unfortunate travellers were buried in the river.[270] -The waters are compressed between a range of perpendicular rocks, -presenting innumerable crags, fissures and cliffs, through which the -Columbia leaps with irresistible impetuosity, {215} forming, as it dashes -along, frightful whirlpools, where every passing object is swallowed and -disappears. By means of two long ropes we dropped down our boat through -the Dalle, and encamped for the night at its outlet. - -On the 11th we continued our route at early dawn—the mountain scenery was -hidden from our view wrapped up in dense mist and fog, which were seen -ascending in dense pillars, adding to the forming clouds above, till the -whole sky was overcast. Occasionally, as if to break upon the unusual -monotony, would a fallow or reindeer be observed on the margin of the -stream, or peeping with uplifted ears from a thicket, as the strange -sound of oars, or the Canadian song, came stealing louder and louder upon -them in their quiet abode:—off they bounded, affrighted at the sight -of men, so hateful, it appears, to the wild and timid creatures of the -forest. In the evening we encamped at the entrance of the Upper Lake. - -This beautiful sheet of crystalline water, whilst the rising sun was -tinting the tops of a thousand hills around, came most refreshing to the -eye. It is about thirty miles long, by four or five wide. Its borders are -embellished by overhanging precipices and majestic peaks, {216} which, -rearing their white heads above the clouds, look down like venerable -monarchs of the desert upon the great forests of pines and cedar -surrounding the lake. The two highest peaks are called St. Peter and St. -Paul. - -Twenty Indian families, belonging to the station of St. Peter, were found -encamped on the borders of the lake. I gladly accepted their invitation -to visit them. It was the meeting of a father with his children, after -ten months of absence and dangers. I dare say the joy was mutually -sincere. The greater part of the tribe had been converted during the past -year, at Kettle Falls. These families were absent at that time. I passed, -therefore, several days among them, to instruct them in the duties and -practices of religion. They then received baptism, with all the marks of -sincere piety and gratitude. Gregory, the name of their chief, who had -not ceased to exhort his people by word and example, had the happiness to -receive baptism in 1838, from the hands of the Rev. Mr., now Archbishop, -Blanchet. The worthy and respectable chief was now at the height of his -joy, in seeing at last all his children brought under the standard of -Jesus Christ. The tribe of these lake Indians are a part of the Kettle -{217} Fall nation. They are very poor, and subsist principally on fish -and wild roots. As soon as we shall have more means at our disposal, we -will supply them with implements of husbandry and with various seeds and -roots, which I have no doubt, will thrive well in their country; this -will be a great assistance to these destitute people. The second lake is -about six miles distant from the first. It is of about the same length, -but less wide. We passed under a perpendicular rock, where we beheld an -innumerable number of arrows sticking out of the fissures. The Indians, -when they ascend the lake, have a custom of lodging each an arrow into -these crevices. The origin and cause of the custom is unknown to me.[271] - -The mouth of the river McGilvray or Flat-Bow, is near the outlet of the -Lower Lakes. It presents a beautiful situation for the establishment of -a future Reduction or Mission, and I have already marked out a site for -the construction of a church. About twenty miles lower, we passed the -Flat-Head or Clark’s river, which contributes largely to the Columbia. -These two beautiful rivers derive a great portion of their waters from -the same chain of the Rocky Mountains, from which a great number of the -{218} forks of the south branch of the Sascatshawin and of the Missouri -are supplied. For a distance of about thirty miles from their junction -with the Columbia, are they obstructed by insurmountable falls and -rapids. Among the many lakes connected with the Flat-Head river, three -are very conspicuous, and measure from thirty to forty miles in length, -and from four to six in width. The Flat-Head lake receives a broad and -beautiful stream, extending upwards of a hundred miles in a north-western -direction, through a most delightful valley, and is supplied by -considerable torrents, coming from a great cluster of mountains, -connected immediately with the main chain, in which a great number of -lakes lie imbedded. Clark’s fork passed through Lake Kalispel.[272] Lake -Roothaan is situated in the Pend-d’oreille and Flat-Bow mountains, and -discharges itself by the Black-gown river into the Clark, twenty miles -below Kalispel Lake.[273] The St. Mary’s, or Bitter-root river, from -the south-east, is the greatest tributary of Clark’s fork, and the chief -residence of the Flat-Heads. All these waters contain an abundance of -fish, especially trout. The geography of the head of Clark’s Fork, is -little known, as appears from the maps, the south-east {219} branch or -the Saint Mary’s river being only a small tributary compared to the -main stream, coming from the north-west, and passing through the great -Flat-Head lake. - -Our barge was in great danger in the Dalle, some miles above -Colville.[274] I had left it, to go on foot, to avoid the dangerous -passage. The young boatman, notwithstanding my remonstrances, thought -they could pass in safety. A whirlpool suddenly arrested their course, -and threatened to bury them beneath its angry waters. Their redoubled -efforts proved ineffectual—I saw them borne on with an irresistible force -to the engulfing centre—the bow of the boat descended already into the -abyss and filled! I was on my knees upon the rock which overhung this -frightful spectacle, surrounded by several Indians—we implored the aid -of Heaven in favor of our poor comrades—they seemed to be evidently -lost—when the whirlpool filled, and threw them from its bosom, as it -reluctantly yielded up the prey which it had so tenaciously held. We all -gave heartfelt thanks to Almighty God for having delivered them from a -danger so imminent. - -From the outlet of the Lower Lake of the Columbia to Fort Colville, the -aspect of the {220} country is highly picturesque and interesting. The -whole section, on both sides of the river, is well supplied with rivulets -and streams. The soil is rather light, but it affords fine grazing; the -mountains are not high—the forests are open—the bottom lands present here -and there beautiful groves—the surface of the soil yields an abundant and -luxuriant grass. - -Towards the end of the month of May I arrived at Fort Colville. I found -the nation of Shuyelphi or Kettle Fall already baptized by the Rev. -Father Hoecken, who had continued to instruct them after my departure in -the month of August of last year. They had built, to my great surprise, a -small frame church, so much the more beautiful and agreeable to my eyes, -as being their first attempt at architecture, and the exclusive work of -the Indians. With a laudable pride they conducted me, as in triumph, to -the humble and new temple of the Lord, and in favor of that good people, -and for their perseverance in the faith, I there offered the august -Sacrifice of the Altar. - -The arrival of the good Father Nobili at Colville filled us with great -joy and consolation. He had made missionary excursions over the greatest -portion of New Caledonia. Everywhere {221} the Indian tribes received him -with open arms, and took great care to bring their little children to be -baptized. I add to this an extract from his letter, which will give you -an outline of his journey and the number of baptisms he performed. Having -made a retreat of eight days in the Reduction of St. Ignatius, and after -a month of repose and preparation for a second expedition, he returned -with renewed zeal and fervor to his dear Caledonians, accompanied -by several laborers, and supplied with a dozen horses, loaded with -implements of agriculture and carpentry. - -As a token of my sincere gratitude, and to let you know that we have -friends and benefactors in Oregon, I must here state to your Reverence, -that Father Nobili and myself were most hospitably entertained during -our stay at Fort Colville. The kindness of the Honorable Mr. Lewes and -family I shall never forget.[275] The attention shown Father Nobili, -in the trading posts of New Caledonia is beyond all praise. Truly and -deservedly has Commodore Wilkes stated,[276] “That the liberality and -hospitality of all the gentlemen of the Honorable Hudson Bay Company are -proverbial.” Indeed, we experience this and participate of it on all -occasions. - -{222} I remain, with profound respect and esteem, Very Rev. and dear -Father, your humble and obedient servant, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XVIII - -A. M. D. G. - -EXTRACT FROM FATHER NOBILI’S LETTER - - Fort Colville, June 1st, 1846. - -REV. FATHER,—While I remained at Fort Vancouver, I baptized upwards of -sixty persons, during a dangerous sickness which raged in the country. -The majority of those who received baptism, died with all the marks of -sincere conversion. On the 27th of July, I baptized nine children at -Fort Okinagane[277]—the children of the chief of the Sioushwaps were of -the number. He appeared full of joy at seeing a _Black-gown_ direct his -course towards their country. On the 29th I left Okinagane, and followed -the company. Every night I prayed with the whites and Indians. On the -road three old men came to me, and earnestly begged me to “_take pity on -them, and prepare them for heaven_!” Having instructed them in the duties -and principles of religion, and the necessity of baptism, I administered -to them, and to forty-six {224} children of the same tribe, what seemed -to be the height of their desires, the holy Sacrament of regeneration. - -On the 11th of August, a tribe of Indians, residing about the Upper Lake -on Thompson’s River, came to meet me.[278] They exhibited towards me all -the marks of sincere and filial attachment. They followed me several -days to hear my instructions, and _only departed_ after having exacted -a promise that I would return in the course of the following autumn or -winter, and make known to them the glad tidings of salvation. - -At the Fort of the Sioushwaps, I received a visit from all the chiefs, -who congratulated me on my happy arrival amongst them.[279] They raised a -great cabin to serve as a church, and as a place to teach them during my -stay. I baptized twelve of their children. I was obliged, when the Salmon -fishing commenced, to separate for some months from these dear Indians, -and continue my route to New Caledonia. - -I arrived at Fort Alexandria on the 25th.[280] All the tribes I met -manifested towards me the same emotions of joy and friendship. To my -surprise I found at the Fort a frame church. I returned in the fall and -remained there a month, {225} engaged in all the exercises of our holy -ministry. The Canadians performed their religious duties—I joined several -in marriage, and administered to many the Holy Communion. Twenty-four -children and forty-seven adults received baptism. - -On the 2d of September, I ascended the river Frazer, and after a -dangerous trip, arrived, on the 12th, at Fort George;[281] where the -same joy and affection on the part of the Indians attended me. Fifty -Indians had come down from the Rocky Mountains, and patiently awaited my -arrival for nineteen days, in order to have the consolation of witnessing -the ceremony of baptism. I baptized twelve of their children, and -twenty-seven others, of whom six were adults advanced in age. I performed -there the ceremonies of the planting of the Cross. - -On the 14th, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, I ascended -the river Nesqually, and on the 24th, arrived at the Fort of Lake -Stuart.[282] I spent eleven days in giving instructions to the Indians, -and had the happiness of abolishing the custom of burning the dead, and -that of inflicting torments upon the bodies of the surviving wives or -husbands. They solemnly renounced all their juggling and idolatries. -{226} Their great medicine-hall, where they used to practise their -superstitious rites, was changed into a church. It was blessed and -dedicated to God under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier.[283] The -planting of the Cross was solemnly performed with all the ceremonies -proper to such occasions. Sixteen children and five old men received -baptism. - -The 24th Oct., I visited the village of the Chilcotins.[284] This mission -lasted twelve days, during which time I baptized eighteen children and -twenty-four adults, and performed eight marriages. I blessed here the -first cemetery, and buried, with all the ceremonies of the ritual, an -Indian woman, the first converted to Christianity. I next visited two -other villages of the same tribe—in the first I baptized twenty persons, -of whom three were adults. In the second, two chiefs with thirty of their -nation received baptism, and two were united in matrimony. Polygamy -prevailed everywhere, and everywhere I succeeded in abolishing it. In a -neighboring tribe I baptized fifty-seven persons, of whom thirty-one were -adults. I also celebrated nine marriages. - -After my return to the Sioushwaps, I baptized forty-one persons, of -whom eleven were adults. I visited five more villages among the {227} -neighboring tribes, amongst whom I baptized about two hundred persons. I -performed the ceremony of the planting of the Cross, in eight different -places, and founded four frame churches which were constructed by the -savages. - -On an average, each village or tribe consists of about two hundred souls. - - In the neighborhood of Fort Alexandria the number - of souls amounts to 1255 - About Fort George, 343 - In the neighborhood of Frazer’s Lake, 258 - ” ” Stuart’s Lake, 211 - ” ” McLeod’s Lake, 80 - ” ” Fort Babine, 1190 - ” ” Bear Lake,[285] 801 - ---- - Total number of souls, 4138 - -Population on Thompson’s river, or on the land of the Sioushwaps or -Atnass.[286] - - The number of Sioushwaps, so called, is 583 - ” of Okinaganes, 685 - Population on the North Branch, 525 - ” on Lake Superior, 322 - ” at the Fountain of Frazer Lake, 1127 - Number of Knife Indians, 1530 - ---- - Total number of souls, 4772 - -I remain, reverend Father, yours, &c., - - _J. Nobili, S. J._ - - -No. XIX - -A. M. D. G. - - Fort Walla-Walla, July 18th, 1846. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—I accepted the kind offer of Mr. -Lewes, and took my seat in one of the barges of the Hudson Bay Company, -on its way to Fort Vancouver. We stopped at Fort Okinagane, where I -administered baptism to forty-three persons, chiefly children. Our -passage was very pleasant and agreeable. I have little to add to what -I have already stated in my preceding letters of last year, respecting -our residence at Saint Francis Xavier’s, and the other Catholic -establishments in the Willamette Valley and vicinity. St. James’ Church -at Vancouver, St. John’s in Oregon City, St. Mary’s at the Convent, and -St. Francis Xavier’s chapel have all been opened for divine service. The -new church among the Canadians, and Cathedral, were fast progressing. The -number of children in the Sisters’ school {229} had greatly increased, -and a change for the better already taken place among the little metis -girls confided to their care. Sister Loyola, the Superior, appeared -delighted with their present conduct. Two Protestant families, among -the most respectable in Oregon, Dr. Long and lady and Judge Burnet and -family, were received into the bosom of the Catholic Church, in Oregon -City.[287] Archbishop Blanchet and companions were anxiously expected; -may the Lord speed them, and grant them a happy passage on the boisterous -ocean—a route which, it appears, they have selected in order to reach -their destined new homes. O, how large is the vineyard!—the Island of -Vancouver alone contains upwards of twenty thousand Indians, ready to -receive our missionaries—and an extensive field awaits the laborers, -among the numerous nations of the north-west coast. The visits paid -to these various tribes, by the _Black-gowns_, and the affection and -kindness with which they are received by the Indians, leave little doubt -of the ultimate success of their holy enterprise. - -In order to return to the upper Missions, I started in the beginning -of July, from Fort Vancouver, two days after the brigade of the Hudson -Bay Company had left it. An accident {230} by the way, fortunately -not attended with more serious consequences, here occurred to me. A -powder-horn exploded near me accidentally, scorching me severely, and -completely stripping the skin from my nose, cheeks and lips—leaving me -to all appearance, after all my travels, a raw-faced mountaineer. I -procured an Indian canoe, well-mounted, and soon found myself during a -thunder storm, in the great gap of the Cascade Mountains, through which -the mighty Columbia winds its way. The sublime and the romantic appear -to have made a grand effort for a magnificent display in this spot. On -both sides of the stream perpendicular walls of rock rise in majestic -boldness—small rills and rivulets, innumerable crystalline streams pursue -their way; murmuring down on the steep declivities, they rush and leap -from cascade to cascade, after a thousand gambols, adding, at last, their -foaming tribute to the turbulent and powerful stream. The imposing mass -of waters has here forced its way between a chain of volcanic, towering -mountains, advancing headlong with an irresistible impetuosity, over -rocky reefs, and prostrate ruins, for a distance of about four miles; -forming the dangerous, and indeed the last remarkable obstruction—the -{231} great cascades of the Columbia. There is an interesting, and very -plausible Indian account of the formation of these far-famed cascades, on -which so much has been said and written, so many conjectures regarding -earth-slides, sinks, or swells, caused by subterraneous volcanic agents. -“Our grandfathers,” said an Indian to me, “remember the time when the -waters passed here quietly, and without obstruction, under a long range -of towering and projecting rocks, which, unable to bear their weight -any longer, crumbled down, thus stopping up and raising the bed of the -river; here it overflowed the great forests of cedar and pine, which are -still to be seen above the cascades.” Indeed, the traveller beholds with -astonishment, a great number of huge trunks of trees, still standing -upright in water about twenty feet deep. No person, in my opinion, can -form a just idea of the cause that produced these remarkable changes, -without admitting the Indian narrative. - -My baggage was soon conveyed to the upper end of the portage. The -distance from the cascades to the dalles is about forty-five miles, and -is without any obstacle. The mountain scenery on both sides of the river, -with its {232} clusters of shrubs, cedars and pines, is truly delightful, -heightened occasionally by the sight of the snow-capped Mounts Hood and -St. Helena. A favorable breeze made us unfurl two blankets for the want -of sails, and as we were gliding rapidly up the stream, we observed -several islands of volcanic formation, where the Indians deposit their -dead on scaffolds, or in little huts made of pieces of split cedar, -frequently covered with mats and boards; great care is taken to hinder -birds of prey, or the rapacious wolves, with their hyena stomachs and -plundering propensities, from breaking in upon the abode of the dead. - -The third day we arrived at the great dalles. Indians flock thither -from different quarters of the interior, to attend, at this season of -the year, to the salmon fisheries. This is their glorious time for -rejoicing, gambling, and feasting; the long lent is passed; they have at -last assembled in the midst of abundance—all that the eye can see, or -the nose smell, is fish, and nothing but fish. Piles of them are lying -everywhere on the rocks, the Indian huts abound with them, and the dogs -are dragging and fighting over the offal in all directions. Not less -than eight hundred Indians were present on this occasion. {233} One who -has seen them five years ago, poor and almost naked, and who beholds -them now, discovers with a peculiar feeling of humor and delight, the -entire change in their external appearance, a complete metamorphosis, -as Ovid would say. Their dresses are of the most grotesque character, -regardless alike of their appropriateness to sex or condition of life. A -masquerade character, as we understand it, will at least exhibit unity -of design; but this Indian masquerade sets all unities at defiance. A -stout, swarthy Indian, steps proudly by you, apparently conscious of -the dignity conferred on him by his new acquisitions—a roundabout much -too small for him, a pair of tights with straps, with an intervening -space showing the absence of linen, form his body dress, while an old -fashioned lady’s night-cap with large frills, and if he be rich enough, -a sailor’s glazed cap carefully balanced above it, constitute his head -dress; a pair, and sometimes half a pair of brogans, complete the -ludicrous appearance of this Indian dandy. Some appear parading thro’ -the camp in the full dress of a wagoner, others in a mixture composed -of the sailor’s, the wagoner’s, and the lawyer’s, arranged according to -fancy; but the favorite article of ornamental {234} dress appears to be -the night-cap with its large frills; some again with only one article -of dress. I have seen an old Indian showing off a pair of boots to the -best advantage, as they formed the only article of his wardrobe then on -his person. Indian squaws are seen attired in long calico gowns, little -improved by the copious addition of fish oil, with which the taste or -negligence of the present owners besmeared them; occasionally, if they -can afford it, to this is superadded a vest, a flannel or great-coat. -The dalles at present, form a kind of masquerading thoroughfare, where -emigrants and Indians meet, it appears, for the purpose of affording -mutual aid. When the Oregon emigrants arrive here, they are generally in -want of provisions, horses, canoes, and guides—these wants the Indians -supply, receiving in exchange the old travelling clothes of the doctors, -lawyers, farmers, Germans, Frenchmen, Spaniards, &c., that pass through -the dalles on their westward route. Hence the motley collection of pants, -coats, boots, of every form and size, comforters, caps and hats of every -fashion. - -Here I overtook Messrs. Lewes and Manson,[288] who kindly offered me a -place in one of the barges of the Company, which I gladly accepted—the -transportation of their boats and goods {235} had taken up a whole -day. From the great dalles to the upper sources of the Columbia, great -care and attention are to be had in its navigation, for it presents a -constant succession of rapids, falls, cascades, and dalles. Men of great -experience, are here employed as pilots, and notwithstanding their skill -and precaution, no river probably on the globe, frequented as much, -could tell of more disastrous accidents. - -At the dalles you enter a barren region, where drift wood is brought into -every encampment by the Indians, for which they gladly receive a piece of -tobacco in return. In the absence of the savages, the tombs of the dead -are sometimes shamefully pillaged by civilized _Christian_ travellers, -taking away the very boards that cover the dead bodies, and thus leave -them the prey of vultures and crows. - -Indians linger on the Columbia as long as a salmon can be caught. -Unconscious of the approaching winter, they do not lay in sufficient -stock of provisions, and till late in the fall they may be seen picking -up the dead and dying fishes which float in great numbers on the surface. -In the immediate neighborhood of a camp the air is infected with the -scent of {236} salmon in a state of putrefaction; they are suspended on -trees, or on scaffolds, and to this unwholesome and detestable food has -the improvident Indian recourse, when the days of his long lent commence. - -You can scarcely form an idea of the deplorable condition of the poor -petty tribes, scattered along the banks of the Columbia, of which the -numbers visibly diminish from year to year. Imagine their dwellings, a -few poor huts, constructed of rush, bark, bushes, or of pine branches, -sometimes covered with skins or rags—around these miserable habitations -lie scattered in profusion the bones of animals, and the offal of fishes -of every tribe, amidst accumulated filth of every description. In the -interior, you find roots piled up in a corner, skins hanging from cross -poles, and fish boiling over the fire, a few dying embers; an axe to cut -wood being seldom found among them. The whole stock of kitchen utensils, -drinking vessels, dishes, etc., are comprised in something like a -fish-kettle, made of osier, and besmeared with gum—to boil this kettle -stones are heated red hot and thrown into it. But the mess cooked in this -way, can you guess what it is? No, not in twenty trials—it is impossible -to divine what {237} the ingredients are that compose this outlandish -soup! - -But to pass from the _material_ to the _personal_; what strange figures! -faces thickly covered with grease and dirt—heads that have never felt a -comb—hands! but such hands! a veritable pair of “jack of all trades,” -fulfilling in rapid succession, the varied functions of the comb, the -pocket-handkerchief, the knife, fork, and spoon—while eating, the process -is loudly indicated by the crackling and discordant sounds that issue -from the nose, mouth, throat, etc., a sight, the bare recollection of -which is enough to sicken any person. Thus you can form some idea of -their personal miseries—miseries, alas! that faintly image another -species infinitely more saddening; for what shall I say in attempting to -describe their moral condition? There prevails among the greater part of -them, a kind of superstitious idolatry, (called medicine or juggling), -that pays homage to the vilest animals; a degeneracy of morals which -knows no stronger tie in conjugal obligations, than the caprice of the -moment—a vehement, inordinate passion for gambling, that is prolonged to -the time of repose—a laziness which nothing can induce them to shake off -but the love of play, {238} or the pressing claim of hunger—they are in -fine, addicted to the vilest habits of gluttony, dissimulation, etc. Such -is the wretched condition of the poor savage tribes, along the Columbia. -But amidst all this misery, there is fortunately one redeeming feature, a -constant desire to discover some power superior to man; this disposition -renders them attentive to the least word that seems to convey the -slightest knowledge of a Supreme Being, and hence the facility with which -they believe anything that at all resembles the Word of God. - -Very reverend and dear Father, your humble and obedient servant, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XX - -A. M. D. G. - - St. Ignatius, near the Kalispel Bay, July 26th, 1846. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—The eighth day after my departure -from Fort Vancouver, I landed safely at Walla Walla, with the goods -destined for the different missions. In a few days all was ready, -and having thanked the good and kind-hearted Mr. McBride,[289] the -Superintendent of the Fort, who had rendered me every assistance in his -power, we soon found ourselves on the way to the mountains leading a band -of pack mules and horses over a sandy dry plain, covered with bunch grass -and wormwood. We made about sixteen miles and encamped for the night, in -a beautiful little meadow, watered by the Walla Walla river, where we -found abundance of grass for our animals—these were soon unloaded and -left free to graze {240} at leisure; we next made a fire, put on the -camp-kettle, stretched the bed, consisting of a buffalo-robe, and smoked -together the friendly Indian pipe, whilst supper was preparing. We found -ourselves at home and perfectly at ease in less than a quarter of an -hour. The evening was clear and beautiful—not a cloud—our sleep, sound -and refreshing, prepared us for an early start at dawn of day. We had a -day’s march, with pack animals, over an undulating plain, before we could -reach the crossing of the Nez-percé or Lewis fork,[290] whose source is -in the angle of the Rocky and Snowy Mountains, between the 42d and 44th -degrees, near the sources of the western Rio Colorado, the Platte, the -Yellow Stone, and the Missouri rivers: its western course till it reaches -the Blue Mountains, and hence its northern direction till it joins the -Columbia, together with its principal tributaries, are sufficiently known -to you, and have been amply described already. - -We found about a dozen Indian lodges called the Palooses, a portion of -the Sapetan or Nez-percé tribe.[291] We procured from the Indians here -some fresh salmon, for which we made them ample return in powder and -lead. But as the grass was withered and scanty, and the {241} pilfering -dispositions of these Indians rather doubtful, we resolved on proceeding -eight or ten miles farther, and encamped late in the evening on the -Pavilion river.[292] The Nez-percé and Spokane plain is at least a -thousand feet elevated above the bed of the river. It is dry, stony, -undulating, covered with bunch and nutritious grass, with prickly pear -and wormwood. The basaltic and volcanic formations which extend through -the whole of this region, are really wonderful. We frequently passed -ponds and small lakes embedded between walls of basaltic rocks—immense -ranges of dark shining pillars, as if forced from the bosom of the plain, -extend for some miles, resembling, not unfrequently, forts and ancient -ruined cities and castles. We encamped several times near small but -beautiful lakes, where ducks and geese, with their young broods, were -swimming in great numbers. The Indians frequent these regions in search -of the bitter and camash roots, very abundant here. In every one of their -old encampments we observed great quantities of prairie-turtle shells, -a proof of their being numerous and serving as food for the savages. -Pheasants or quails were very abundant—we daily killed what we wanted for -our meals. - -{242} On the fifth day of our departure from Walla Walla, we reached -the Spokane river,[293] and found a good fording for our animals. You -will see with pleasure the chart I have made of the head waters of this -river, which, though beautiful and interesting, is yet, like all the -other rivers in Oregon, almost an unbroken succession of rapids, falls, -and cascades, and of course ill-adapted in its present condition to the -purposes of navigation. The two upper valleys of the Cœur d’Alene are -beautiful, and of a rich mould; they are watered by two deep forks, -running into the Cœur d’Alene lake, a fine sheet of water, of about -thirty miles in length by four or five broad, from which the river -Spokane derives its source. I called the two upper forks the St. Joseph’s -and the St. Ignatius. They are formed by innumerable torrents, descending -from the Pointed-Heart mountains, a chain of the Rocky Mountains.[294] -The two upper valleys are about sixty or eighty miles long, and four or -eight miles broad. I counted upwards of forty little lakes in them. The -whole neighborhood of the Spokane river affords very abundant grazing, -and in many sections is tolerably well timbered with pines of different -species. - -{243} On leaving the river we ascended by a steep Indian path. A few -miles’ ride across a pine forest brings you to a beautiful valley, -leading to Colville, agreeably diversified by plains and forests, hemmed -in by high wooded mountains, and by huge picturesque rocks towering -their lofty heads over all the rest. Fountains and rivulets are here -very numerous. After about thirty miles, we arrived at the foot of the -Kalispel Mountain, in the neighborhood of St. Francis Regis, where -already about seventy metis or half-breeds have collected to settle -permanently. Several of them accompanied me across the mountain, the -height of which is about five thousand feet above the level of the plain. -Its access is very easy on the western side; on the eastern, the narrow -path winds its snake-like course through a steep and dense forest.—After -a march of about eight hours we arrived at the beautiful Kalispel Bay, -on the margin of lake De Boey, almost in sight of the _Reduction_ of St. -Ignatius.—My letter to Mrs. P.,[295] which I insert here will make you -acquainted with the whole history of that mission. - -I remain, with the profoundest respect and {244} esteem, Very Rev. Father -Provincial, your humble and obedient servant, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - -A. M. D. G. - - St. Ignatius, July 25th, 1846. - -MADAM,—I am, indeed, ashamed at not having been able sooner to answer the -letters which you had the kindness to write me on the 2d of September -and the 7th of December, 1844. They reached the Rocky Mountains only the -year after, while I was engaged in a distant mission among the Indians, -so that I received them only in the month of July, 1846. If it had -been in my power to forward you an answer before this moment, my heart -assures me that I would have done it without delay, for I must tell you -here, that the debt of gratitude which my poor Indians and myself owe -you is very great; and I felt impatient to inform you, that we have -already begun to pray for you, for your dear and amiable children, and -for your intentions. I have given directions to the Indians of these -different tribes, viz., the Flat-Heads, the Pends {245} d’Oreilles, and -the Cœur d’Alenes, to recite, every week, the Rosary for one of their -great benefactresses, meaning yourself. Now, you cannot but be aware, -that, among the Indians, the beads are recited in each family, so that I -am already assured, and I have the consolation of saying to you, that -many thousand pairs of beads have already been offered up to God and his -august mother for you. Those good Indians—those children of the forest—so -dear to my heart, will continue to display their gratitude till I tell -them to cease, and that will not be very soon. What confidence have I not -in the prayers of those Indians, whose merit is known only to God! Oh! -if it is true that the prayer of him who possesses the innocence, the -simplicity, and the faith of a child, pierces the clouds—is all-powerful, -and is certainly heard—then be assured that in these new missions, in -which the finger of God has been so visibly manifested, these virtues -reign preeminently, and that the prayer of the Indian will also be heard -in your behalf! How happy should I be, my dear, excellent Madam, could -I give you to understand how great, how sweet, how enrapturing is their -devotion to the august mother of God! The name of Mary, which {246} -pronounced in the Indian language, is something so sweet and endearing, -delights and charms them. The hearts of these good children of the forest -melt, and seem to overflow, when they sing the praises of her whom they, -as well as we, call their mother. Oh! I feel confident, knowing, as I -do, their dispositions, that they have a distinguished place in the -heart of that Holy Virgin; and that, through the intercession of Mary, -invoked by so many fervent souls, you will obtain from God whatever you -ask; for I am too well acquainted with your piety to think that you would -ask anything that was not calculated to promote the glory of God, the -sanctification of your own soul, and that of your children. - -Permit me, now, to say a few words concerning the Indians and myself, -since the time I had the honor of conversing with you in B⸺, in the -spring of 1843. On the 6th of November of the following year, the Rev. -Father A. Hoecken came to meet me, accompanied by several Indians of the -tribe of Pends d’Oreilles of the Bay, among whom I had determined, two -years before, to open a mission. They displayed every mark of friendship -and joy at my return among them; they conducted me in triumph to their -camp, {247} and received me there amidst volleys of musketry and the -sounding of trumpets. It would be impossible to describe the feelings of -my heart at thus meeting with the first band of my dear neophytes and -children in God, and to represent to you the real joy which animated -them on this occasion. How much had we not to communicate to each other! -I gave them some little and to them interesting details of the vast -countries through which I had travelled in order to promote the interest -and welfare of the Indians, since I bade them farewell, that is, within -fifteen months. I had crossed the great American desert, and passed -through so many warlike, nomadical nations, extending from the Pacific -Ocean to the frontier of the State of Missouri. I had travelled over -the United States from New Orleans to Boston—crossed the Atlantic—seen -a great part of Ireland and England—the whole of Belgium, Holland and -France. From Marseilles I had passed by Genoa, the city of palaces, -Leghorn, and Civitta Vecchia, to visit the Capital of the Christian -world. From Rome I had gone to Anvers, and then, sailing round Cape Horn, -touching at Chili and Peru, and having twice crossed the Equator, I had -at length disembarked {248} at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia, and had -the happiness to embrace, on the 6th of November, my dear neophytes, who -had prayed so fervently for me, that, during all these long voyages, by -sea and land, passing through so many different climates, and at all -seasons of the year, I had not been troubled either by sickness or any -untoward accident. Glory to God for so special a protection, and a -thousand thanks to the good Indians who, from the moment of my departure -until my return, had not ceased to invoke, morning and evening, the -blessing and assistance of Heaven on its unworthy servant. - -The details which the young missionary gave me respecting their present -dispositions, are too interesting to be here omitted; and I give them in -proof of the divine grace over the hearts of this well-disposed people. -All that I had recommended to them in the visits I paid them in 1841-42, -had been strictly complied with. “The first thing,” says Father Adrien -Hoecken in a letter home, “which struck me on my arrival among them, -was a truly brotherly love and perfect union, which animated the whole -tribe, and seemed to make {249} them but one family. They manifest great -love, obedience and respect for their chiefs, and what is still more -admirable, they all, as the chiefs themselves declare, speak and desire -but one and the same thing. These chiefs are as much the real fathers of -their people as is a good Superior the father of a religious community. -The chiefs among the Kalispels speak calmly, but never in vain; the -instant they intimate their wish to one of their followers, he sets to -work to accomplish it. Is any one involved in difficulties—is he in -want or sickness,—or does he wish to undertake a journey, whether long -or short—he consults his chief, and shapes his conduct in accordance -with the advice he receives. Even with regard to marriage, the Indians -consult their chiefs, who sanction, or postpone it, or disapprove of it, -according as they deem it conducive, or otherwise, to the happiness of -the parties. The chief, in quality of father, endeavors to provide for -the support of his people. It is he, consequently, who regulates hunting, -fishing, and the gathering of roots and fruit. All the game and fish -are brought to his lodge, and divided into as many shares as there are -families. The distribution is made with rigid impartiality. The old, the -infirm, the {250} widow, all receive their share equally with the hunter. -Is not this something like the return of the golden age—those happy times -when every thing was held in common and all had, as the apostle informs -us, but one heart and one soul? Complaints, murmurings and backbiting -are here unknown; blasphemy has never been uttered by an Indian: there -are not even words in his language to express it.” On the arrival of -the _Black-gown_, the great chiefs explained to him, with patriarchal -simplicity, their manner of life. “We are ignorant,” he added, “but now -that we have the happiness to have a _Black-gown_ among us, we will -listen to his voice and obey it; whatever changes he may deem necessary -to make, we will cheerfully submit.” - -The _Black-gown_ confirmed and approved all the good practices and -customs he found established in this little corner of the world, where, -notwithstanding their poverty, the Indians all seemed contented and -happy. It is really affecting to hear them speak of the darkness in which -they had been buried; and to see them now exulting in the light of the -gospel, and the knowledge of the Christian virtues, which they cherish, -and by which their hearts seem to be inflamed. Their whole ambition -consists in listening {251} with docility to the word of God, and in -being able thoroughly to understand and recite their prayers. Piety is -what a young man seeks in her who is to be his future wife—and what a -young woman desires to find in him who is to become her husband. In their -leisure hours they surround, and, if I may be allowed the expression, -besiege their missionary. To the day they would add the night, if he -could bear the fatigue, in speaking of heavenly things. Pride and human -respect, are absolutely unknown to them. How often have we not seen -gray-headed old men and even chiefs, sit down by the side of children ten -or eleven years old, who would teach them their prayers, and explain to -them the figures of the _Catholic Ladder_, with all the gravity becoming -a teacher; and give to the explanation, for one or two hours, all the -attention of obedient pupils. In seasons of scarcity, when the fishing or -hunting has failed, or in other misfortunes, they manifest no signs of -impatience. They are quiet and resigned receiving them as punishments for -their sins; while their success they attribute to the bounty of God, and -render to Him all the glory of it. - -The usual place of residence of the Kalispels—that in which the -_Reduction of St. Ignatius_ is {252} now established—is an extensive -prairie, called the Bay of the Kalispels, thirty or forty miles above -the mouth of Clark or Flat-Head River. A beautiful grotto exists in the -neighborhood of the mission, which I have named the grotto of Manresa, -in honor of our Holy Founder. It is very large, and might, at a small -expense, be fitted up for a church. May the Indians gather in crowds into -this new Manresa, and after the example of their patron, St. Ignatius, be -penetrated with a feeling sense of heavenly things, and inflamed with the -love of God! - -I shall always remember with pleasure the winter of 1844-45, which I -had the happiness of spending among these good Indians. The place for -wintering was well chosen, picturesque, agreeable, and convenient. The -camp was placed near a beautiful waterfall, caused by Clark river’s -being blocked up by an immense rock, through which the waters, forcing -narrow passages, precipitate themselves. A dense and interminable forest -protected us from the north winds, and a countless number of dead -trees standing on all sides, furnished us with abundant fuel for our -fires during the inclement season. We were encircled by ranges of lofty -mountains, whose snow-clad summits reflected {253} in the sun, their -brightness on all the surrounding country. - -The place for wintering being determined, the first care of the Indians -was to erect the house of prayer. While the men cut down saplings, the -women brought bark and mats to cover them. In two days this humble -house of the Lord was completed—humble and poor indeed, but truly the -_house of prayer_, to which pure, simple, innocent souls repaired, -to offer to the Great Spirit their vows, and the tribute of their -affections. Here the missionaries continued with care and diligence, -their instructions preparatory to baptism. How consoling was it to see -ourselves surrounded by this fervent band, who had renounced the chase -of the buffalo—a pleasure so attracting to an Indian—and had come from -various parts of the country to place themselves under our direction, in -the well-founded hope of being speedily regenerated in the saving waters -of baptism. They had already learned their prayers, and all those things -which it was necessary they should practise. They applied with ardor to -become acquainted with the nature and obligations of the Sacrament of -regeneration, and the dispositions required for its worthy reception. - -{254} The great festival of Christmas, the day on which the little band -was to be added to the number of the true children of God, will never -be effaced from the memory of our good Indians. The manner in which we -celebrated midnight mass, may give you an idea of our festival. The -signal for rising, which was to be given a few minutes before midnight, -was the firing of a pistol, announcing to the Indians that the house of -prayer would soon be open. This was followed by a general discharge of -guns, in honor of the birth of the Infant Saviour, and three hundred -voices rose spontaneously from the midst of the forest, and entoned in -the language of the Pends d’Oreilles, the beautiful canticle: “_Du Dieu -puissant tout annonce la gloire._”—“The Almighty’s glory all things -proclaim.” In a moment a multitude of adorers were seen wending their -way to the humble temple of the Lord—resembling indeed, the manger in -which the Messiah was born. On that night, which all at once became -bright as day, they experienced, I know not what, that which made -them exclaim aloud, “Oh God! I give Thee my heart.” Oh! I trust that -the happy impression which this unwonted spectacle made upon their -hearts, will never be effaced. Of {255} what was our little church of -the wilderness constructed? I have already told you—of posts fresh cut -in the woods, covered over with mats and bark; these were its only -materials. On the eve, the church was embellished with garlands and -wreaths of green boughs; forming, as it were, a frame for the images -which represent the affecting mysteries of Christmas night. The interior -was ornamented with pine branches. The altar was neatly decorated, -bespangled with stars of various brightness, and covered with a profusion -of ribbons—things exceedingly attractive to the eye of an Indian. At -midnight I celebrated a solemn Mass, the Indians sang several canticles -suitable to the occasion. That peace announced in the first verse of the -Angelic hymn—“The _Gloria_,—Peace on earth to men of good will,” was, I -venture to say, literally fulfilled to the Indians of the forest. A grand -banquet, according to Indian custom, followed the first Mass. Some choice -pieces of the animals slain in the chase had been set apart for the -occasion. I ordered half a sack of flour, and a large boiler of sweetened -coffee to be added. The union, the contentment, the joy, and charity, -which pervaded {256} the whole assembly, might well be compared to the -_agape_ of the primitive Christians. - -After the second High Mass, all the adults, with the chiefs at their -head, presented themselves in the church to receive baptism, the -fulfilment of their longing desires. The old man and woman whom I -baptized two years before, were sponsors for all. The men were placed -on the one side, according to the custom of Paraguay, and the women -on the other. I was assisted during the ceremony, by Father Hoecken, -their worthy and zealous missionary. Everything was done in order and -with propriety. Permit me to repeat here that I should be delighted -could I but communicate to the zealous and fervent, those pleasurable -feelings—that overflowing of the heart, which one experiences on such -occasions. Here, indeed, the Indian missionary enjoys his greatest -consolations: here he obtains his strength, his courage, his zeal to -labor to bring men to the knowledge of the true God, in spite of the -poverty, the privations of every description, and the dangers with which -he has to contend. Yes, surely, even in this life is the promise of the -Saviour fulfilled with regard to him, “Ye shall receive {257} a hundred -fold.” The trifling things of the world he abandons, are nothing to be -compared with the blessings he finds in the wilderness. The priest does -not address in vain to the Indians, those beautiful words of the Roman -ritual; “Receive this white garment, etc.,” “Receive this burning taper, -etc.” He may be certain that the greater number of his catechumens will -wear that spotless garment—will preserve their baptismal innocence, to -the hour of their death. When I have afterwards asked them, if they have -not offended God? if their conscience does not reproach them with some -fault? how often have I received this touching and consoling answer: -“Oh, Father! in baptism I renounced sin, I try to avoid sin, the very -thought of offending God, frightens me!” The ceremonies of baptism were -closed by a second instruction, and by the distribution of beads which -the Indians are accustomed to say every evening in public. - -About 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the solemn benediction of the blessed -sacrament was given for the first time, immediately after which, upwards -of fifty couples, many of whom were eighty years old, came forward to -renew before the Church, their marriage promises. I could not {258} help -shedding tears of joy at witnessing this truly primitive simplicity, and -the love and affection with which they pledged again their faith to each -other. The last instruction was then given, and thanks were returned to -God for all the blessings he had vouchsafed to shower upon them, on this -ever-memorable day. The recitation of prayers and the chanting of hymns -were heard in all the lodges of the camp, till the night was far advanced. - -Fathers Mengarini and Serbinati, (the last-mentioned Father has since -died), had the consolation to see the whole tribe of the Flat-Heads, -among whom they had been laboring, approach the Holy Table on this -day. Twelve young Indians, taught by Father Mengarini, performed with -accuracy, several pieces of music during the midnight Mass. Fathers Point -and Joset had, also, the consolation of admitting for the first time, -nearly the entire tribe of the Cœur d’Alenes, on this auspicious day, to -the Holy Communion. Father Point has given the particulars of this first -communion in a letter, which has been published, and which you have, no -doubt, read with pleasure. The Christmas of 1844 was, therefore, a great -and glorious day in the Rocky Mountains. - -{259} I will close this already lengthy letter with a few words more -concerning the Pends d’Oreilles of the Bay. Early in the spring of -1845, began to build upon the spot selected for the _Reduction_ of -St. Ignatius, and to open fields. On Ascension day of the same year, -Father Hoecken administered baptism to upwards of a hundred adults. At -my last visit, which I paid them in July last, they had already put up -fourteen log houses, besides a large barn, had the timber prepared for -a church, and had upwards of three hundred acres in grain, enclosed by -a substantial fence. The whole village, men, women, and children, had -worked most cheerfully. I counted thirty head of horned cattle—the squaws -had learned to milk the cows and to churn; they had a few hogs and some -domestic fowls. The number of Christians had doubled since Christmas, -1844. - -A flour and saw mill, a few more ploughs, with other agricultural -implements, and carpenter’s tools, were much wanted in the village of St. -Ignatius. All is to be commenced among these poor, good Indians, and to -us they look for means and supplies, which we readily grant as far as we -are able. Already was an appeal made to the generous and charitable {260} -Christians, and it is consoling for me to say, that appeal found an echo -in the hearts of the friends of the Indians, which enabled us to enlarge -our missionary operations, and I may add, that the grateful prayer of -the Indians is daily ascending to the throne of the Almighty, to implore -the blessings of Heaven on their benefactors. In 1845 and ’46, several -stations were formed, and the extensive mission of New Caledonia was -commenced. - -I remain, with profound respect and esteem, madam, your very humble and -obedient servant, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXI - -A. M. D. G. - - Valley of St. Mary’s, Aug. 10, 1846. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—On the 27th July, I bade farewell -to Father Hoecken and his interesting little flock, consisting of about -five hundred Indians. I was accompanied by two Kalispels, and some -of the Cœur d’Alenes, who came to meet me. We had beautiful weather, -and a path remarkably free from those obstructions so annoying to -travellers in the mountains. Towards the middle of our day’s journey, -we reached a beautiful lake surrounded by hills, and a thick forest -of larch. I have named it the Lake de Nef, as a token of gratitude -towards one of the greatest benefactors of the mission. It discharges -itself through a narrow passage, forming a beautiful rapid, called the -Tournhout-torrent,[296] at the termination {262} of which it joins its -limpid waters to those of the river Spokane. - -Next day the sun rose majestically, and everything gave promise of an -agreeable day, but these fine appearances were gradually lost behind a -thick bank of ominous clouds, which, shortly after overspreading the sky, -poured down such torrents of rain, that everything on us was drenched as -completely as if we had waded through a river. At the foot of the great -rapids, we crossed the river Spokane,[297] and continued our route over -an extensive plain, agreeably interspersed with thick groves of pine, -when towards sunset we encamped close by a refreshing fountain. - -A few words descriptive of our encampments during wet weather, may not -be out of place. The tent erected in haste—saddles, bridles, baggage, -etc., thrown into some sheltered spot—large heaps of larch branches or -brushwood are cut down, and spread over the spot of ground destined for -our repose—provision of as much dry wood as can be collected is now -brought forth for the whole night; on this occasion we made a fire large -enough to roast an ox. These preparations completed, our meal (dinner and -supper the same time) consisting of flour, camash {263} roots, and some -buffalo tallow, is thrown into a large kettle nearly filled with water. -The great heat obliging the cook to stand at a respectable distance from -the fire, a long pole serves as a ladle to stir about the contents until -the mixture has acquired the proper density, when a vigorous attack is -made upon it after a singular fashion indeed. On the present occasion -we were six in number, trusting to a single spoon, but necessity soon -supplied the deficiency. Two of the company used pieces of bark; two -others, strips of leather; and the fifth, a small turtle-shell. Grace -being said, a circle is formed round the kettle, and the instruments -plunge and replunge into it with as much regularity and address, as a -number of smiths’ hammers plying at the anvils—a few moments, and the -contents of the large kettle are gone, leaving not a vestige behind. We -found this repast delicious, thanks to our keen appetites. Making due -allowance for the tastes of others, “_de gustibus enim nil disputandum_,” -I confess I have never enjoyed a feast more heartily, than such as I -have now described, prepared in the open air, after the Indian fashion. -All the refined inventions of the art culinary, as sauces, pickles, -preserves, pies, etc., designed to quicken {264} or restore weak -appetites, are here utterly useless. Loss of appetite, which among the -wealthy forms the reigning complaint, furnishing abundant employment to -apothecaries and doctors, is here unheard of. If these patients would -have the courage to abandon for a time their high living, and traverse -the wilds of this region on horseback, breakfasting at day-break, and -dining at sunset, after a ride of forty miles, I venture to predict that -they will not need any refined incitements to relish as I did a simple -dish prepared by the Indians. Having dried our blankets and said night -prayers, our repose was not less sound for having fared so simply, or -lain upon a rough couch of brushwood. We started early the next morning, -and about mid-day arrived at the mission of the Sacred Heart, where I was -received with the greatest cordiality by Fathers Joset and Point, with -B. B. Magri and Lyons.[298] All the Cœur d’Alenes of the neighborhood -came to welcome me. The fervor and piety of these poor Indians filled me -with great joy and consolation, especially when I considered how great -the change wrought in them since their conversion to Christianity. The -details of this conversion have, I believe, been published by Father -Point, and {265} by the way, I may remark here, that some incidents -connected with my previous mission to this country, are inserted in this -letter. To these details I may add, that these Indians previous to their -conversion, were shunned by the other tribes, on account, it is said, of -their great power in juggling and other idolatrous practices. Indeed, -they were addicted to superstitions the most absurd, blindly offering -adoration to the vilest beasts, and the most common objects. Now, they -are the first to scoff at these ridiculous practices, adding at the -same time, with much feeling and veneration, “God has had pity on us—He -has opened our eyes—He is infinitely good to us.” A single instance will -serve to give you some idea of the objects of their worship, and the -facility with which they adopt their manitous or divinities. They related -to me, that the first white man they saw in their country, wore a calico -shirt spotted all over with black and white, which to them appeared like -the smallpox, he also wore a white coverlet. The Cœur d’Alenes imagined -that the spotted shirt was the great manitou himself—the great master -of that alarming disease, the smallpox—and that the white coverlet -was the great manitou of the snow; that if they {266} could obtain -possession of these, and pay them divine honors, their nation would never -afterwards be visited by that dreadful scourge; and their winter hunts -be rendered successful by an abundant fall of snow. They accordingly -offered him in exchange for these, several of their best horses. The -bargain was eagerly closed by the white man. The spotted shirt and the -white coverlet became thenceforward, objects of great veneration for many -years. On grand solemnities, the two manitous were carried in procession -to a lofty eminence, usually consecrated to the performance of their -superstitious rites. They were then respectfully spread on the grass: -the great medicine-pipe offered to them, with as much veneration, as it -is customary with the Indians, in presenting it to the sun, the fire, -the earth, and the water. The whole band of jugglers, or medicine-men, -then entoned canticles of adoration to them. The service was generally -terminated with a grand dance, in which the performers exhibited the most -hideous contortions and extravagant gestures, accompanied with a most -unearthly howling. - -The term _medicine_ is commonly employed by the whites, to express -whatever regards the {267} juggling, idolatrous practices of the -savages; probably, because the Indian feeling his ignorance of the -proper remedies in sickness, and almost wholly dependent upon chance for -his subsistence, merely demands of his manitous some relief in these -distressing situations. This _something_ that the Indians call Power, -is at times limited, say they, to the procuring of only one object, as -the cure of some disease. Some other Power, again, is not so limited, it -extends to many objects, as success in hunting, fishing, waging war, and -avenging injuries. All this, however, varies according to the degree of -confidence reposed in it by the individual, the number of his passions -or the intensity of his malice. Some of the Powers are looked upon even -by the savages themselves, as wicked in the extreme, the sole object of -such Powers is to do evil. Moreover it is not at all times granted, even -when those professing to be most powerful medicine-men, earnestly desire -it. It comes only during sleep, in a fainting fit, during a loud clap -of thunder, or in the delirious excitement of some passion; but never -without some definite purpose, as to foment dissensions, or exasperate -to deeds of violence, or to obtain some corporal advantage; favors which -are always {268} purchased at the expense of the soul. Much exaggeration -is, of course, clearly characteristic of those misnamed effects of -preternatural power. Most of those that came under my notice, and which -the Indians attributed to preternatural agency, were the effects of -causes purely natural. Notwithstanding these deplorable disorders of the -soul, it is my greatest consolation to reflect, that these superstitious -practices, in consequence of the many palpable contradictions they admit, -become a spiritual malady, the least difficult to cure. - -On the 5th of August, I left the Mission of the “Sacred Heart of Jesus,” -accompanied by the Rev. Father Point. Three Indian families, desirous of -visiting St. Mary’s, served us for guides. Our journey for some days, lay -along the serpentine course of the river St. Ignatius, in the valley of -the North. The soil of this valley is for the most part rich, and well -adapted to cultivation, but subject to frequent inundations. Grain and -potatos are here cultivated by the Indians with great success. Father -Joset, assisted by the savages, has already enclosed and prepared for -cultivation, a large field, capable of affording sustenance to several -Indian families. Our hopes, then, of seeing {269} these poor Indians -furnished with a plentiful supply of provisions, and their wandering -habits thereby checked, will with the blessing of God, be realized at -no very distant day. To attain the desirable object of uniting them in -villages, and thus forming them to habits of industry, we need, however, -more means than we possess at present—we are very much in want of seeds -of various kinds, and of agricultural implements. - -Before arriving at the snow-capped chain of mountains, which separates -the Cœur d’Alenes from the Flat-Heads, we wound our way for two days, -through forests almost impenetrable and over immense beds of rock, always -following the course of the river, except where its tortuous windings -would lead us too circuitous a route.[299] So tortuous indeed is its -course here, that in less than eight hours, we crossed it no less than -forty-four times. The majestic cedars that shade the gorge at this point -are truly prodigious, most of them measure from twenty to thirty feet in -circumference, with a proportionate height, and so numerous, that as the -rays of the sun cannot penetrate the dense mass, perpetual night may -be said, without exaggeration, to reign here. I doubt whether the {270} -owl could have selected a more fitting abode, certainly none so majestic -or mysterious. The death-like silence of this glen, broken only by the -passing breeze, the occasional visit of some wild animal, or the constant -murmuring of the rills from the rocky banks, impress the beholder with -feelings of a most unearthly yet pleasing nature. - -With much difficulty and fatigue we forced a passage through this dense -mass of forest, stooping half the time upon the neck of the horse, to -avoid the low thorny branches, so thickly crossed together, that one is -inclined at first sight, to abandon all hope of wedging his way through -them. Its termination brought us to the foot of the great chain of -mountains. It occupied us nearly another day to ascend this by a narrow -winding path, which is shaded by one of the finest forests in Oregon. -Towards sunset we reached the top, where we pitched our camp, within a -few paces of one of those immense snow masses, that perpetually shroud -this lofty chain. Here we enjoyed a most magnificent view—the horizon -for some hundred miles around presented a spectacle of surpassing -grandeur: as far as the eye could reach, a long succession of mountains, -towering cliffs, {271} and lofty pinnacles, exhibited their dazzling -snow-capped summits to our astonished vision. The very silence of this -vast wilderness strikes the beholder with feelings of deep sublimity; not -even a breeze stirred to break the charm of this enchanting view. I shall -never forget the splendor of the scene we witnessed, as the last rays -of the setting sun were throwing their full lustre upon the myriads of -pinnacles that ranged far away towards the distant horizon. - -The descent on the eastern side of this mountain is less abrupt, -presenting slopes of rich verdure, adorned with a great variety of -plants and flowers. This descent also occupied us an entire day. We -next arrived at a forest, a twin-sister, if I may be allowed the -expression, of the one I have just described. Here the river St. Francis -Regis meanders through innumerable hoary cedars, pine trees, and an -impenetrable thicket of bushes of every species. With the happiest -recollections, we finally encamped on the banks of the St. Mary’s river, -in the Flat-Head valley—the nursery of our first missionary operations in -the Far West.[300] - -In my next, I propose giving you some details of the present condition -of our first children in God, the good and deserving Flat-Heads. {272} I -recommend myself to God in your prayers. - -I remain, with profound respect and esteem, reverend and dear Father, -your very humble servant, and brother in Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXII - -LETTER OF THE REV. FATHER POINT, S. J., MISSIONARY IN OREGON - - Village of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, ⸺, 1845. - -I learn by letters from Europe, that you take a lively interest in our -dear missions. From this, I conclude that you will be very glad to learn -some of those things which are passing amongst us. I take the more -pleasure, because I can detail what my own eyes have witnessed, and -because I can give a new proof of a truth, which you love to extend, -viz., that it is to their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that the -pastors of souls are indebted for the consolations they enjoy: this will -explain the wonders of mercy of which they are witnesses. - -You know already the history of the _Flat-Heads_; truly their conversion -is the result of a wonderful outflowing of the riches of grace; but I do -not hesitate to say, that the conversion {274} of the _Pointed-Hearts_ -is a still more striking indication of God’s love to man. What were -these savages less than a quarter of a century ago? They had hearts -so hard, that if their first visitors have undertaken to give a true -description of them, they could not find an expression more just, than -is the singular name which they bear to this day. Their knowledge was so -limited, that, giving themselves up to the worship of animals they had -no idea of the true God nor of their soul, much less of a future life; -finally they were a race of men, so degenerate that they had barely two -or three notions of the whole natural law, and almost all were strangers -to it in practice. - -What a different aspect they now present! I will not say that they are -perfect: that would be an exaggeration even in the eyes of persons -little versed in the knowledge of the human heart. Everybody knows, that -people who are converted, always retain something of their primitive -character, and that the defects of education are not corrected except by -a long course of years; but I say to the glory of Him, who can change -the hardest rocks into children of Abraham, that, at this day, our -_Pointed-Hearts_ are true believers. - -{275} It is only two years since the cross was planted on their soil, and -all, with a very few exceptions, have made their first communion. - -About fifteen years ago, several missionaries begged to be employed among -the savages. A new doctrine was soon spread among the Pointed-Hearts, -telling them that there is but one God, who has, beyond the earth we see, -two things which we do not see:—a place for the good, and a place for the -bad; that the Son of God, in all respects like his Father, seeing all -men running in the bad road, came down from Heaven to put them in the -right way; but that in order to effect this, it was necessary for him -to die upon a cross. One evening, all the families, who were dispersed -in different directions, for fishing, for hunting, and gathering roots, -assembled upon the ground of an old chief called Ignatius,[301] to see -the author of this news. Regardless of fatigue, they prolonged their -sitting to the silence of the night, and listened to all the details of -the glorious message. - -God is great—Jesus Christ is good:—two truths the admission of which -seemed to be the result of the first sitting: was this, indeed, the -case? Not so much, perhaps, as would have been desirable: for before -the families separated, {276} Heaven sent a scourge, which struck with -death a great number of them. At the moment it raged with the greatest -violence, one of the dying—since named Stephen—heard a voice from above, -which said: “Cast down thy idols; adore Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be -cured.” The dying man believed the word, and was cured. He went about -the camp and related what had taken place: all the sick who heard him -imitated his example, and recovered their health. I have this fact from -the mouth of the savage who heard the voice from heaven, and the same has -been confirmed by eye-witnesses, who could say, “I, myself, have been the -object of that wonder, and my eyes have seen the mountain at the foot of -which the idols were cast down.” - -The savage takes little notice of an event which does not strike him -in a sensible manner; but what I have related was marked by two such -peculiar characters, that it left traces in the memory of all. However, -neither constancy nor reflection is to be found in the savage. After some -years of fidelity to the impressions received, the greater part returned -to their former idolatry. This retrograde movement was accelerated by -the medicine-men—a kind {277} of charlatans, who set themselves up -for physicians and prophets, and pretend to perform wonderful things, -especially, to cure the sick by their skill and supernatural power. -At the word of one of the chiefs, who, probably, had not ceased to be -an idolater, the men convoked an assembly of those who were called -believers, in which it was resolved to return to their ancient practices; -and, from that moment, the animals of the country, now become again -divine, re-entered into possession of their ancient honors. The mass of -the tribe, had, indeed, no confidence in them; but, either through fear -of the medicine-men, or by natural curiosity, they took part, at least by -their presence, in the sacrilegious worship paid to them. Happily, choice -souls were always among them to intercede with Heaven for their deluded -brethren; I know many, who, from the time in which God was pleased -to manifest himself among them, have not the least faults upon their -consciences, with which to reproach themselves. - -Such was pretty nearly the condition of the people when Providence sent -among them the Rev. Father De Smet. His visit, the circumstances of which -have been related elsewhere, {278} disposed them so much in favor of the -_Black-gowns_, that it was determined I should be sent to their aid. -Three months after, that is, at the close of the hunting expeditions of -the autumn of 1842, I left St. Mary’s to place the new converts under the -protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. - -The same day I entered their territory, the first Friday of November, I -made with three chiefs who came to seek me, the promised consecration, -and on the first Friday of December, in the midst of chants and -prayers, the cross was raised on the borders of a lake, where the poor -savages had united for fishing. Thanks be to God, we can say, that the -miraculous draught of St. Peter was spiritually renewed. For they spoke -no more of their assemblies of impostors, their diabolical visions, nor -superstitious ceremonies, which had before been so common; and most -important of all, gambling, which had always occupied a great portion -of their time, was two weeks afterwards, abandoned; the conjugal bond, -which for centuries, perhaps, had known among them neither unity nor -indissolubility, was brought back to its primitive character. A beautiful -sight was presented by the _medicine-men_ themselves, {279} who with -their own hands, did justice to the wretched instruments hell had used -to deceive them. During the long nights of that period, it will not be -necessary to tell how many sacrifices were made of feathers, wolves’ -tails, stags’ feet, deer’s hoofs, wooden images, &c. - -Scarcely was the bad tree cut down and thrown into the fire, than a -blessing on their temporal affairs was united to that of their spiritual. -In one day three hundred deer became the prey of the hunters. - -The first days of spring, the reunion of the people at the place agreed -on for the construction of a village was more numerous than the first. It -was formed upon the ancient plans in Paraguay, and each one, according -to his strength and industry, contributed towards its construction. -Trees were felled, roads opened, a church erected, and the public -fields were sown; and, thanks to the piety of our savages, Holy Week, -Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost were celebrated with becoming solemnity. -In truth, things went so well, that the enemy of men, perceiving his -prey escape him, redoubled his efforts. We experienced some loss in -consequence of a storm; but after a partial destruction, {280} the storm -only resulted in purifying the atmosphere. - -Towards the end of October, 1844, one hundred families of the -Pointed-Hearts reunited in one village. The sight of their little lodges -around the house of God, brought to mind the touching idea of the pelican -in the desert. Young and old united to make their first communion, or -renew it. Many had already acquired a certain degree of instruction, -but the greater portion, especially of the old, were far from being -sufficiently instructed; and the time the Black-gown had to prepare them -before the great winter chase, was November and December, for the chase -could not be put off, it is essential to the life of a savage. It was -necessary, then, to hasten, and choose the shortest method of instructing -them. - -Everybody knows the savage has the eye of a lynx, and never forgets what -he has once seen; therefore when he attaches any idea to a sensible sign, -he can always recall it as soon as he sees the sign under his eyes; -thus they have a wonderful facility in speaking by signs, and a great -inclination to render their thoughts by images: upon this faculty I based -my system of instruction. I made images, representing {281} what they -ought to believe. Some of these represented the faults and vices they -ought to shun, others the virtues they should practice. After this, with -a little stick in my hand, I explained my representations, and tried to -adapt myself to the understanding of all. - -[Illustration: View of the new mission Establishment in 1846, among the -Pointed-Hearts - -(See Letter 21)] - -The success of this method surpassed my expectation: for, having made the -most intelligent repeat what I had said, I had the pleasure to see that -they lost nothing of what was essential, and immediately I formed classes -for repetition. The first repetition was made immediately after the -instruction; the second in their lodges, the third by the chiefs in their -harangues, and the fourth at the beginning of the next instruction. - -The plan was insisted upon, and rapid progress made, not only in their -instruction, but also in their morals. Those who exhorted joined to their -exhortations the force of private example, so that the mass of the people -seemed to be led on, by attraction. - -From the 9th of September to the time in which I write—a period of six -months—not one single fault, which can be called serious, so far as my -knowledge extends, has been committed in the village of the Sacred Heart -of Jesus; and a great many, who reproached themselves {282} with light -failings, cease not to make public confession in terms of grief, which it -would be desirable to see the greater culprits exhibit at the tribunal of -penance. I have seen husbands come after their wives, and mothers after -their daughters, not to excuse the accusations which they had made, but -to acknowledge that their want of patience and humility were the cause of -the failings of the others. - -It is worthy of remark that [of] all the adults, who had not yet received -baptism, and all who united to prepare for their first communion, not -one was judged unworthy to receive the sacraments. Their simplicity, -piety, charity, and especially their faith, were admirable. And truly -all these virtues were necessary for these good old men, who, for the -sake of learning their prayers, had to become the scholars of their -children, and for the children to enable them to do violence to their -natural vivacity, while they slowly communicated to their old parents and -grandparents, a part of what they had learned; and the chiefs would rise -at the dawn of day, and sometimes in the middle of the night, to exhort -their _people to weep over their sins_. - -I have spoken of their faith. How pure and {283} above all, how confiding -it was! The first idea, necessary to impress on their minds was, that -the goodness of God is not less great than his power, and they were so -convinced of it, that they begged God to perform miracles, as they would -beg their daily bread. They were told, that the sacrament of extreme -unction had the power not only to purify the soul, but to restore health -to the body; it did not occur to them to doubt of the one more than of -the other. - -They have great faith in the sign of the cross. They are accustomed to -make it at the beginning of their prayers, and of all their principal -actions. Not satisfied with making it themselves, their children can -scarcely pronounce a word, before they teach them to articulate the words -of the sign of the cross. I saw a father and mother bending over the -cradle of an only son, who was about to die. They made their best efforts -to suggest to him to make the sign of the cross, and the child having -raised his little hand to his forehead, made the consoling sign and -immediately expired. - -A woman, sitting near the grave of her only daughter, was conversing -with her little boy, whom she had that day presented at the baptismal -font. “See,” said she, “my child, how {284} happy it is to die after -being baptized! If you should die to-day, you would see again our little -Clementia.” And the pious mother exhibited such a calmness in her tone of -voice and countenance, that she seemed to have a foretaste of the happy -abode of which she spoke. - -Our infant church presented the picture of the purest virtues, when the -happy period for which she sighed was approaching. The week preceding the -celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary, was -devoted to prepare the people for the reception of holy communion. The -time, of course, did not admit of frequent instructions, long prayers -and general confessions. The good Father Joset gave instructions. -Their prayers were fervent, and experience had already taught them -the necessity of true sorrow for past sins, which they exhibited in a -lively manner at the confessional. I used all the exertions I could -to prepare those whose understandings appeared more limited than the -others; and their piety, calmness and perseverance, have put to flight -all the fears which rested on my mind. The church was small; it measured -in length fifty feet, and in breadth twenty-four. It was indeed, {285} -poor, but from every part of the wall and ceiling, were suspended rich -festoons of leaves. While the stars were still shining in the firmament, -the chant, _Lauda Sion_, was heard. But who sung that divine canticle? -The savages, who lately addressed their prayers only to the animals of -their mountains. Go to the foot of the altar and see the new adorers, -bowing their heads before the Eternal One. The representation of the -Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Cross on which he expired, raised their -thoughts to the abode of glory, and caused them to center there all their -affections. They approached the altar to receive holy communion with -the greatest order and devotion. It was Father Joset who had happiness -to distribute to them the bread of life, a happiness, so much the more -felt, as he had just arrived among them. Before they approached the holy -table, he addressed them a few words; but the tender piety apparent in -all at the moment of communicating, made him fear to spoil the work -of God by adding more words of his own, and he left them to their own -devotion. - -We recited the usual prayers for the intentions of the Church, and closed -the morning services {286} by chanting again the _Lauda Sion_. The high -mass was celebrated at ten o’clock. - -In the evening took place the renovation of the promises of baptism. The -church was illuminated, at least as well as our poverty would permit. The -sacrament of baptism was conferred on twelve adults. After a preparatory -instruction, instead of the ordinary formulas, which were a little -difficult to be translated into the Indian language, all of them, to show -their constant fidelity, recited three acts of love to God. In hearing -them, we remarked, that like the prince of the Apostles, they replied to -the three-fold enquiry of their Saviour. The holy sacrament was exposed. -To the expression of unanimous and forcible love, their looks of piety -directed towards the altar, seemed to add: O beauty! always ancient, -always new! too late have we loved thee; but we will love thee forever! -The benediction of the blessed sacrament followed, and closed that great -and beautiful day, which had been so rich in every kind of spiritual -gifts. It was with difficulty that these good souls left the place, -which had, that day, been the witness of their prayers and promises. The -Pointed-Hearts exhibited by their prayers, their canticles, and {287} -their holy conversations, a foretaste of heavenly joys. They often came -to visit the Black-gowns. Some days, I was surrounded by these visitors. -They all waited in profound silence, till I had finished my office. One -of them then chanted the first verse of _Lauda Sion_, in which all the -voices joined. Thus, it is a consoling truth, that, at the extremities -of the heathen world, as well as in the centre of civilization, the -church puts forth a united effort for the conversion and salvation of -mankind. - -I am, devotedly yours, in Christ, - - _N. Point._ - - -No. XXIII - -A. M. D. G. - - Flat-Head Camp, Yellowstone River, September 6th, 1846. - -REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—After an absence of about eighteen -months, employed in visiting the various distant tribes, and extending -among them the kingdom of Christ, I returned to the nursery, so to speak, -of our Apostolic labors in the Rocky Mountains. Judge of the delight I -experienced, when I found the little log church, we built five years ago, -about to be replaced by another which will bear comparison with those in -civilized countries, materials, everything ready to commence erecting it, -the moment they can procure some ropes to place the heavy timbers on the -foundation. Another agreeable surprise, however, yet awaited me; a mill -had been constructed, destined to contribute largely to the increasing -wants of the surrounding country. It is contrived to discharge {289} -the two-fold charitable object of feeding the hungry and sheltering -the houseless. The flour mill grinds ten or twelve bushels in a day; -and the saw mill furnishes an abundant supply of plank, posts, etc., -for the public and private building of the nation settled here.[302] -Indeed, the location stood much in need of so useful a concern. The soil -yields abundant crops of wheat, oats and potatos—the rich prairie here -is capable of supporting thousands of cattle. Two large rivulets, now -almost useless, can, with a little labor, be made to irrigate the fields, -gardens, and orchards of the village. The stock at present on this farm, -consists of about forty head of cattle, a fast-increasing herd of hogs -and a prolific progeny of domestic fowl. In addition to the mill, twelve -log houses, of regular construction, have been put up. Hence, you can -form some idea of the temporal advantages enjoyed by the Flat-heads of -St. Mary’s village. - -St. Mary’s, or Bitter-Root valley, is one of the finest in the -mountains, presenting, throughout its whole extent of about two hundred -miles, numerous grazing, but few arable tracts of land. Irrigation, -either by natural or artificial means, is absolutely necessary to the -cultivation {290} of the soil, in consequence of the long summer drought -that prevails in this region, commencing in April and ending only in -October. This difficulty, however, if the country should be ever thickly -settled, can be easily obviated, as the whole region is well supplied -with numerous streams and rivulets. These remarks apply to the valleys -contiguous to St. Mary’s, the general aspect of them differing perhaps -but slightly in regard to the heights of the mountains, the colossal -dimensions of the rocks, or the vast extent of the plains. - -[Illustration: St. Mary’s, among the Flat-heads - -(See Letter No. 23)] - -After what has been said in my former letters in relation to religion, -little now remains that has a direct reference to it; but you will learn -with much pleasure, that the improvements made in the Flat-head village, -afford the missionary stationed there great facilities for prosecuting -successfully the grand object of his desires, viz., the eternal happiness -of the poor benighted Indian tribes, placed beyond the reach of his -immediate influence. The village is now the centre of attraction to all -the neighboring, and many of the distant tribes. The missionary always -avails himself of these occasional visits, to convey to them the glad -tidings of salvation. Among the recent visitors were, {291} the great -chief of the Snake Indians with his band of warriors; the Banax and -Nez-Percés, conducted by several of their chiefs,—even several bands of -Black-Feet;[303] besides these, there were also, on their return from the -great hunt, almost the whole tribe of the Pends-d’Oreilles, belonging to -the station of St. Francis Borgia. These last in particular, the greater -part of whom I baptized last year, may be said to rival the zeal of the -Flat-Heads in the practice of their religious duties. - -After the festival of Easter, the abundant supply of provisions, in the -granaries and cellars of the village, enabled the minister to invite -all the visitors present to a feast, consisting of potatos, parsnips, -turnips, beets, beans, peas, and a great variety of meats, of which -the greater portion of the guests had never before tasted. Among the -industrial products which are mainly owing to the skill and assiduity of -their present pastor, Father Mengarini, I must not forget to mention a -kind of sugar, extracted from the potato. - -Let us next turn to the improved condition of the people themselves. -Polygamy—or rather a connection, if possible, still more loose—is now, -thank God, entirely abolished among our newly-converted {292} Indians; -there is, consequently, an evident increase of population. The reckless -abandonment of the helpless infant—the capricious discarding of wife and -children—the wanton effusion of human blood—are no longer known amongst -them. Our feelings are not outraged by the brutal practice, heretofore so -commonly witnessed, of a father considering a horse a fair exchange for -his daughter; the justice of allowing the young Indian maiden to choose -her future partner for life is now universally allowed;—the requisite -care of their offspring is regarded in its proper light, as a Christian -duty;—attention is paid to the wants of the sick;—changes of treatment, -with the remedies administered according to our advice, have probably -been the means, under Providence, of rescuing many from premature death. -The long-cherished vindictive feelings which so frequently led to -depopulating wars, are now supplanted by a Christian sense of justice, -which, if unfortunately compelled to take up arms, does so only to repel -unjust aggression or defend their inherent rights, but always with the -fullest confidence in the protecting arm of Heaven. - -Indeed their unbounded confidence in the God of battle, is well rewarded; -a truth which the {293} enemies of the Flat-Heads invariably acknowledge. -“The medicine of the Black-gowns,” (an expression synonymous with the -true religion,) “is,” say they, “the strongest of all.” Did time permit, -I could adduce almost innumerable instances to confirm the belief -universally entertained here, that Almighty God visibly protects them in -the wars they are compelled to wage with the hostile tribes. A few of -these, for the authenticity of which I can vouch, may suffice for the -present. - -In 1840, when threatened by a formidable band of Black-Feet, amounting -to nearly eight hundred warriors, the Flat-Heads and Pends-d’Oreilles, -scarcely numbering sixty, betook themselves to prayer, imploring the aid -of Heaven, which alone could save them in the unequal contest. Confident -of success, they rose from their knees in the presence of their enemies, -and engaged the overwhelming odds against them. The battle lasted five -days. The Black-Feet were defeated, leaving eighty warriors dead upon -the field; while the Flat-Heads and Pends-d’Oreilles sustained a loss of -only one man; who, however, survived the battle four months, and had the -happiness of receiving baptism the day before his death. - -{294} In 1842, four Pends-d’Oreilles and a Pointed Heart were met and -immediately attacked by a party of Black-Feet. At the first onset, -the Black-Feet had to deplore the loss of their chief. Aroused by the -noise of the musketry, the camp of the Pends-d’Oreilles rushed to -the assistance of their companions, and without losing a single man, -completely routed the enemy. Their escape is the more remarkable, as -rushing into the entrenchments of the Black-Feet, they received a volley -of shot poured in upon them by the enemy. - -The Flat-Heads were again attacked, during the winter hunt of 1845, by a -party of the Banax, which, though outnumbering them nearly three times, -they soon put to flight, with the loss of three of the Banax party. The -Flat-Heads acknowledge that the Banax are the bravest of their enemies; -yet this did not deter them, though but seven in number, from fighting -a whole village of the latter, that had rashly violated the rights of -hospitality. - -During the summer hunt of the same year, the united camp of Flat-Heads -and Pends-d’Oreilles, when threatened, hesitated not a moment to engage -with a band of Black-Feet four times their number. The latter, fearing -the “medicine {295} of the Black-gowns,” skulked around their enemies, -avoiding an open fight. The former perceiving this, pretended flight, in -order to draw the Black-Feet into the open plain: the snare succeeded; -and the Flat-Heads and Pends-d’Oreilles suddenly wheeling, attacked and -repulsed them with considerable loss, driving the enemy before them in -hot pursuit, as they would a herd of buffaloes. Twenty-three Black-Feet -warriors lay dead on the field, after the engagement, while the -Pends-d’Oreilles lost but three, and the Flat-Heads only one. - -I shall close these sketches of Indian warfare, so remarkably evincing, -as they do, the special protection of Heaven, with an account of an -engagement which, as it was the occasion of my first interview with the -Black-Feet, and by its consequence contributed much towards my favourable -reception among them, will not, I trust, prove entirely devoid of -interest, if given a little more in detail. - -In 1846, while engaged in one of these hunting excursions, the camp of -the Flat-Heads was reinforced by thirty lodges of the Nez-percés, and a -dozen lodges of the Black-Feet at their own solicitation. The Flat-Heads -encamped in the neighbourhood of the Crows,[304] purposely to renew {296} -the terms of peace, if the latter felt so disposed. The Crows, perceiving -in the united camp, the Nez-Percés and Black-Feet, with whom they were -at war, and knowing their own superiority both in numbers and bodily -strength, (they are the most robust of the Indian tribes) rushed into -it like a torrent, evidently more anxious to provoke a contest than to -make overtures of peace. The calm remonstrances of the Flat-Heads, and -the wise admonitions of their own chief, were lost upon the now almost -infuriated mutinous band of the Crows. - -If the threatened outbreak had occurred at that moment, it is probable -that the whole united camp would have been massacred in the hand-fight, -for which evidently the Crows came prepared, with loaded guns and -other destructive weapons, while the Flat-Heads and the others were -totally unprovided. At this critical juncture, fortunately, indeed I -may say providentially, my interpreter Gabriel, and a Pend-d’Oreille -named Charles, forced their way breathless into the disordered camp, and -announced the arrival of the _Black-gown_ who had visited them four years -ago. The alarming scene they witnessed was indeed what they had expected -for as we travelled to overtake the Flat-Head {297} camp at the place -designed for their interview with the Crows, we perceived from the marks -of their daily encampments, that some Black-Feet and Pends-d’Oreilles -were with the Flat-Heads; we accordingly feared a collision would result -from the interview. I therefore despatched with all possible speed, -Gabriel and Charles, to announce my arrival. Well did they execute -the commission—they rode almost at full gallop during a whole day and -night, performing in this short period a journey which occupied the camp -fourteen days. This intelligence roused the Crow chiefs to an energetic -exercise of their authority. They now seized the first missiles at hand, -and enforced the weight of their arguments upon their mutinous subjects, -as long as there was left in the united camp the back of a Crow on which -to inflict punishment. This forced separation, though it may have checked -the present ebullition, could not be of long duration. It needed but a -spark to rekindle their hostile dispositions into open war. The next -day, as if to provoke a rupture, the disaffected Crows stole thirty -horses from the Flat-Heads. Two innocent persons were unfortunately -charged with the crime, and punished. The mistake being discovered, the -_amende honorable_ was {298} made, but to no purpose. The Flat-Heads, -aware of their dangerous position, employed the interval in fortifying -their camp, stationing their women and children in a place of safety, -and arming themselves for the contest. An immense cloud of dust in the -neighborhood of the Crow camp at ten o’clock, announced the expected -attack. On they came, with the impetuosity of an avalanche, until within -musket shot of the advanced guard of the allied camp, who had just risen -to their feet to listen to a few words addressed them by their chief, -Stiettietlotso, and to meet the foe. “My friends,” said Moses, (the name -I gave him in baptism) “if it be the will of God, we shall conquer—if it -be not his will, let us humbly submit to whatever it shall please his -goodness to send us. Some of us must expect to fall in this contest: -if there be any one here unprepared to die, let him retire; in the -meanwhile let us constantly keep Him in mind.” He had scarcely finished -speaking, when the fire of the enemy was returned by his band, with such -terrible effect as to make them shift their mode of attack into another, -extremely fatiguing to their horses. After the battle had raged for -some time in this way, Victor, the grand chief of the Flat-Heads,[305] -{299} perceiving the embarrassed position of the enemy, cried out: “Now, -my men, mount your best horses, and charge them.” The manœuvre was -successful. The Crows fled in great disorder, the Flat-Heads abandoning -the pursuit only at sun-down, when they had driven the enemy two miles -from their camp. - -Fourteen warriors of the Crows fell in the engagement, and nine were -severely wounded, as we subsequently learned from three Black-Feet -prisoners, who availed themselves of their capturers’ defeat to recover -their liberty. On the part of the allied camp, only one was killed, the -son of a Nez-Percé chief, who fell by the hand of a Crow chief, in so -cowardly a manner, that the indignation of the allied camp was at once -raised into immediate action—it was in fact, the first shot fired and the -first blood drawn on either side; the boy was yet quite a child. Besides -this loss, though the engagement lasted for several hours, only three -were wounded, two of them so slightly that by application of the remedies -I brought with me, they recovered in a short time; the third died a few -days after my arrival in the camp. - -This defeat was the more mortifying to the Crows, as they had been -continually boasting {300} of their superior prowess in war, and taunting -their enemies with the most insulting, opprobrious epithets. They had -besides, forcibly and most unjustly drawn on the engagement. - -Indeed, I look upon the miraculous escape of our Christian warriors, in -this fierce contest, as further evidence of the peculiar protection of -Heaven; especially when I consider the numerous instances of individual -bravery, perhaps I should say reckless daring, displayed on the part of -the allied camp. The son of a Flat-Head chief named Raphael, quite a -youth, burning to engage in the contest, requested his father to let him -have his best horse. To this the father reluctantly consented, as the boy -had been rather weak from sickness. When mounted, off he bounded like an -arrow from the bow, and the superior mettle of his steed soon brought him -close upon the heels of a large Crow chief, who, turning his head round -to notice his pursuer, pulled up his horse to punish the temerity of the -boy, at the same time bending to escape the arrow then levelled at him. -The boy must have shot the arrow with enormous force, for it entered -under the lower left rib, the barb passing out under the right shoulder, -leaving nothing but the feathers to be seen where it entered. {301} The -chief fell dead. In an instant a volley was poured in upon the boy—his -horse fell perfectly riddled, with the rider under him.—He was stunned by -the fall, and lay to all appearance dead. According to the custom of the -Indians, of inflicting a heavy blow upon the dead body of their enemy, he -received while in this position, a severe stroke from each individual of -the several bands of Crows that passed him.—He was taken up half dead, by -his own tribe, when they passed in pursuit of the enemy. The ardour and -impetuosity of the young man belonging to the Flat-Head camp amazed the -oldest warriors present, and formed the theme of universal admiration, -as well as the dread of their enemies. Even the women of the Flat-Heads -mingled in the fray. One, the mother of seven children, conducted her -own sons into the battlefield. Having perceived that the horse of her -eldest son was breaking down in a single combat with a Crow, she threw -herself between the combatants, and with a knife put the Crow to flight. -Another, a young woman perceiving that the quivers of her party were -nearly exhausted, coolly collected, amidst a shower of arrows, those that -lay scattered around her, and brought them to replenish the {302} nearly -exhausted store. The celebrated Mary Quille, already distinguished in -numerous battles, pursued, with axe in hand, a Crow, and having failed to -come up with him, returned, saying: “I thought that these great talkers -were men. I was mistaken: it is not worth while even for women to attempt -to chase them.” - -The little party of Black-Feet, animated by a spirit of revenge, for the -loss of half their tribe, massacred the preceding year by the Crows, and -probably influenced by a feeling of their safety while they fought in -company with the Flat-Head Christians, did signal service in the combat. - -[Illustration: Insula or Red Feather (Michel), Great Chief and Brave -among the Flat-heads] - -In the meantime, Gabriel and Charles, fearing the threatened outbreak, -immediately started back to meet me and hasten my arrival, my presence -being considered necessary to prevent the effusion of blood. I arrived -at the Flat-Head camp the day after the battle. I found everything ready -to repel a second attack, should that be attempted. I immediately sent -an express to the Crows, to announce my arrival, and at the same time, -to convey to them the great desire I had to see them, especially for -the purpose of effecting a reconciliation between the {303} contending -parties. But it appeared that after having buried their dead, they -retreated precipitately; so that no account of their destination could -be had. My express told me that there must have been excessive grief in -the camp of the Crows, as the usual marks of it could be traced in every -direction, such as the dissevered joints of fingers, and the numerous -stains of blood, caused by the wounds which the parents of the deceased -inflict upon themselves on such occasions. - -Shortly after my arrival, the Black-Feet came in a body to my lodge, to -express in a manner truly eloquent, their admiration of the Flat-Heads, -with whom in future they desired to live on terms of the closest -friendship. “To their prayers,” said they, “must this extraordinary -victory be attributed. While the battle lasted, we saw their old -men, their women, and children, on their knees, imploring the aid of -Heaven; the Flat-Heads did not lose a single man—one only fell, a young -Nez-Percé, and another mortally wounded. But the Nez-Percés did not -pray. We prayed morning and evening with the Flat-Heads, and heard -the instructions of the chiefs.” They then begged of me in their own -affecting way, to take pity on them and be {304} charitable to them: they -now determined to hear the words of the Great Manitou of the whites, and -to follow the course which the Redeemer had marked out on earth. Having -addressed them on the nature of the life they had proposed to adopt, they -all without exception presented their children for baptism, to the number -of eighty. - -[Illustration: Great Buffalo Hunt—View of Muscle-Shell Mountains - -(See Letter 24)] - -The day after this sacred ceremony, they called on me, requesting to be -allowed to express in their own way, the excess of joy which they felt -on account of this twofold victory. On returning from the late field of -battle, the warriors, at the head of whom was a young chief, chanted -songs of triumph, accompanied with the beating of drums; at each beat, -they sent forth a wild and piercing shout; then followed the song, and -so on alternately;—wild as the music was, it was not without harmony. It -continued thus, during almost the whole of our route. We marched along -the right bank of the Yellow-Stone River, having on our left a chain -of mountains resembling those old portals to which history has given -the name of “ancient chivalry.”[306] We had scarcely arrived at the -encampment, when the Black-Feet commenced, under the shade of a beautiful -cluster of pines, their {305} arrangements for a dance, insisting, at -the same time, upon showing the Black-gowns how highly they valued -their presence among them, and how gratified they would be to have them -witness this display. There was, indeed, nothing in it that could give -occasion to offended modesty to turn aside and blush. I need not tell -you it was not the polka, the waltz, or anything resembling the dances -of modern civilized life. The women alone figure in it, old and young; -from the youngest child capable of walking, to the oldest matron present. -Among them I have seen several old women upwards of eighty years, whose -feeble limbs required the aid of a staff in their movements through the -dance. Almost all appeared in the best costume of the warriors, which, -however, was worn over their own dress, a sort of tunic they always -wear, and which contributed also not a little to the modesty of their -appearance. Some carried the arms that had done most execution in battle, -but the greater part held a green bough in the hand. In proportion as the -dresses increase in singularity, the colors in variety, and the jingling -of the bells in sound, in the same degree is the effect upon the rude -spectator heightened. The whole figure is surmounted by {306} a casket -of plumes, which by the regular movements of the individual is made to -harmonize with the song, and seems to add much gracefulness to the whole -scene. To lose nothing of so grand a spectacle, the Indians mount their -horses, or climb the neighboring trees. The dance itself consists of a -little jump, more or less lively, according to the beat of the drum. -This is beaten only by the men, and all unite in the song. To break the -monotony, or lend some new interest to the scene, occasionally a sudden, -piercing scream is added. If the dance languishes, haranguers and those -most skilful in grimaces, come to its aid. As in jumping the dancers -tend towards a common centre, it often happens that the ranks become too -close, then they fall back in good order to form a large circle, and -commence anew in better style. - -After the dance, followed the presentation of the calumet. It is borne by -the wife of the chief, accompanied by two other women, on the breast of -one of whom rests the head of the pipe, and upon that of the other, the -stem handsomely adorned with feathers. The most distinguished personage -of the nation precedes the calumet bearers, and conducts them around the -circle of dancers. The object, probably of the {307} last part of the -ceremony, the termination of the rejoicings, is to indicate, that the -best fruit of the victory they celebrate is the peace which follows. To -establish this peace upon a better foundation, is a thought constantly -uppermost in my mind. May God grant that our efforts to plant the crop -of peace among these wild children of the forest, be not unavailing; I -earnestly recommend these poor souls to the prayers of the faithful. - -Having thus, more fully perhaps than the limits of a single letter -would seem to justify, redeemed the promise given in my last, of -recounting some of the advantages, spiritual and temporal, which the -Flat-Heads enjoy, it may now be proper to resume the course of events -up to the present date. On the 16th of August, we left St. Mary’s by a -mountain gap, called the “Devil’s gate,” a name which it has probably -received from the fact of its forming the principal entrance of the -marauding parties of the Black-Feet.[307] We encamped the first night, -at the foot of the Black-Foot forks. Innumerable rivulets, and several -beautiful lakes contribute largely to this river. Towards its head, to -the north-east, there is an easy pass for cars and wagons.[308] The -valley we ascended, is watered {308} by a beautiful stream called the -Cart River. It was through this valley we wound our way in former days, -with all our baggage, to the spot where St. Mary’s now stands.[309] We -crossed the mountains in the vicinity of the Arrowstone fork, another -easy pass, and descended a tributary of the Jefferson as far as its -outlet, through rather a wild, broken, and mountainous country, with here -and there an extensive, open plain, the ordinary resort of innumerable -herds of buffalo.[310] The seventh day found us encamped in the immense -plain through which the forks of the Missouri diverge, ascending to the -source at the very top of the main chain of the Rocky Mountains.[311] In -travelling through these wilds, great care is to be had in order to avoid -the sudden attack of some of those straggling war-parties that infest -this neighborhood purposely to search for scalps, plunder, and the fame -of some daring exploit. We halted every evening for a few hours, to take -a bite, as the trapper would say, and to give some food and rest to our -animals. When it was quite dark, we would kindle a brisk fire as if to -last until morning; then under cover of the night, proceed on our journey -for about ten miles, to some unsuspected place, thus eluding {309} our -enemies, should any have followed in our track, or be lurking in the -neighborhood, awaiting the midnight hour to execute their murderous -designs. From the three forks we went easterly, crossing by an easy -pass the mountain chain which separates the head waters of the Missouri -from the Yellow-Stone River, a distance of about forty miles.[312] We -followed in the track of the Flat-Head camp for several days, when I -sent Gabriel, my interpreter, with a Pend-d’Oreille Indian in advance -to discover what direction the camp had taken, and to bring back speedy -news regarding their movements; and also to learn the dispositions of -the Crows, whom I designed to visit. Four days later I was met by a few -Flat-Heads on their way to find me, when I was apprised of the treachery -of the Crows, and the severe chastisement they had so deservedly -received. I travelled the whole of that night, and arrived next day in -the allied camp, as I have already informed you. Having failed to obtain -the desired interview with the Crows, our attention will be now turned -towards the Black-Feet, with whose favorable disposition to receive the -gospel you are already acquainted. The result of this determination will -form the subject of my next {310} letter. I recommend myself to God in -your prayers. - -I remain, with sentiments of profound respect and esteem, reverend, dear -father, your very humble servant and brother in Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXIV - -A. M. D. G. - - St. Louis University, January 1st, 1847. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—You are already acquainted with -our determination to accompany the Black-Feet in returning to their -country. In the sequel of this letter you will learn, with pleasure, -how far Almighty God has blessed our humble efforts in carrying this -resolution into effect. After the battle, described in my letter from -the Yellow-Stone camp, the Crows, it appears, fled to the Wind River -Mountains, determined, however, to avenge themselves on the Black-Feet, -whom they now designed to follow into their own country.[313] The latter, -probably through fear of this assault, resolved to remain with the -Flat-Head camp, until it reached the head waters of the Muscle-shell -River. In leaving the Yellow-Stone our direction lay towards the north, -{312} through a broken and undulating, dry and woodless country, -destitute of any water fit to drink—stagnant pools of brackish water -being the only kind found here to satiate the thirst.[314] Only a few -straggling bulls were seen or killed, scarcely sufficient, indeed, to -supply the wants of our numerous camp. The great variety of matter -incidental to this journey with the united Indian camp, will appear, -perhaps, more satisfactory if given in the same order in which it was -entered in my diary; I therefore present you with an extract from it:— - -8th Sept., 1846. The elements of discord existing between the Nez-Percés -and Black-Feet, there is every appearance of an open rupture. The -Nez-Percés being evidently in the wrong, the Flat-Heads, following our -example, endeavor to convince them of the impropriety of their conduct; -but to no purpose, the principal men among them refusing, for the second -time, to smoke the calumet of peace. - -9th. Towards night a touching incident occurred in our lodge. A Nez-Percé -chief, who declares himself our friend, entered, accompanied by three -Black-Feet, a warrior, an interpreter, and a young man about twenty years -of age. This youth, when about one year old, lost {313} both his parents; -his mother, a captive among the Black-Feet, died the first days of her -captivity; his father, whose country is far distant from the Black-Feet, -is altogether lost to him. The poor orphan became the adopted child of -a Black-Foot woman, who brought him up as she would her own offspring. -The adopted son grew up, imbibing all the notions and customs of his -new friends, knowing no other relations than those around him. To-day, -the woman whom he believed to be his real mother, declared to him that -she was not; and that his father, whom he had not seen since he was one -year old, was now sitting beside him. “Who is my father?” he anxiously -enquired. “There,” said the woman, pointing to the Nez-Percé chief, who -entered the lodge with him. The doubts of the father were soon removed, -as he hastily stripped the youth’s garments from his back, and there -discovered the mark of a burn received in the parental lodge while yet -an infant. The sudden burst of feeling elicited from these children of -nature at this unexpected meeting, can be better imagined than described. -The chief has no grown children, he is therefore the more eloquent -in endeavoring to persuade his son to return to his native country, -presenting him, at {314} the same time, with one of the best and most -beautiful of his steeds. I joined to the entreaties of the father, the -strongest motives I could urge. The son, whose heart is divided between -nature and grace, begged to be allowed to bid farewell to the companions -and friends of his youth, who were now absent—he could not, he declared, -thus abruptly leave her who, with motherly care and anxiety, had watched -over him so many years, and whom he had always so tenderly loved, and -looked upon as his mother. “Now that the Black-gowns are with us,” he -said, “I desire to be of the happy number of those who are about to -introduce them to my friends, and to listen to the words of the Great -Spirit, whom they have come to announce. After that, but not before, -shall I follow my father.” - -10th. The Nez-Percés announce their determination of leaving the united -camp. The Flat-Heads, who dread more the presence of a friend capable of -injuring their souls, than that of an enemy who can only hurt the body, -are excessively rejoiced at this announcement. The Black-Feet also are -highly pleased to see them go. The separation took place about 8 o’clock; -but they had gone only a short distance from the {315} camp, when, -fearing an attack from the Crows, they rejoined the main body, determined -to remain as long as the great hunt shall last. To avoid the outbreak, -evidently threatened by the ill-will of the Nez-Percé, the Black-Feet -have resolved to leave the camp on the morrow. This day I baptized a -Nez-Percé, who had been shot in the late battle with the Crows—he cannot -survive much longer. - -11th. Farewell to the Flat-Heads. All came to shake hands with us, -the grief of their hearts was depicted in their countenances; we all -perceived how deeply they felt the separation. A great number of their -cavaliers accompany us for a considerable distance; six go as far as our -encampment, not less than twenty-five miles. - -Our course lay through an extensive level plain, at the very base of -the Muscle-shell mountains.[315] These rise abruptly from the plain -around, resembling broken, elevated islands in the midst of the ocean, -and their tops tufted with a heavy growth of cedar and pine. While -admiring the singular appearance of the scenery, my attention is called -off to a very distressing accident. An old Indian is seen falling from -his horse, receiving in the fall a severe wound between his eyes; he -remains senseless, all efforts {316} to revive him are fruitless. It was -the old Black-Foot chief, NICHOLAS, whom I baptized five years ago; he -acted, ever since, the part of a most effective missionary, in preparing -the way for the introduction of the gospel among his tribe.[316] To-day -he entered what he called his own country, chanting hymns of praise -and thanksgiving in the happy anticipation of soon presenting us to -his brethren. He dies! not even a sigh escapes him. Oh, how profound -are the designs of God. Happily he leaves a son worthy of so excellent -a sire. His attachment to religion equals that of his father. Having -resided several years among the Flat-Heads, he has acquired a perfect -knowledge of their language—acting in the capacity of interpreter, he -has already rendered me considerable assistance. Notwithstanding his -great grief, he performs the last sad offices near the tomb of his father -with the composure and firmness of a Christian. It is customary among -the Black-Feet to express their grief by wailings and lacerations of the -body, calculated only to afflict those around, though intended by them as -a mark of respect towards the lamented dead. The son of NICHOLAS, himself -a chief and a great brave, knowing the Christian practice, {317} passes -the night in prayer, with his wife and children, near the funeral couch -of his father. His friends and brother, Pegans[317] (pagan in name and in -fact), would now and then gather around him, kneeling beside the mourner, -pour forth, Christian-like, many a pious ejaculation on behalf of their -deceased chieftain. The remains of the venerable chief were placed in -the grave by the hands of his own son, and over his tomb the emblem of -salvation was raised—the cross of the Saviour, whose words were now for -the first time announced to the lonely tribes of this long-benighted -wilderness. At the very moment the last prayers of the funeral service -were uttered, “May he rest in peace,” a busy stir breaks the death-like -silence of the surrounding crowd of Indians. A Flat-Head approached in -full gallop, announcing the pleasing intelligence that two Black-Feet -had reached their camp, and informed them that the tribe of NICHOLAS was -within two days march of us. - -[Illustration: Announcement of the Discovery of Buffalos - -(See Letter 2nd)] - -12th. The very evening of the day on which NICHOLAS was interred, -immense herds of buffalo are seen in the neighborhood of the camp. -All are preparing for the chase—hunters throwing the lasso over their -buffalo horses, already prancing and capering for a race—all ready to -{318} start; but before they separate, they halt for a moment, and, -in imitation of the Flat-Heads, all are seen on their knees to beg of -Almighty God their daily bread; when again mounted, off they bound -at full speed, each for one, two, or three fat cows, according to -the strength of his favorite steed. The supper was abundant in every -lodge, regiments of steaks were paraded before all the fires. My fire -was encircled with tongues, or other dainty dishes reserved for the -Black-gown; and all who visited our lodge were of course invited to -partake of the superabundant supply. Among my visitors, one in particular -distinguished himself by his originality and good sense—his words were -accompanied with expressive signs, which rendered his conversation very -agreeable; he related to me what he observed while in the Flat-Head -camp:—“When we first arrived,” said he, “we had abundance of provisions -with us, while the Flat-Heads and Nez-Percés were fasting; we were -visited, and all partook of what we had. The Flat-Head differed from -the Nez-Percés; the former prayed before he ate, the latter did not. -On the Lord’s-day, the Flat-Heads remained quiet in the lodges, they -frequently prayed, and spoke to us words of the Great Spirit to make us -good; but {319} the Nez-Percés, painted, and proud of their feathers, -were seen going here and there, more for evil than good, without reserve, -before our young people. But then came the battle with the Crows, and -the Nez-Percés, though the least brave of us all, and the least exposed, -have had to weep over the loss of one of their men, and another is dying -of his wounds. This made me believe the words I had heard the Flat-Head -say, ‘that the Great Spirit is good to the good, but that he can find the -wicked at pleasure to punish them as they may deserve.’” - -The wonderful success of the Flat-Heads in the different wars they have -been compelled to wage, has confirmed their enemies in the persuasion -entertained for some years, that the medicine of the Black-gowns is -stronger than their own. Two Indians of the Pegan camp have just arrived, -apprising us of their approach. - -13th. Sunday.—We are obliged to move camp;—every dry stick had been -burned where we passed the night, and the rain has rendered the only -other substitute for fuel, buffalo dung, unfit for use;—the rain which -was falling as we travelled, changed into sleet and hail. After a long -day’s march we encamp for the night, in a beautiful cotton grove, on the -margin of the Judith river.[318] - -[Illustration: Chief reports to his Camp that Buffalos are in sight - -(See Letter 3rd)] - -{320} The bad weather prevented the re-union of the two camps; it will -be so much the more remarkable, as to-morrow will be the feast of the -Exaltation of the Cross. The chief enquires, if it would please us to -see the Black-Feet manifest their joy in their own way, that is, by -painting, singing and dancing; the answer was: “Do the best you can to -show your friends that you are pleased.” We learn by an express, just -arrived, that the BIG LAKE, the great chief of the Pegans, harangued his -people, exhorting them to behave orderly, and to listen with attention -to all that the Fathers would say to them. He is accompanied by the -great Tail-Bearer, a kind of orator, or aid-de-camp to the chief. His -tail, composed of buffalo and horse-hair, is about seven or eight feet -long, and instead of wearing it behind, according to the usual fashion, -it is fastened above his forehead, and there formed into a spiral coil, -resembling a rhinoceros’ horn. Such a tail, among the Black-Feet, is a -mark of great distinction and bravery—in all probability, the longer the -tail, the braver the person. - -14th. An agreeable disappointment. The Flat-Head camp, from which we -separated four days ago, is only about ten miles from us. They sent an -invitation to the Big Lake, desiring, at the same time, to trade with -him on friendly {321} terms. Opinions are divided among the people of -the Big Lake. The chief is for postponing the trade until the meeting -with the Black-gowns takes place; the Tail-Bearer gives the preference to -trade. The chief’s voice prevails. An Indian from the camp arrives about -ten o’clock, to herald their approach; all the horses are immediately -saddled, and the two Black-gowns, at the head of a numerous band of -cavaliers, forming one extensive line, in single file, proceed through a -beautiful open plain, the air resounding with songs of triumphal joy. We -are soon in sight of each other—a loud discharge from all the guns was -the signal to dismount, when the Big-Lake and Tail-Bearer, followed by -the whole tribe, walked up to give us a warm and affectionate shake of -the hand. Smoking came next; and after the friendly pipe had passed from -mouth to mouth, and had made several rounds, they communicate to each -other the news since parting. I made to them my preparatory address, to -dispose their minds and hearts to listen with attention to the word of -God. To this appeal they responded with a loud and cheerful expression -of the satisfaction they felt in listening to the Black-gown. We had -scarcely introduced our new friends into the {322} camp, before the -Flat-Heads and Nez-Percés were seen approaching. Their meeting was still -more joyful and cordial than the one we had just witnessed among the -people of the Big-Lake. This is not astonishing, when you know them; the -savage is naturally reserved towards men he does not know. The candid, -open ways of acting which distinguish our neophytes soon communicate -themselves to the Black-Feet, and before the sun went down, Black-Feet, -Flat-Heads, young and old, all show equal pleasure to find us, on such an -occasion, in the midst of them. - -[Illustration: The Chief at the head of his Hunters] - -After evening prayers were said in the Black-Foot and Flat-Head -languages, I addressed to them a short discourse on the happy re-union -and peaceful disposition that now existed between the two nations. What -a pleasing sight! What a consoling triumph for religion, to behold those -warriors, whose deep-scarred faces told of the many bloody battles they -had had together,—who could never meet before but with feelings of -deadly enmity, thirsting for each other’s blood,—now bending the knee -before their common Father in prayer, as with one heart, and listening -with delight to the words of the peaceful Redeemer. The chiefs and the -principal {323} men of both nations passed the evening in my lodge. -VICTOR, the great Flat-Head chief, gains the good-will of all—charms -everybody by the suavity and dignified simplicity of his manners. He -relates some of his exploits, not indeed to appear conspicuous, as is -evident from the modest and simple way in which he speaks, but to make -them fully sensible of the protection which the Great Spirit extends to -those who are devoted to His holy cause. The Black-Feet who were engaged -in the late battle with the Crows, confirm the statements of Victor, -and recount many edifying circumstances which they had witnessed in the -Flat-Head camp. The making of the sign of the cross was highly extolled, -as a certain sign of victory to those who had already given their hearts -to the true God. It is truly to-day the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. - -15th. The Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. The new disciples -of the cross assist at a solemn Mass, sung in the open plain, under -the canopy of green boughs, to beg for the blessings of God upon this -wilderness and its wandering tribes, and unite them in the bond of -peace. Flat-Heads, Nez-Percés, Pegans, Blood Indians, Gros-Ventres and -Black-Feet,[319] numbering {324} about two thousand, all surround the -altar of the living God, on which “the clean oblation is offered,” in -their behalf. It is a thing unheard of, that among so many different -savage nations, hitherto so inimical to one another, unanimity and joy, -such as we now witness, should exist,—it appears as if their ancient -deadly feuds had been long since buried in oblivion; and this is the more -remarkable in an Indian who, it is well known, cherishes feelings of -revenge for many years. How long will this last? May Heaven strengthen -their present good-will, and grant them perseverance. Mention is already -made of baptizing all the Pegan children, but the ceremony is postponed -on account of the general rejoicing, and the affairs of business that now -occupy the camp. - -16th. The engaging simplicity and cordiality of the Flat-Head chiefs have -gained them the affections of all the principal men of the Black-Feet -tribe,—conduct the more remarkable, when contrasted with the turbulent -disposition of the Nez-Percés, who are kept in check only by the presence -of the Flat-Heads. At this second separation, they came again to renew -their affection towards us. The Flat-Head chiefs remain last in the camp -to see everything pass off {325} orderly and amicably. In the evening the -Black-Feet assemble around our fire, where the first canticle is composed -in their language; the subject of the composition is the consecration of -their persons to the “Supreme Ruler of all things.” Apistotokie Nina, -Pikanniai tokanakos akos pemmoki tzagkoma Achziewa ziekamolos. - -17th. Nothing very remarkable took place. We received the visit of a war -party of Blood Indians, the most cruel among the Black-Feet. From them we -learn that their tribe will be delighted to receive a visit from us,—that -our persons are considered sacred among them,—that we need apprehend no -danger, and, to remove all uneasiness on this head, that sixty of their -children had already received baptism at the hands of a Black-gown,[320] -whom they met on the _Sascatshawin_, and that these children constantly -wear the crosses and medals which the Black-gown gave them. - -18th. News in great variety. Two Gros-Ventres have been killed by the -Crows. Seven families of Pegans have been followed by a numerous band of -Crees, and have probably been destroyed. A chief, just arrived, informs -us that Black-Feet of different tribes are assembling in the neighborhood -of Fort Lewis to receive {326} their annual supplies, and that the -traders who bring up the goods are distant only three days’ journey, -with three large canoes (Mackinaw boats).[321] About two o’clock in the -afternoon the camp prepares for another great hunt. - -19th. Baptism was this day conferred on upwards of one hundred children -and two old men, with all the usual ceremonies. To enter into a full -description of these, calculated, as they are, to leave a deep and -lasting impression upon the minds of all present, would be but a -repetition of what has been already stated in my former letters on the -like occasions. - -20th. Arrival of a great war party of Blood Indians. They are returning -from an expedition against the Crows, having carried off twenty-seven -horses belonging to the latter. The leaders of this party, one a son, the -other a brother of the great chief, exhibit towards us particular marks -of friendship. The elder, who worshiped the sun and moon, has long since -ceased to invoke these deities—he confirms the statement of the other -party, that we shall meet with a hearty welcome among his tribe. The -Black-Feet nation consists of about fourteen thousand souls, divided into -six tribes, to wit: the _Pegans_, the _Surcees_, the _Blood Indians_, -the _Gros-Ventres_ {327} (descendants of the Rapahos), the Black-Feet -(proper), and the _Little Robes_.[322] These last were almost entirely -destroyed in 1845. - -21st. A feast is given in my lodge to the new-comers. It is preceded by -the baptism of a Pegan, who had been an old chief, but who, on account -of age, resigned the dignity of his title in favor of his brother. He -possesses the gift of speech in an eminent degree. He is daily here, -repeating and commenting on the instructions given by us. He exercises -over his flock a very happy influence, and it is, doubtless, owing to -his exertions that the Pegans are the first among the Black-Feet tribe -to manifest favorable dispositions, and they will probably be the first -also to embrace and put in practice the saving truths of Christianity. -He presents, in his own person, a rare exception among his people, and -indeed the only instance I have met with in my intercourse with the -Indians, especially in one of his age—of an Indian having lived with one -and the same wife, and with her also in perfect peace and harmony. He -received in baptism the united name of IGNATIUS XAVIER, the medal having -that impress—which he constantly wears, to remind him of the virtues -which distinguish those saints. Let us hope {328} that the first graces -bestowed on this tribe may soon produce fruits of salvation to all. - -22d. A day of great rejoicing—a dance. All the Indian fineries are -produced, all the war-caps, adorned with eagle feathers, figure in the -dance—a thousand voices join in the song—the rejoicing prolonged till -evening. The common prayers have all been translated—already several -know what is to be believed. May the practice of good soon take deep -root in their hearts. SATA, our interpreter, acts the part of an -Apostle[323]—after each interpretation, he resumes his discourse, and -speaking from the abundance of his heart, produces a powerful effect -upon his audience. The word _Sata_ does not differ in signification from -_Satan_, and as the Indian generally receives his name from the natural -disposition he manifests, we may safely conclude, when such a name is -given to a Black-Foot, that the grace of God has operated most powerfully -in converting this savage to what he is at present. - -23d. Nothing remarkable happened, except a trial given to faith of the -new catechumens. A theft of two horses was committed in the camp by -a stranger, residing among the Flat-Heads. Some individuals from the -western side of the {329} mountains, occasionally forget what they should -be; but a few isolated misdeeds, highly disapproved of by the entire -nation, show to the best advantage the good spirit that animates the -great mass of them. The critical position of the robber serves in some -degree as an extenuation of his guilt. He had advanced a considerable -distance from the Flat-Head camp, on his way to join us about the time -we should reach the Black-Foot Indians; when he was given to understand -that his life was in great danger from the war parties prowling in the -rear. The poor fellow did not feel much inclined to meet death in this -way, and his meagre horse not being very well able to avoid the meeting, -_proprio motu_ he left his, in exchange for two other horses, fully equal -to the task of sweeping him past the danger. These horses will, however, -be returned to the owner. This is not the first instance of restitution -among the Indians. - -Sept. 24th. The missionaries, accompanied by a great number of Indians, -precede the camp on its way to Fort Lewis, now only a few miles off. I -am accosted by a little Pegan chief, who invites me to smoke. He tells -me that he has come to the determination of settling at the Fort an -unfortunate personal difficulty between himself {330} and another chief -of the Blood Indian tribe. “I am going to meet,” said he, “my mortal -enemy, a Blood Indian chieftain, renowned for his courage, but much -more for his wicked heart. He treacherously murdered a Nez-Percé, while -under my protection. I should be dishonored forever if I did not avenge -this shameful act, and wash the stain from my nation in his blood. I -shot the murderer in his own lodge—he did not die—his wound is healed—he -awaits my arrival, resolved to kill me. I dread him not, for I also am -a chief. I have heard your words, and other feelings have crept over my -heart. Black-gown, hear what I am about to do: I will present to him the -best horse of my band to cover his wound; if he accepts it, well and -good, if not, I must kill him.” I offered myself as a mediator between -them, before any steps should be taken, and promised him a favorable -issue, according to the conviction of my own heart; for, as I had never -witnessed the spilling of one drop of human blood, I felt assured that -Almighty God would spare me the painful sight on the present occasion. -We continue our route. The little chief and his Pegan friends prepare -their arrows and load their guns. When in sight of the Fort, two {331} -Black-Feet came running up towards us, to tell the little chief that if -he approached any further, or any of his people, their lives would be in -danger; and they returned as they came, running to announce the arrival -of the Black-gowns. The bell of the Fort is sending forth a solemn peal, -to honor, as it subsequently appeared, the arrival of the Black-gowns—a -mark of respect generally paid to a priest by its inmates, who are -chiefly French Canadians and Spaniards. Heedless of the admonition we had -received, we proceeded to the Fort in full gallop. The gates were thrown -open. We received a hearty welcome from every white man in the Fort; -the bourgeois being absent, soon returned, to add by their kindness and -politeness to the warm reception we had already received at the hands of -their tenants.[324] The first compliments over, two horses were saddled -for Father Point and myself, when we went over to an island formed by the -waters of the Missouri, where the murderer and his band were encamped. -The great neatness in the lodge of the latter, to whom I had already sent -word, showed that it was prepared for our reception. We entered first, -followed by our Pegan friends; then came the Blood Indians, and last of -all the murderous {332} chief, with a countenance far from serene—savage -vengeance visibly lurking in his breast. He shook hands only with the -Black-gowns, and sat down silent and surly. I explained to him the object -of my visit, and pleaded strongly for a reconciliation, declaring, at -the same time, that I would not leave his lodge until I should see them -reconciled. He listened with much attention, made a very appropriate -reply, and in finishing, he exclaimed: “all is forgiven and forgotten. -How could my heart remain angry whilst I listened to thy words?” -Confidence was quickly restored in the assembly, and his short but -eloquent reply showed that there was eloquence everywhere when the heart -speaks. The little chief who had first spoken of reconciliation ended -his remarks by an action that was really moving; stepping up to the man -who had been his mortal enemy, he tenderly embraced him, and then, in -addition to other gifts, presented him with a beautifully-painted robe, -wrought in porcupine. The calumet of peace was cheerfully lighted, and -passed around several times. Conversation became animated and friendly, -and each one left the council-house with a light and glad heart, more -easily felt than described. The chiefs who were present on this {333} -occasion were: _Amakzikinne_, or the Big Lake; _Onistaistamik_, or White -Bull; _Masléistamik_, or Bull-Crow; _Aiketzo_, or Grande roulette; -_Sata_, or the wicked; _Akaniaki_, or the man who was beaten. - -27th. Sunday, I offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, followed by -an instruction on the end of man, at which all the inmates of Fort Lewis -attended, together with as many Black-Feet as the large room and passage -could contain. Many a tear escaped from the Canadian, the Creole, and the -Spaniard, at the remembrance, no doubt, of the innocent and happy days -they spent when young, in attending regularly to their religious duties. -Many a pious resolution was lowly made on the present occasion, and their -strict attention and devout feelings during divine service, showed that -the germ of faith in them still gave promise of fructifying, however far -they may have wandered from the strict line of Christian rectitude. In -the afternoon I administered, with all the ceremonies, the sacrament of -baptism to thirty children. - -From what I have seen, I am firmly convinced of the great good a -missionary establishment would produce among the Black-Feet. {334} -Assuredly it is a work well worthy the zeal of an apostle: to reclaim -these savages from their cruel and bloody wars; to wrest them from -the soul-destroying idolatry in which they are plunged, for they are -worshippers of the sun and moon: and to teach them the consolatory -truths of the Divine Redeemer of mankind, to which they seemed to -listen with the utmost attention, and heartfelt satisfaction. Allow me -the reflection, the ultimate fate of these fierce and lonely tribes is -fixed at no distant date, unless looked to in time. What will become -of them? The buffalo-field is becoming narrower from year to year, and -each succeeding hunt finds the Indians in closer contact. It is highly -probable that the Black-Feet plains, from the Sascatshawin to the -Yellow-Stone, will be the last resort of the wild animals twelve years -hence. Will these be sufficient to feed and clothe the hundred thousand -inhabitants of these western wilds? The Crees, Black-Feet, Assiniboins, -Crows, Snakes, Rickaries, and Sioux, will then come together and fight -their bloody battles on these plains, and become themselves extinct over -the last buffalo-steak. Let those, who have the power and the means, -look to it in time. Let some efforts be made to rescue them from the -threatened {335} destruction, lest, by guilty negligence, the last drop -of aboriginous blood indelibly stain the fair fame of the Spread Eagle, -under whose protecting wing they are said to live. Justice makes the -appeal. - -After mature deliberation upon the various plans devised for the -contemplated establishment, it was deemed more advisable that the -Reverend Father Point should remain with the Black-Feet, and continue the -instructions; while I should go to St. Louis and endeavor to procure the -means necessary to establish a permanent mission among them. Accordingly, -on the 28th, I took final leave of my companions, of the kind and polite -gentlemen of the Fort, of all the Black-Feet then present, who ceased -not, during my stay among them, to give me the most marked tokens of -affectionate attachment. Our departure was honored by the Fort with a -discharge of the guns, and amidst a thousand farewells we glided down -the Missouri, from a point 2850 miles above its mouth. - -We left the Fort about noon, and encamped 25 miles below, near Bird -Island. Next day, while passing the bluffs, on whose steep declivities -numerous groups of the big-horn were browsing, we stole a march upon -an old buck {336} that came to drink at the water’s edge—the first of -the many victims sacrificed to our necessities during this long trip. -After passing the Maria and Sandy rivers, we reached the remarkable -formation, the yellow sandstone walls, on both sides of the Missouri, -exhibiting most fantastic shapes and fissures—urns, of various sizes and -forms—tables of every description—rostrums, surrounded by mushrooms, -pillars, forts, castles, and a multitude of other figures, which, for -the greater part of this, and the whole of the following day, furnished -to our almost bewildered fancies ample scope for comparisons and -theories.[325] We passed, on the 8th of October, the great Elk-horn -steeple, near Porcupine Fork. I could not learn what extraordinary event -this remarkable tower was intended to commemorate. Several thousand -elk-horns have been here piled up, which formerly constituted, I have -little doubt, the grand resort of numerous groups of these animals.[326] -On the 11th we arrived at Fort Union, 600 miles distant from Fort Lewis, -this making about 50 miles a day. Here we met with a very warm reception. -We availed ourselves of the kind offer given to us of resting a day at -the Fort; while there I baptized five children.[327] We left the Fort on -the {337} 13th, with two companions. Large herds of buffalo were seen -on both sides of the river, and bears, deer and elks appeared at every -bend, so that there is little danger of suffering from want at this -season. On the 16th our ardor to press forward, in spite of a strong -head-wind, was suddenly cooled by a side wind, which upset the skiff -and ourselves in four feet of water. We were now satisfied that we had -better wait for a more favorable wind, and improve the time by drying our -clothes. We started quite refreshed in the afternoon, and made up for -the lost time by running sixty miles the next day. On the 17th we met -six lodges of Assiniboins; they received us very kindly in their little -camp,—gave us a feast and abundance of provisions. The same day we met -eight Gros-Ventres, who were also exceedingly kind to us, insisting on -our accepting a lot of buffalo tongues.[328] A favorable wind on the -18th, induced us to unfurl our sail. We were thus enabled to run about -ten miles an hour, and early next day we reached Fort Berthold, where -we were kindly entertained by Mr. Brugere.[329] The Gros-Ventres have a -village here. I found but a few families;—one of the chiefs invited me to -a feast. On the 20th we were hailed by several {338} bands of Indians, -and kindly received. We proceeded, and encamped for the night near Knife -river; but our fire discovered our encampment to a band of Indians.[330] -The discovery would have been fatal to us, had I not been fortunately -recognized by them; for they came armed for destruction, and took us by -surprise. As soon as the two leaders knew who I was, they embraced me -affectionately; our alarm was soon quieted, and we passed the evening -very agreeably in their company; a good smoke, a cup of well sweetened -coffee, a few humps and buffalo tongues, put them in a very good humour. -They made me a solemn promise, that they would, in future, never molest -a white man. They were Arikaras. The next day we breakfasted at Fort -Madison, with the good and kind-hearted Mr. Des Autel.[331] Shortly after -leaving this Fort, we passed under a scalp attached to the end of a long -pole, which projected over the river. This was probably an offering to -the sun, to obtain either fresh scalps or a good hunt. We were hailed -by a large village of Arikaras, encamped and fortified on a point of -land well timbered.[332] They treated us with great kindness, earnestly -pressing me to accept invitations to several buffalo feasts; and as time -did not admit of such delay, {339} their liberality fell little short of -sinking the skiff, with the most dainty pieces of the hunt. Though late, -we proceeded on our journey, principally, indeed, to avoid passing the -night in feasting. Having had very favorable weather during the five -following days, we reached, on the 26th, the encampment of Mr. Goule, an -agent in the service of the American Fur Company.[333] I baptized several -half-breed children at this place. - -Availing ourselves of the favorable weather the four following days, we -kept on the river, drifting down every night, so that early on the 30th, -we arrived at Fort Pierre. Mr. Picotte, of St. Louis, received us with -the utmost cordiality and politeness.[334] He forced me to remain three -days under his hospitable roof. This delay enabled me to see a great -number of Sioux, and baptize fifty-four children. Meanwhile Mr. Picotte -ordered a large and convenient skiff to be made, and stored it with all -sorts of provisions. In all my travels, I have never met one to surpass, -perhaps to equal, the overflowing kindness with which this gentleman -confers a favor. I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to him. May -God bless and reward him. And, indeed, I must here add, as a token of -my {340} sincere gratitude, that in all the forts of the American Fur -Company, the charitable liberality and kindness of the gentlemen were -unbounded. - -Late on the 3d November we renewed our journey, but had not proceeded -far when we found it necessary to refit our skiff, which, being quite -new, leaks considerably. We landed at a large farm belonging to the -company on Fleury’s Island. We freely used the permission given to us, -and committed great havoc among the poultry. On the 5th we breakfasted -at Mr. Bouis’ Fort, where I baptized thirteen half-breed children—the -day was beautiful and we made the whole of the Grande Detour.[335] We -arrived at Fort Look-Out, of which I found Mr. Campbell in charge.[336] -I baptized here sixteen half-breed children. I was kindly received by a -great number of Sioux. We encamped nine miles lower down at a trading -post held by two Canadians, where I baptized four children. On the 10th -we passed the entrance of Running-water river, a fine stream with a -strong current.[337] Two miles above its mouth were encamped one hundred -families of the unhappy and much-abused Mormons—met several Sioux about -Great Island, where we encamped.[338] A favorable {341} wind enabled -us to reach Fort Vermilion on the 13th, four hundred miles below Fort -Pierre. I baptized seven half-breed children. Mr. Hamilton liberally -supplied us with provisions.[339] On the 14th we saw a Mormon along the -beach, who fled at our approach. We met two Canadians who had shot a -fine turkey, which they gave me: in return I presented them with some -coffee and sugar, rare articles in that country. A fine breeze brought -us in sight of the old Council Bluffs on the 18th.[340] The river has -made considerable changes since my former visit to this place; entirely -new beds have been formed. For several hundred miles, all the forests -along the south side of the river were filled with cattle belonging -to the Mormons. On the 18th we passed the ancient trading post, Lisel -de Cabanne’s—a few miles below is the new temporary settlement of the -Mormons, about ten thousand in number.[341] I was presented to their -president, Mr. Young, a kind and polite gentleman. He pressed me very -earnestly to remain a few days, an invitation which my limited time did -not permit me to accept.[342] The persecutions and sufferings endured -by this unhappy people, will one day probably form a prominent part of -the history {342} of the Far-west. At sun-set we encamped at Mr. Sarpy’s -trading post,[343] among the upper Potawotomies, where I met several of -my old Indian friends, and among them Potogojecs, one of their chiefs, -whose Indian legend of their religious traditions will form the subject -of my next letter. - -20th. A beautiful day—we visited our old friends in Bellevue, the good -Mr. Papin[344] and others. We passed the Papillion, the Mosquito, and the -Platte rivers, and encamped near Table Creek.[345] - -On the 23d we arrived at St. Joseph’s, the highest town in Missouri.[346] -It is now in a most thriving and prosperous condition; much improved -indeed since I last saw it. - -28th. We arrived at West-Port,[347] from which I proceeded by stage to -St. Louis, the termination of a trip which occupied just two months. I -recommend myself to your prayers. - -I remain, with sentiments of profound respect and esteem, your obedient -servant and brother in Christ. - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXV - -A. M. D. G. - -LEGEND OF THE POTAWOTOMIE INDIANS - - St. Louis University, January 10, 1847. - -VERY REV. AND DEAR FATHER PROVINCIAL,—Agreeably to my promise, I send -you the account given by the Potawotomies, residing at Council Bluffs, -respecting their own origin, and the causes which gave rise to their -“great medicine,” and juggling, considered by them as of the highest -antiquity. Such superstitions, indeed, are found to exist among all the -tribes of the American continent, differing only in the form and the -accompanying ceremonies. The Nanaboojoo of the Potawotomies, the Wieska -of the Objibbeways, the Wizakeshak of the Crees, the Sauteux and the -Black-Feet, the Etalapasse of the Tchinouks on the coast of the Pacific, -can, among these different tribes, be traced up to the same personage. - -{344} I send it _verbatim_, as it was communicated to me by Potogojecs, -one of the most intelligent chiefs of the Potawotomie nation. Though -fabulous, it is not entirely devoid of interest; it should excite us to -offer up our prayers the more fervently to the Great Father of Light, -for these poor benighted children of the forest, and beg of Him to send -good and worthy laborers into this vast vineyard. Having enquired of this -chief what he thought of the Great Spirit, of the Creator, and of the -origin of his religion, or great medicine, he replied as follows: “I will -give you a faithful account of what my tribe believes in these matters. -We have not, like you, books to transmit our traditions to our children; -it is the duty of the old men of the nation to instruct the young people -in whatever relates to their belief, and their happiness. - -“Many among us believe, that there are two Great Spirits who govern the -universe, but who are constantly at war with each other. One is called -the _Kchemnito_, that is, the Great Spirit, the other _Mchemnito_, or the -Wicked Spirit. The first is goodness itself, and his beneficent influence -is felt everywhere; but the second is wickedness personified, and does -nothing but evil. Some believe that they are equally {345} powerful, -and, through fear of the Wicked Spirit, offer to him their homage and -adoration. Others, again, are doubtful which of them should be considered -the more powerful, and accordingly endeavor to propitiate both, by -offering to each an appropriate worship. The greater part, however, -believe as I do, that _Kchemnito_ is the first principle, the first great -cause, and consequently ought to be all-powerful, and to whom alone is -due all worship and adoration; and that _Mchemnito_ ought to be despised -and rejected! - -“Kchemnito at first created a world, which he filled with a race of -beings having nothing but the appearance of men—perverse, ungrateful, -wicked dogs—that never raised their eyes to heaven to implore the -assistance of the Great Spirit. Such ingratitude aroused him to anger, -and he plunged the world in a great lake, where they were all drowned. -His anger thus appeased, he withdrew it from the waters, and created -anew a beautiful young man, who, however, appeared very sad, and being -dissatisfied with his solitary condition, grew weary of life. Kchemnito -took pity on him, and gave him, during sleep, a sister, as a companion to -cheer his loneliness. When he awoke and saw {346} his sister he rejoiced -exceedingly—his melancholy instantly disappeared. They spent their time -in agreeable conversation and amusement, living for many years together -in a state of innocence and perfect harmony, without the slightest -incident to mar the happiness of their peaceful solitude. - -“The young man had a dream, for the first time, which he communicated to -his sister. ‘Five young men,’ said he, ‘will come this night, and rap -at the door of the lodge—the Great Spirit forbids you to laugh, to look -at them, or give an answer to any of the first four, but laugh, look, -and speak, when the fifth presents himself.’ She acted according to his -advice. When she heard the voice of the fifth, she opened the door to -him, laughing at the same time very heartily; he entered immediately, -and became her husband. The first of the five strangers, called Sama, -(tobacco,) having received no answer, died of grief; the three others, -Wapekone, (pumpkin,) Eshketamok, (watermelon,) and Kojees, (the bean,) -shared the fate of their companion. Taaman, (maize,) the bridegroom, -buried his four companions, and from their graves there sprung up, -shortly after, pumpkins, water-melons, beans, and tobacco-plants {347} -in sufficient abundance to supply their wants during the whole year, and -enable them to smoke to the manitous, and in the council. From this union -are descended the American Indian nations. - -“A great manitou came on earth, and chose a wife from among the children -of men. He had four sons at a birth; the first born was called -Nanaboojoo, the friend of the human race, the mediator between man and -the Great Spirit; the second was named Chipiapoos, the man of the dead, -who presides over the country of the souls; the third, Wabosso, as soon -as he saw the light, fled towards the north, where he was changed into a -white rabbit, and under that name is considered there as a great manitou; -the fourth was Chakekenapok, the man of flint, or fire-stone. In coming -into the world he caused the death of his mother. - -“Nanaboojoo, having arrived at the age of manhood, resolved to avenge -the death of his mother, (for among us revenge is considered honorable); -he pursued Chakekenapok all over the globe. Whenever he could come -within reach of his brother, he fractured some member of his body, and -after several renconters, finally destroyed him by tearing out his -entrails. All {348} fragments broken from the body of this man of stone -then grew up into large rocks; his entrails were changed into vines of -every species, and took deep root in all the forests; the flint-stones -scattered around the earth indicate where the different combats took -place. Before fire was introduced among us, Nanaboojoo taught our -ancestors how to form hatchets, lances, and the points of arrows, in -order to assist us in killing our enemies in war, and animals for our -food. Nanaboojoo and his brother, Chipiapoos, lived together retired -from the rest of mankind, and were distinguished from all other beings -by their superior qualities of body and mind. The manitous that dwell in -the air, as well as those who inhabit the earth and the waters, envied -the power of these brothers, and conspired to destroy them. Nanaboojoo -discovered and eluded their snares, and warned Chipiapoos not to separate -himself from him a single moment. Notwithstanding this admonition, -Chipiapoos ventured alone one day upon Lake Michigan; the manitous broke -the ice, and he sank to the bottom, where they hid the body. Nanaboojoo -became inconsolable when he missed his brother from his lodge; he sought -him everywhere in vain, he waged war against all the manitous, {349} -and precipitated an infinite number of them into the deepest abyss. He -then wept, disfigured his person, and covered his head, as a sign of -his grief, during six years, pronouncing from time to time, in sad and -mournful tones, the name of the unhappy Chipiapoos. - -“While this truce continued, the manitous consulted upon the means best -calculated to appease the anger of Nanaboojoo, without, however, coming -to any conclusion; when four of the oldest and wisest, who had had no -hand in the death of Chipiapoos, offered to accomplish the difficult -task. They built a lodge close to that of Nanaboojoo, prepared an -excellent repast, and filled a calumet with the most exquisite tobacco. -They journeyed in silence towards their redoubted enemy, each carrying -under his arm a bag, formed of the entire skin of some animal, an otter, -a lynx, or a beaver, well provided with the most precious medicines, -(to which, in their superstitious practices, they attach a supernatural -power). With many kind expressions, they begged that he would condescend -to accompany them. He arose immediately, uncovered his head, washed -himself, and followed them. When arrived at their lodge, they offered -him a cup containing a dose {350} of their medicine, preparatory to his -initiation. Nanaboojoo swallowed the contents at a single draught, and -found himself completely restored. They then commenced their dances and -their songs; they also applied their medicine bags, which, after gently -blowing them at him, they would then cast on the ground; at each fall of -the medicine bag, Nanaboojoo perceived that his melancholy, sadness, -hatred, and anger disappeared, and affections of an opposite nature took -possession of his soul. They all joined in the dance and song—they ate -and smoked together. Nanaboojoo thanked them for having initiated him in -the mysteries of their grand medicine. - -“The manitous brought back the lost Chipiapoos, but it was forbidden him -to enter the lodge; he received, through a chink, a burning coal, and was -ordered to go and preside over the region of souls, and there, for the -happiness of his uncles and aunts, that is, for all men and women, who -should repair thither, kindle with this coal a fire which should never be -extinguished. - -“Nanaboojoo then re-descended upon earth, and, by order of the Great -Spirit, initiated all his family in the mysteries of the grand medicine. -{351} He procured for each of them a bag well furnished with medicines, -giving them strict orders to perpetuate these ceremonies among their -descendants, adding at the same time, that these practices, religiously -observed, would cure their maladies, procure them abundance in the chase, -and give them complete victory over their enemies. (All their religion -consists in these superstitious practices, dances and songs; they have -the most implicit faith in these strange reveries.) - -“Nanaboojoo is our principal intercessor with the Great Spirit; he it was -that obtained for us the creation of animals for our food and raiment. -He has caused to grow those roots and herbs which are endowed with the -virtue of curing our maladies, and of enabling us, in time of famine, to -kill the wild animals. He has left the care of them to Mesakkummikokwi, -the great-grandmother of the human race, and in order that we should -never invoke her in vain, it has been strictly enjoined on the old woman -never to quit the dwelling. Hence, when an Indian makes the collection -of roots and herbs which are to serve him as medicines, he deposits, at -the same time, on the earth, a small {352} offering to Mesakkummikokwi. -During his different excursions over the surface of the earth, Nanaboojoo -killed all such animals as were hurtful to us, as the mastodon, the -mammoth, etc. He has placed four beneficial spirits at the four cardinal -points of the earth, for the purpose of contributing to the happiness of -the human race. That of the north procures for us ice and snow, in order -to aid us in discovering and following the wild animals. That of the -south gives us that which occasions the growth of our pumpkins, melons, -maize and tobacco. The spirit placed at the west gives us rain, and that -of the east gives us light, and commands the sun to make his daily walks -around the globe. The thunder we hear is the voice of spirits, having -the form of large birds, which Nanaboojoo has placed in the clouds. When -they cry very loud we burn some tobacco in our cabins, to make them a -smoke-offering and appease them. - -“Nanaboojoo yet lives, resting himself after his labors, upon an immense -flake of ice, in the Great Lake, (the North Sea). We fear that the whites -will one day discover his retreat, and drive him off, then the end of the -world is at {353} hand, for as soon as he puts foot on the earth, the -whole universe will take fire, and every living creature will perish in -the flames!” - -In their festivities and religious assemblies, all their songs turn -upon some one or other of these fables. When the chief had finished -this history, I asked him whether he had any faith in what he had just -related. “Assuredly I have, for I have had the happiness to see and -entertain three old men of my nation, who penetrated far into the north, -and were admitted into the presence of Nanaboojoo, with whom they -conversed a long time. He confirmed all that I have recounted to you!” - -Our savages believe that the souls of the dead, in their journey to the -great prairie of their ancestors, pass a rapid current, over which the -only bridge is a single tree, kept constantly in violent agitation, -managed, however, in such a way, that the souls of perfect men pass it in -safety, whilst those of the wicked slip off the tree into the water and -are lost forever. - -Such is the narration given to me by the Potawotomi chief, comprising -all the articles of the creed held by this tribe, we can hardly fail to -recognize in it, much obscured by the accumulation of ages, the tradition -of the universal {354} deluge, of the creation of the universe, of Adam -and Eve; even some traces of the incarnation are found in the birth of -Nanaboojoo, he was descended of parents, one of whom only, his mother, -was of the human race; he is, moreover, the intercessor between God and -man. - -I recommend myself to your prayers. - -I remain, with sentiments of profound respect and esteem, your obedient -humble servant and brother in Christ, - - _P. J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXVI - -A. M. D. G. - - Philadelphia, April 6th, 1847. - -MR. J. D. BRYANT, - -DEAR SIR,—The nation of the Pawnees is divided into four great tribes, -which act in concert as one people. They have their villages upon the -river Platte, or Nebrasca, and its tributaries, about 150 miles west of -the Missouri river. They are the same true children of the desert as they -have been these many ages.—They dress in the skins of animals killed in -the chase. They cultivate maize and squashes, using the shoulder-blade -of the buffalo as a substitute for the plough and hoe. In the season -of the chase, a whole village, men, women, and children, abandon their -settlements and go in pursuit of the animals whose flesh supplies them -with food. Their huts, which they call akkaros, are circular, and about -140 feet in circumference. They are ingeniously formed by planting young -trees {356} at suitable distances apart, then bending and joining their -tops to a number of pillars or posts fixed circularly in the centre of -the enclosure. The trees are then covered with bark, over which is thrown -a layer of earth, nearly a foot in thickness, and finally, a solid mass -of green turf completes the structure. These dwellings, thus completed, -resemble hillocks. A large aperture in the top serves to admit the light -and also to emit the smoke. They are very warm in winter, and cool, but -oftentimes very damp, in summer. They are large enough to contain ten or -a dozen families.[348] - -If, in the long journeys which they undertake in search of game, any -should be impeded, either by age or sickness, their children or relations -make a small hut of dried grass to shelter them from the heat of the sun -or from the weather, leaving as much provision as they are able to spare, -and thus abandon them to their destiny. Nothing is more touching than -this constrained separation, caused by absolute necessity—the tears and -cries of the children on the one hand, and the calm resignation of the -aged father or mother on the other. They often encourage their children -not to expose their own lives in order to prolong their short remnant -{357} of time. They are anxious to depart on their long journey, and to -join their ancestors in the hunting-grounds of the Great Spirit. If, some -days after, they are successful in the chase, they return as quickly as -possible to render assistance and consolation. These practices are common -to all the nomadic tribes of the mountains. - -The Pawnees have nearly the same ideas concerning the universal deluge as -those which I have given of the Potawotomies. In relation to the soul, -they say, that there is a resemblance in the body which does not die, -but detaches itself when the body expires. If a man has been good during -his life, kind to his parents, a good hunter, a good warrior, his soul -(_sa ressemblance_) is transported into a land of delights, abundance, -and pleasures. If, on the contrary, a man has been wicked, hard-hearted, -cruel and indolent, his soul passes through narrow straits, difficult -and dangerous, into a country where all is confusion, contrariety and -unhappiness. - -In their religious ceremonies, they dance, sing and pray before a bird -stuffed with all kinds of roots and herbs used in their superstition. -They have a fabulous tradition, which teaches them that the morning star -sent this bird to their ancestors, {358} as its representative, with -orders to invoke it on all important occasions and to exhibit it in times -of sacrifice.[349] Before the invocation, they fill the calumet with the -sacred herb contained in the bird. They then puff out the smoke towards -the star, offer the prayers and make their demands, dancing and singing, -and celebrating in verses the great power of the bird. They implore its -assistance and its favor, whether to obtain success in hunting or in -war, or to demand snow in order to make the buffalo descend from the -mountains, or to appease the Great Spirit when a public calamity befalls -the nation, or a family, or even a single person. The Pawnees are one of -the few aboriginal tribes, which, descending from the ancient Mexicans, -are guilty of offering human sacrifices.[350] In order to justify this -barbarous practice, they say that the morning star taught them by means -of the bird, that such sacrifices were agreeable to it, and would bring -down upon the nation the favor of the great Deliberator[351] of the -universe. They are firmly persuaded that human sacrifices are most -agreeable to the Great Spirit. Hence, when the Pawnee takes a prisoner -and wishes {359} to render himself acceptable to Heaven, he devotes it to -the morning star. At the time of sacrifice, he delivers the prisoner over -into the hands of the jugglers; soon after which, commence the ceremonies -preparatory to the offering. I was in the neighborhood when one of these -bloody sacrifices took place, and the particulars, which I am about to -relate, were reported to me by worthy eye-witnesses. - -The victim in this horrid transaction was a young Sioux girl, named -Dakotha, aged 15 years, who had been taken prisoner by the Pawnees -about six months previous to her immolation. During the months of her -captivity, Dakotha received from the Pawnees every mark of regard which -savages are capable of bestowing. She was an honored guest at all the -_fêtes_ and _festivities_ of the village; and everywhere was treated, in -appearance at least, rather as a fond friend than as a prisoner. It is -the custom thus to prepare the victim, in order to conceal their infernal -design. - -The month of April being the season for planting, is on that account -selected for the offering of their abominable sacrifices. To this end, -four of the principal savages of the tribe assemble in the largest and -most beautiful {360} akkaro or hut, to deliberate with Tirawaat, or -the great Deliberator of the universe, concerning the sacrifice of the -victim. According to their belief, a human offering is rewarded by him -with an abundant harvest. He fills the hunting-grounds convenient to -their villages with immense herds of buffaloes, deer and antelopes, thus -enabling them to kill their prey with more facility and with less risk of -coming in contact with other warlike and hostile nations. - -The oldest savage of the tribe presides at the feast given on the -occasion. Ten of the best singers and musicians, each with his peculiar -instrument, squat in the middle of the akkaro. Four of them have dried -calabashes in their hands, from which the seeds have been extracted and -small pebbles placed in their stead, which being shaken by the muscular -arms of these gigantic savages, produce a sound like falling hail. Four -others beat their tekapiroutche—this is a kind of drum of a most mournful -and deafening sound; it is made from the trunk of a tree and is about -three feet long and one-and-a-half broad, covered at both ends with deer -skin. The remaining two have a kind of flute made of reeds, about two -feet long and one inch in diameter, instruments, such as were used by -{361} the ancient shepherds, and which give forth sounds that may be -heard at the distance of half a mile. They fasten to each instrument a -little tewaara, or medicine bag, filled with roots and other materials, -to which, in their superstitious rites, they attach a supernatural power, -that renders their offering more agreeable to the Author of life. Four -sentinels, each armed with a lance, take their position at the four -cardinal points of the lodge, to maintain order among the spectators -and to prevent the entrance of the women, young girls and children. -The guests are seated upon the ground or upon mats on the right and -left of the presiding juggler, turning around from time to time in the -most grotesque and ridiculous dances. Imagine thirty swarthy savages, -with their bodies tattooed; their faces besmeared with paint—white, -black, made of soot and the scrapings of the kettles, yellow, green and -vermilion; and their long and dishevelled hair clotted with mud or clay. -Placing themselves in a circle, they shriek, they leap, and give to -their bodies, their arms, their legs, and their heads a thousand hideous -contortions; while streams of perspiration, pouring down their bodies, -render the horrors of their appearance still more dreadful, by {362} the -confused commingling of the colors with which they are smeared—now they -crowd together pell-mell, then separate, some to the right, some to the -left, one upon one foot, another upon two, while others go on all-fours -without order, and although without appearance of measure, yet, in -perfect harmony with their drums, their calabashes and their flutes. - -Near the centre of the hut, at about four feet from the fire-place, are -placed four large buffalo heads, dissected, in order that they may take -the augury. The presiding juggler, the musicians and the dancers have -their heads covered with the down of the swan, which sticks to them by -means of honey, with which they smear their hair—a practice common to all -the tribes of North America in their superstitious rites. The president -or presiding juggler alone is painted with red, the musicians, one half -red and the other half black, while all the others are daubed with all -colors, and in the most fantastic figures. - -Each time that the music, the songs and the dances are performed, the -spectators observe the most profound silence, and during the space of -thirty minutes that the extraordinary charivari continues, nothing -is heard but the chants, the cries, the howlings and the music. When -all {363} have figured in the dance, the presiding juggler gives the -signal to stop, crying out with all the force of his lungs. Immediately -all cease, each one takes his place, and the auditory responds: “Néva! -Néva! Néva!” it is well, it is well, it is well! The dancers then fill -the ancient nawishkaro, or religious calumet, which is used only upon -occasions the most important. They offer it to the president, who, -striking with both his hands the long pipe, adorned with pearls and -worked with different figures, goes and squats himself down by the -fire-place. One of the guards places a coal upon the mysterious calumet. -Having lighted it, he rises and gives a puff to each of the musicians -without once slacking his hold from the pipe. He then turns towards the -centre, and raising his eyes towards heaven, he offers the calumet to the -Master of life, resting for a moment in majestic silence: then, offering -three puffs to heaven, he speaks these words: “O, Tirawaat! Thou who -beholdest all things, smoke with thy children, and take pity on us.” -He then offers the calumet to the buffalo heads, their great manitous, -salutes each of them with two puffs, and then goes to empty the bowl of -the pipe in a wooden dish, prepared for that purpose, that the sacred -ashes {364} may be afterwards gathered and preserved in a deer-skin -pouch.[352] - -[Illustration: Buffalos discovered] - -After the dance, the master of ceremonies serves up the repast to the -guests, seated in a circle. The food consists of dried buffalo meat and -boiled maize, served in wooden plates, filled to the brim. Each one is -bound to empty his plate, even should he expose himself to the danger of -death from indigestion. The president offers a portion of the meat and -maize to the Great Spirit, and places it accordingly upon the ground, and -he then makes a similar offering to one of the buffalo heads, which is -supposed to be a party to the feast. At length, while each one occupies -himself with doing honor to his plate, one of the chiefs of the band -rises up and announces to all the guests that the Master of life dances -with him, and that he accepts the calumet and the feasting. All the band -reply: “Néva! Néva! Néva!” This is the first condemnation. - -{365} The repast ended, they again dance, after which the calumet is -lighted the second time; and, as in the former instance, is offered to -the Master of life and to the buffalo heads, upon which, the lodge again -resounds with the triple cry, “Néva!” This last dance condemns, without -appeal, the unfortunate victim whose immolation is invoked. - -After all their grotesque dances, their cries, their chants and their -vociferations, the savages, preceded by the musicians, go out of the -lodge, to present the sacred calumet to the buffalo heads placed on -the tops of the lodges of the village, each of which is ornamented -with from two to eight heads, preserved as the trophies of their skill -in the chase. At each puff the multitude raise a furious cry, for now -the whole village joins in the extraordinary procession. They stop -before the lodge of the Sioux girl, and make the air resound with the -horrible imprecations against their enemies and against the unfortunate -and innocent victim, who represents them on the present occasion. From -this moment she is guarded by two old satellites, whose office it is -to beguile her from the least suspicion that she is the victim for the -coming sacrifice; and whose duty it also is to entertain {366} her upon -the great feast, they prepare on the occasion in her honor, and that she -may be well fed in order to appear more beautiful and fat, and thereby -more agreeable to the Master of life. This ends the first day of the -ceremonies. - -On the second day, two old female savages, with dishevelled hair, their -faces wrinkled and daubed with black and red paint, their naked arms -and legs tattooed, barefooted, and with no other dress than a deer-skin -petticoat, extending down to the knee—in a word, two miserable-looking -beldams, capable of striking terror in any beholder,—issue from their -huts with pipes in their hands, ornamented with the scalps which their -husbands have taken from their unhappy enemies. Passing through the -village, they dance around each akkaro, solemnly announcing, “that the -Sioux girl has been given to the Master of life by wise and just men, -that the offering is acceptable to him, and that each one should prepare -to celebrate the day with festivity and mirth.” At this announcement, the -idlers and children of the village move about and shout with joy. They -then, still dancing, re-conduct the two old squaws to their huts, before -which they place their pikes as trophies, and enter.—All then {367} -return to their own lodge, to partake of the feasts of their relatives. - -About ten o’clock in the morning of the third day, all the young women -and girls of the village, armed with hatchets, repair to the lodge of -their young and unhappy captive, and invite her to go into the forest -with them to cut wood.—The simple-hearted, confiding child, accepts their -malicious invitation with eagerness and joy, happy to breathe once more -the pure air.—They then give her a hatchet, and the female troop advance -towards the place marked out in the dance, making the forest resound with -shouts of joy. Atipaat, an old squaw who conducted them, designates, by -a blow of the hatchet, the tree which is to be cut down. Each then gives -it one blow, after which the victim approaches to complete the work. As -soon as she commences what seems to her but pastime, the whole crowd of -young furies surround her, howling and dancing. Unconscious that the -tree is to supply the wood for her own sacrifice, the poor child pursues -her work as if a great honor had been reserved for her.—Atipaat, the old -woman, then fastens to her the ashki[353] with which to draw the wood. - -{368} The troop then lead the way towards the village, dancing as they -pass along, but giving the hapless victim almost no assistance in -dragging her load. An innumerable multitude attend them to the place of -sacrifice, and receive them with loud acclamations. They there relieve -her of her burden and again place her in the hands of the guards, -who, with voices harsh and quivering, chant the great deeds of their -younger days and re-conduct her to her lodge. In the meantime the whole -band assist to arrange the wood between two trees, after which they -immediately disperse. - -On the morning of the fourth day, before sunrise, a savage visits all the -lodges to announce to each family, in the name of the Master of life, -that they must furnish two billets of wood about three feet long for the -sacrifice. - -Then thirty warriors issue from their lodges, decked in all sorts of -accoutrements; their heads adorned with deer and buffalo horns, with the -tails of horses and the plumes of the {369} eagle and heron, interwoven -with their scalp-locks, while the tails of wolves and wild cats stream -from various parts behind, as the wings of Mercury are represented, with -pendants hanging from their noses and ears, so elongated by the weight of -the ornaments suspended to them, that they float about and strike against -their shoulders.—Glass beads, or necklaces of brass or steel adorn their -necks, while highly-ornamented deer-skin leggins and curiously-painted -buffalo-skins, negligently thrown over their shoulders, complete their -grotesque habiliments. Thus accoutred they present themselves at the -hut of their captive, who is already adorned with the most beautiful -dress their fancy can devise, or the materials at their command produce. -Her head-dress is composed of the feathers of the eagle and swan, and -descends behind in gracefully waving curves, even to the ground. Her -person is properly painted with red and black lines. A frock of deer-skin -descends to the knee, while a beautiful pair of leggins extend from -thence to the ankle. A pair of moccasins garnished with porcupine quills, -pearl and glass beads, are on her feet. Pendants hang from her ears -and nose, a necklace ornaments her neck, and bracelets her arms; {370} -nothing was spared that could add to her beauty. - -Tranquillity and joy distinguishes her as she approaches the grand feast, -which she has been made to believe her kind guardians have prepared to -honor her. At the first cry of the warriors, the poor child comes out of -the hut and walks at the head of her executioners, who follow in single -file. As they pass along they enter into all the huts, where the most -profound silence and the utmost propriety reign. The Sioux girl walks -around the fire-place, her followers do the same, and, just as she leaves -the lodge, the principal squaw gives her two billets of wood, which the -unconscious victim gives in her turn to each of the savages. In this -manner, when she has been made to collect all the wood to serve for her -immolation, she takes her place in the rear of the band, joyous and -content that she has had the happiness to contribute to the pleasure of -her executioners; after which they again restore her to her two guards, -to be presented with her last repast, which consists of a large plate of -maize. - -All now wait in anxious expectation to witness the last scene of the -bloody drama. The whole village is in commotion. Everywhere {371} the -warriors, old and young, may be seen preparing their murderous arrow, -as upon the eve of a battle. Some practice shooting at a mark; the -more barbarous, thirsting for the blood of their enemies, encourage -and instruct their children in the use of the bow and arrow, and what -part of the body they ought to strike.—The young women and girls devote -themselves to clearing away the brushes and preparing the place of -sacrifice, after the accomplishment of which, they employ themselves -during the rest of that day and night in polishing their necklaces, -pendants and bracelets, and all the other ornaments in which they wish to -appear at the great feast. - -On the fifth day, an aid-de-camp of Lechartetewarouchte, or the chief -of sacrifice, ran through the village to announce, in the name of his -master, the necessity of preparing the red and black paint, which is -to serve for the grand ceremony. It is vain to attempt to give you, my -dear sir, an adequate description of this personage, either as regards -his costume, his figure, or his manner; it is everything that a savage -can invent of the fantastic, the ridiculous and the frightful, united in -one person. The collector of colors himself scarcely yields {372} to his -comrade in monstrosity. He has the appearance of one, truly, just escaped -from the infernal regions. His body is painted black, which, contrasted -with the whiteness of his teeth and of his huge eyes, and with his hair -besmeared with white clay, and bristling like the mane of a lion, gives -him an aspect terrible and ferocious in the extreme. At each heel is -fastened the tail of a wolf, and on his feet a pair of moccasins made -of buffalo skin, with the long shaggy hair on the outside. He passes -through the whole village with a measured step, holding a wooden plate -in each hand. He enters the huts successively, and, as he approaches -the fire-place, he cries aloud: “The Master of life sends me here.” -Immediately, a woman comes and empties into one of his plates either some -red or some black paint, which she had prepared. Upon the reception of -which, he raises his eyes to heaven, and with a loud voice says: “Regard -the love of thy children, O Tirawaat! However poor, all that they possess -is thine, and they give it to thee. Grant us an abundant harvest. Fill -our hunting-grounds with buffaloes, deer, stags and antelopes. Make us -powerful against our enemies, so that we may again renew this great -sacrifice.” {373} Each one replies by the usual exclamation: “Néva! Néva! -Néva!” - -After the return of the collector of colors, and before sunrise, the last -scene commences. Men and women, boys and girls, daub themselves in all -the colors and forms imaginable. They deck themselves in whatever they -possess which in their estimation is either beautiful or precious—pearls, -beads, porcelain collars, the claws of the white bear, (this is in their -view the most costly and valuable decoration) bracelets and pendants; -nothing is forgotten on this occasion. They ornament their hair with the -feathers of the heron, and of the gray eagle, a bird superstitiously -venerated by them. Thus equipped for their sortie, they listen -attentively for the first signal to the sacrifice. - -While these preparations are in progress, the Tewaarouchte, a religious -band of distinguished warriors, known in the procession by the down of -swans upon their hair or upon the tops of their heads, and by their naked -bodies painted in red and black lines, follow the braves of the nation -armed with their bows and arrows, which are sedulously concealed beneath -their buffalo robes. Thus they approach the lodge where the unconscious -victim awaits, as she thinks, {374} the happy moment for the festivities -given in her honor, to commence. She is now delivered into the hands -of her executioners, dressed in the beautiful costume of the previous -day, with the addition of a cord tied to each ankle. The poor child is -all interest and in a kind of impatience to participate in the grand -festivities. She smiles as she looks round upon the most cruel and the -most revengeful enemies of her race. Not the slightest agitation, fear, -or suspicion, is visible in her manner. She walks with joy and confidence -in the midst of her executioners. Arrived at the fatal spot, a frightful -presentiment flashes across her mind. There is no one of her own sex -present. In vain do her eyes wander from place to place, in order to -find the evidences of a feast. Why that solitary fire? And those three -posts, which she herself drew from the forest, and which she saw fastened -between two trees, and those swarthy figures of the warriors, what can -they mean? All, all indicate some dreadful project. They order her to -mount the three posts. She hesitates, she trembles as an innocent lamb -prepared for the slaughter. She weeps most bitterly and with a voice -the most touching, such as must have broken any other hearts than those -of these {375} savage men, she implores them not to kill her. With a -persuasive tone they endeavor to convince her that their intention is -not to injure her, but that the ceremonies in which she participates -are indispensable before the grand feast. One of the most active of the -savages unrolls the cords tied to her wrists and assists her to mount to -the post. He passes the cords over the branches of the two trees, between -which the sacrifice is to be made. - -These are rendered firm by the powerful arms of the other savages, and -her feet immediately fastened to the topmost of the three posts, which -she had unconsciously cut and drawn to the fatal spot. On the instant all -doubt of their intentions vanishes from her mind. The savages no longer -conceal from her their frightful project. She cries aloud, she weeps, she -prays; but her supplications, her tears and her prayers are alike drowned -in the melée, and cry of their horrible imprecations against her nation. - -Upon her innocent and devoted head they concentrate the full measure of -their vengeance, of all the cruelties, of all the crimes, of all the -injustice and cruelty of the Sioux, which may have taken place in their -most cruel and protracted {376} wars, and which from time immemorial had -been transmitted from father to son, as a precious heritage of vengeance -and resentment. In a manner the most furious and most triumphant they -exult with leaping and howling, like wild beasts, around their trembling -victim. They then despoil her of all her ornaments and of her dress, -when the chief of the sacrifice approaches and paints one-half of her -body black and the other half red, the colours of their victims. He -then scorches her armpits and sides with a pine-knot torch. After these -preparatory rites, he gives the signal to the whole tribe, who make the -air resound with the terrible war-cry of the Sassaskwi. At this piercing -cry, which freezes the heart with terror, which paralyzes the timid and -rouses the ardor of the brave, which confounds the buffalo in his course, -and fills the bear with such fear as to take from him all the power of -resisting or fleeing from his enemies, the savages, impatient and greedy -for blood, issue from their dark lodges. Like a terrific hurricane they -rush headlong to the fatal spot. Their cries, mingled with the noise -of their feet, resemble the roar of thunder, increasing as the storm -approaches. As a swarm of bees surround their queen, these Pawnee savages -{377} encompass the Sioux child—their trembling victim. In the twinkling -of an eye, their bows are bent and their arrows adjusted to the cords. -The arrow of Lecharitetewarouchte, or chief of the sacrifice, is the -only one which is barbed with iron. With this, it is his province to -pierce the heart of the innocent Dakotha. A profound silence reigns for -an instant among the ferocious band. No sound breaks the awful stillness -save the sobs and piteous moans of the victim, who hangs trembling in the -air, while the chief of the sacrifice makes a last offering of her to -the Master of the universe. At that moment he transfixes her through the -heart—upon the instant a thousand murderous arrows quiver in the body of -the poor child. Her whole body is one shapeless mass, riddled with arrows -as numerous as are the quills upon the back of the porcupine. - -While the howling and the dancing continue, the great chief of the -nation, mounting the three posts in triumph, plucks the arrows from the -dead body and casts them into the fire. The iron-barbed arrow being the -only one preserved for future sacrifices. He then squeezes the blood from -the mangled flesh, upon the maize and other seeds, which stand around -in baskets ready {378} to be planted; and then, as the last act of this -cruel and bloody sacrifice, he plucks the still palpitating heart from -the body, and, heaping the fiercest imprecations upon the enemies of his -race, devours it amidst the shouts and screams of his people. The rite -is finished. The haughty and satisfied savages move away from the scene -of their awful tragedy; they pass the remainder of the day in feasts and -merriment. The murdered and deformed body hangs where it was immolated, a -prey to wolves and carnivorous birds. I will end this painful tragedy, by -giving you an extract of a former letter. - -“Such horrid cruelties could not but bring down the wrath of Heaven upon -their nation. As soon as the report of the sacrifice reached the Sioux, -they burned with the desire to avenge their honor, and bound themselves -by oaths that they would not rest until they had killed as many Pawnees -as their innocent victim had bones or joints in her body. More than a -hundred Pawnees have at length fallen under their tomahawks, and their -oaths have since been still more amply fulfilled in the massacre of their -wives and children. - -“In view of so much cruelty, who could mistake the agency of the arch -enemy of mankind, {379} and who could refuse to exert himself to bring -these benighted nations to the knowledge of the One only true Mediator -between God and man, and of the only true sacrifice without which it is -impossible to appease the Divine justice?” - - With sentiments of respect and esteem, - - I remain, my dear sir, yours, &c. - - _Peter J. De Smet, S. J._ - - -No. XXVII - -A. M. D. G. - -EXTRACT FROM THE MISSIONARY’S JOURNAL - -To-day, 17th August, we pitched our tents upon the borders of a winding -stream, in the heart of a wild, mountainous country, whose deep ravines -and gloomy caverns are well suited for the dens of wild animals. Great -as our expectations were of finding here abundance of game, they were -not deceived. In less than an hour our hunters killed as many as twelve -bears. During the night, an event of a far more serious nature occurred. -The sudden firing of a gun roused us from slumber. Every warrior was on -the alert; that shot could have proceeded from no hand save that of a -“Black-Foot!” We looked at one another in silent anticipation. Who, then, -had been the sufferer? The painful question was quickly answered. It was -the {381} poor widow Camilla, one of the Sinpoil tribe.[354] The ball had -passed through her throat, and she expired without a groan! Happily, her -soul was ripe for Heaven. From the period of her first communion, she -had never passed a Sunday without approaching the holy table, nor was -her baptismal robe sullied by the slightest stain. The funeral obsequies -were performed on the banks of Yellow-Rock River,[355] because that -spot was better suited than any other to conceal her sepulchre from the -avaricious Black-Foot assassin. All things work together for good to them -that love God; this death, terrible, indeed, in the sight of men, but -precious in the eyes of the Lord, became the source of a good work. The -murdered woman left two daughters, both very young; had her life been -spared, she would not, perhaps, have been able to shield their innocence -from the dangers to which it would have been exposed; but, now, they were -immediately adopted by Ambrose, chief of the Flat-Heads, and father of a -numerous family; in his noble heart, charity, piety, and confidence in -God, go hand-in-hand with his courage. - -At the distance of a few gun-shots from Yellow-Rock, the buffaloes made -their appearance. {382} One of them plunged into the river to avoid the -death which threatened him, swam rapidly down the current, then suddenly -tacked about to escape his pursuers; and, finally, exhausted by his -efforts, unable longer to contend with his fate, came out of the river, -and stretched himself upon the turf at the entrance of our camp, where -his presence caused no other mischief than that of exciting the mirth of -the women and children. - -Farther on, two bears were seen making their way through the bushes. -The young people, who were the first to perceive them, announced their -discovery by loud yells. Immediately, a Black-Foot, a friend of the -Flat-Heads, sprang forward with the intention of giving the first blow -to the common enemy; but the sagacious animal, anticipating his design, -rushed from his lair, and fastened his enormous claws on the uplifted arm -of the young Indian, whose situation would have been desperate, had not -a Flat-Head come to his assistance. A few days after, another converted -Black-Foot, finding himself in the same circumstances, and wishing to -show that he knew better than his comrade how to kill bears, went {383} -about it in the same manner, and shared the same fate; a punishment which -his temerity richly deserved. - -[Illustration: A Prayer for success in hunting.] - -Whilst we were encamped in this place, several chiefs of the Corbeaux -tribe came to visit the Flat-Heads, accompanied by the flower of their -young warriors. They spoke with enthusiasm of the visit their nation had -received from a Black-gown in 1842, and expressed great desire for the -time to come when they, like the Flat-Heads, would enjoy the privilege -of having Black-gowns always with them, to instruct them in heavenly -things. They still observe the superstitious practices of the calumet. -To render the odor of the pacific incense agreeable to their gods, it is -necessary that the tobacco and the herb (skwiltz), the usual ingredients, -should be mixed with a small quantity of buffalo’s dung, and that the -_great pipe_, after having gone round the lodge, should re-commence the -circuit as soon as it arrives at the opening, without which ceremony they -imagine it would be useless to smoke with their brethren, or incense, -as they do, the heavens, earth, four cardinal points, and medals of -Washington and Jackson. - -Nothing but misfortunes could await them. {384} Whilst they remained -with us, we buried a Pend-d’Oreille Indian, who had died shortly -after baptism, strengthened by all the sacraments of the church. This -ceremony, which was performed with more than ordinary pomp in honor of -the visitors, was concluded by the solemn erection of the cross on the -grave of the deceased. May the remembrance of these last duties paid to -a departed child of the church, increase in the hearts of the Corbeaux -the desire of knowing Him, without the knowledge of whom there is no -salvation. The following day they returned to their own camp. - -The Pierced-Noses were now on their way to their own country; the -Flat-Heads, on the contrary, were still in pursuit of game; for, although -the season was far advanced, they had not yet commenced to lay in their -winter provisions. Early the following morning, we struck our tents and -resumed our march. We had not proceeded far, when our attention was -attracted by a herd of buffaloes quietly feeding in the beautiful valley -at our feet. They were so numerous, that each of the hunters killed -several. The slaughter of these animals was but the prelude of that -which was to take place on the following days. Our hunters brought in -{385} game in abundance. On one occasion, they returned laden with the -spoils of 344 fat cows. We encamped in the very heart of the Black-Foot -territory, yet the howling of wolves and bears, calling one another to -their nocturnal repast, was the only sound that disturbed our repose. -The hunting season is a time of rest for the missionary, of intimate -union with his God, of renovation for his soul! It was in this spirit -I received, with humble gratitude, the short but severe illness with -which I was visited at this period. I regarded it, likewise, as sent -me in punishment for the too natural pleasure I felt in contemplating -the strange and varied scenes by which I was surrounded. During our -encampment in this spot, I had the consolation of baptizing ten adults. - -An unexpected fall of snow warned us that it was time to think of our -return. The chief accordingly gave orders for all to be in readiness to -set out the following day. The weather was clear, but intensely cold; -and, suffering as I still was, from the effects of my recent illness, I -had great difficulty in supporting its severity. We were, however, soon -cheered by milder days, and warmer sunshine. Our young hunters were, once -more, all animation. The pleasures {386} of the chase were resumed as far -as the good order necessary for the homeward march would permit. Even the -children caught the general spirit, and bounded off in pursuit of some -smaller animal, which the elated winner of the race never failed to bring -back on his shoulder. - -We were now entering the defile where we had before met with such -brilliant success. At almost every step we fell in with some straggler. -At one time, an old decrepit buffalo; at another, a fat cow, and -sometimes a playful calf, whose dam had already fallen a victim. These -animals were an easy prey, and their capture was a new source of sport -for the boys. - -On the 28th I retired to the summit of a neighboring mountain, to read -the vespers of St. Michael. The atmosphere was unusually serene; not -a sound disturbed the silence of nature. I gazed on the quiet beauty -of the scene, hushed, as it were, in the presence of God, and my heart -dilated at the thought of the thousands of unconverted Indians, buried -in the darkness of idolatry. Full of these thoughts, I raised my eyes, -and, excited as my imagination was, it seemed to me that I beheld the -archangel, Michael, standing on the opposite mountain, exclaiming, -“Deluded nations! Who is {387} like unto God?” The voice resounded -through the forests—it was echoed by the deep ravines. I fancied it was -heard and understood by the wild children of the woods; their responding -shouts rung in my ear. Yielding to the enthusiasm of my feelings, I -hastily quitted my elevated position, and erected a wooden cross on the -summit of a neighboring eminence. Some days after, a hunter discovered, -near the half-consumed embers of an extinguished fire, a similar cross, -to which a banner was attached. My first thought was, that it had been -planted there by some Catholic, who had lost his way in the forest, and -been devoured by the wolves. The Flat-Heads, however, well acquainted -with the practices of their ancient foes, the Black-Feet, informed me -that it was a custom among them to erect these crosses to the moon, in -order to render her favorable to the robbery or chase, in which they were -about to engage. This information dispelled the pleasing fancies in which -I had indulged; and painfully reminded me that the God-Saviour is yet far -from being adored in these wild abodes. May we not hope that the time -will yet come, when the banner of the true cross will wave triumphant -o’er this benighted land! - -{388} The obstacles which have hitherto prevented the missionaries from -penetrating into the Black-Feet territory are now beginning to disappear, -and there is every prospect of our soon being able to commence the -glorious work of their conversion. - -The next day we entered a mountain pass, where the foot of man had seldom -trodden, as was proved by the fact, that fifteen beavers were taken in -one night by three hunters. After following for some time the circuitous -windings of the ravine, we came to an ascent so slippery, that at every -instant I was in anticipation of some sad catastrophe. Presently a -sumpter-horse missed his footing and fell, rolling down the precipice. -Who, that had seen him fall from rock to rock, would ever have thought, -that in a few minutes he would be journeying on, laden as before! Without -uttering a single word, the guide made her way through the deep snow to -the spot where the poor animal lay, unloaded him, raised him from the -ground, replaced his burden, and brought him back to the rear of the -troop. - -We continued our route until sunset, along the mountain’s summit; at -length, after a forced march of ten hours, we pitched our tents on a -{389} beautiful island, where we enjoyed both security and repose. -Surrounded by the waters of the Missouri, and abounding in rich pastures, -this charming spot seems, as it were, destined by nature as a place of -rest for the wearied traveller. - -It would have been impossible to contemplate without admiring the -loveliness of the landscape. From the southern coast of the river arose a -ridge of mountains, whose varied colors of blue, red, green, and yellow, -gave them a striking appearance; the effect of which was heightened by -a small stream, leaping from rock to rock, in the form of a cascade, -cooling the parched ground, insinuating itself into the crevices of the -rocks, and giving birth to an infinite variety of creeping plants, and -flowering shrubs.—The island itself is beautiful beyond description. The -scenery is diversified by groups of the majestic buttonball, which, in -this country, is the giant of the vegetable kingdom. It was under the -shade of one of these noble trees that our hunters prepared to celebrate -the feast of the Maternity. The sun’s last rays had long disappeared -beneath the horizon, ere all was ready for the evening prayer. After -which, notwithstanding the fatigues of the day, a large {390} fire was -kindled before my tent, and the greater part of the night consecrated by -these fervent children of the woods, to the reconciliation of their souls -with God. The following day the Holy Sacrifice was celebrated with as -much solemnity as the circumstances would permit. Of the ninety persons -who then approached the table of the Lord, there was not one, who, since -the departure from St. Mary’s, had not communicated every month. Several -had enjoyed that happiness each week. During the evening office nothing -particular occurred. The eve of my departure the mothers brought their -young children to receive my blessing; and the chiefs erected a cross -in token of their gratitude for the favors received during the hunting -season. To this latter circumstance the island is indebted for the -beautiful name of St. Croix. - -The following day I bade farewell to my dear neophytes; and, after -joining in prayer with them for the last time, I set out on my return to -St. Mary’s. - - _N. Point, S. J._ - - -No. XXVIII - -“HENCEFORWARD THE PRAYER OF THE FLAT-HEADS SHALL BE OURS” - -BY REV. P. N. POINT - -We shall see what gave occasion to these remarkable words uttered by -thirty-seven Black-Feet, who had fallen into the hands of the Flat-Heads. - -It is rare, at present, to find any Black-Feet, even among the most -vicious tribes, who are not convinced that the _Black-gowns_ desire their -happiness. - -The following observations clearly prove my proposition: 1, the kind -reception they gave the Black Robe who was taken by sixty of their -warriors: 2, the attention with which they listened to the Rev. Mr. -Thibault, a Canadian priest, who fell in with a large company of them -at Fort Augusta,[356] on the River Sascatshawin: 3, sending back to St. -Mary’s, a horse belonging to a Flat-Head missionary; a circumstance -{392} hitherto unheard of, in the relations of the Black-Feet with the -Flat-Heads; 4, the confidence which several have manifested in the -missionaries, on many remarkable occasions; 5, the smoking of the calumet -in the plain of the Great Valley, with a small number of Flat-Heads whom -they might have killed without difficulty; 6, the amicable visits they -have paid the Flat-Heads by the persuasion of the hoary chief Nicholas, -(baptized,) and the habitual residence of several of the tribe at the -village of St. Mary’s; 7, the plunder of horses is incomparably more rare -than during the preceding years; 8, the four years’ cessation of any -serious attack; though, formerly, not a hunting party passed without a -sanguinary battle with the Flat-Heads. In proof of this, remember the -sixty-five battles of old Paulin. If we add to all this, the providential -and admirable circumstance which occurred during the chase, and which -we purpose relating, surely, it may be permitted to form the brightest -prospects relative to the religious conquest of this numerous tribe; -and I sincerely hope that an occurrence, which lately took place at St. -Mary’s, will contribute much to realize my desires. - -{393} The 2d or 3d February, during the night, the dogs barked—a -pistol-shot was heard—a mournful silence ensues! A thief, doubtless, -had been wounded. The following morning, marks of blood could be traced -as far as the river, which led to the conclusion that the robber had -perished in the waves; but, three days since, George Sapime, whilst -duck-shooting, found the suffering being among some bushes, so exhausted -by loss of blood that he could scarcely stand. George might easily have -despatched him on the spot, according to the savage custom; but he -thought it better to return to the village and take counsel as to what -seemed most expedient to be done with the hapless desperado. At this -intelligence, numbers of Indians mount their horses and gallop off, -full armed, to the spot indicated. Whilst this was being transacted, -the incident was related to Father Mengarini. Pelchimo and Ambrose, two -really brave Flat-Heads,[357] who communicated the intelligence, thought -it base to kill a dying man. The zealous missionary conceived an ardent -desire to secure the salvation of the culprit, by pouring on his soul the -saving waters of regeneration. Pelchimo, seconding the good design, flies -to the place, and arrives at the very instant when the {394} pistols -were cocked to terminate the prisoner’s existence. “Stop!” vociferates -the feeling Pelchimo. At this word the execution is suspended, and an -hour after, the Black-Foot enemy and robber is tended, in the chieftain’s -lodge, with all the kindness that could be lavished on a noble and -much-loved sufferer. - -Father Mengarini, after having dressed his wounds, spoke to him of God, -and his judgments: the sick man answered, that it was the first time -he had heard these great truths. Such a reply, made the father cherish -the hope of saving his soul; and, also, of contributing, by means of -this man, to the designs of mercy, which, it seemed, the Almighty God -had towards this terrible nation. “Brethren,” said he, addressing the -assembled chiefs, “during four years the Black-gowns have been among -you, and each day have they spoken to you of God. You know well that His -divine Son not only died on the cross for all men, but even pardoned his -enemies, and prayed for his executioners, to teach us how we should act -in the like occasions. An enemy has fallen into your hands—remember, -he has a soul like yours, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and -destined to sing eternally the divine mercy of your Saviour! {395} What -shall be done with this man? Is he to live, or must he die?” “Let him -live,” answered every tongue. Overjoyed to find their hearts so replete -with compassion, the Black-gown was expressing his satisfaction to -the assembled tribe, when he was told that some obscure savages, of a -different tribe, were not of the same opinion as the generous chieftains -who surrounded him. This information induced the father to take a -different tone; and addressing the murmurers, he thus spoke: “Brethren! -when we pardon a foe, we imitate the ordinary conduct of God towards -men. Who, among you, has not sinned during his life? And how often has -God forgiven you? If, instead of forgetting your multiplied offences, -the Almighty had placed your souls in the power of your infernal enemy, -what would now be your fate? But no; God has not treated you thus; he -has sent his ministers among you,—numbered you among his children, and -promised heaven to your fidelity and compassion for the unfortunate; and -who knows, if this signal favor may not depend on the generosity you -exercise towards your enemy? The blood of Jesus Christ pleads for mercy -in his behalf. Already have your chiefs pronounced his pardon. Will you -imitate their {396} noble conduct? Ah! if you refuse, take your knives -and bury them in your enemy’s heart! But, from that instant, call not -God your Father; cease saying to Him: ‘forgive us our trespasses as we -forgive those who trespass against us;’ for, our Common Father might -hear your prayer, but, it would be for your eternal reprobation.” This -brief but energetic appeal caused such sensation throughout the auditory, -that every one approved the first decision. From that moment the entire -village of St. Mary’s, with the exception of a few malicious hearts, -shared in the generous sentiments of the Flat-Head chiefs. Selpisto, -a chieftain of the Pends-d’Oreilles, happened to be, at this time, at -St. Mary’s. He took the Black-Foot under his protection, and when he -recovered from his wounds, loaned him a horse to return to his country; -and he even redoubled his attention at the moment when he received the -news that one of his sons had fallen a sacrifice to the Black-Feet. When -the youth was met by his enemies, he was returning in triumph to St. -Mary’s, with the horses recently stolen from the village. His bravery -had forced the robbers to return them; this circumstance rendered -his loss a still greater affliction to his family. The return of the -Black-Foot, so {397} honorably dismissed, and the relation he gave the -tribe of the mercy exercised towards him, caused his nation to look upon -the Flat-Heads in a different light. “I am very glad,” wrote Father -Mengarini, “that this affair terminated amicably. I trust that the future -will prove, that the Almighty, after having exercised mercy towards -this unfortunate sinner, has also particular graces in reserve for this -perfidious and benighted nation, which I hope, is destined to receive -the light of the gospel. Should any fathers be named to this mission, I -should be too happy to be of their number.” - -To whom are the Black-Feet indebted for a change so consoling, both to -religion and humanity? Next to Almighty God, we may safely say, they -owe it to the admirable conduct of the Flat-Heads, especially since the -residence of the missionaries among the tribe. Some remarkable instances -of virtue were exhibited during the hunting season. - -On quitting St. Mary’s our pious neophytes added some short invocations -to their morning and evening prayers; 1, to the Heart of Jesus, as -protector of the men’s confraternity; 2, to the blessed Virgin, patroness -of the women’s sodality; 3, to St. Michael, model of the brave; {398} 4, -to St. Raphael, the guide of travellers; 5, to St. Hubert, the patron of -hunters; 6, to St. Francis Xavier, for the conversion of idolaters. We -shall see, that these pious aspirations were not addressed to Heaven in -vain. - -The eve preceding the anniversary of St. Francis Xavier’s canonization, -the missionary administered baptism to a Black-Foot, whose example -induced many others to solicit the like favor. The reception of the -holy sacraments of penance and eucharist, was very frequent. There were -430 confessions, (children included), 350 communions, 103 of which took -place the last Sunday. Only one person was left, in the camp; he having -recently made his first communion, did not renew it during the chase; -whereas, his companions approached two or three times, and some, even -more frequently. The pious practice of saying the Angelus, reciting the -Rosary, and singing canticles, was maintained throughout the camp. The -chiefs displayed their zeal for every species of good; an unalterable -patience was the distinguishing virtue of all, and this is saying much, -if we consider the trials attending the hunting season. Their resignation -to the Divine will, was strongly manifested. During twenty-four days -they had {399} been toiling onwards, undergoing much suffering from a -rigorous abstinence, when the news was spread that a herd of buffaloes -had been seen in the environs. The Indians repaired thither, but it was -to encounter a keen disappointment. Thus, the poor Flat-Heads found -themselves constrained either to fast or seek food in the country of the -Black-Feet. As their horses were in a better condition than those of -the other tribes, they resolved to risk the dangerous expedient. Four -days they traversed heights and floods: the weather was cold and snow -lay on the ground; no animals were to be seen. At last, on Wednesday in -Ember-week the missionary warned his little flock that the moment was -propitious for addressing Heaven to implore the goods of earth; but, he -added: “if you wish the Divine bounty to shed on you His gifts, you must -promise not to abuse them.” His words were attended to with deep emotion, -and each savage, according to the Indian expression, “Arranged his heart -and began to pray.” The next morning, (Thursday), herds of cattle were -seen in the neighborhood; and on Friday and Saturday so many were killed -that their great number encumbered the lodges. - -Already was the camp on its homeward {400} march, when, 12th March, the -chief, reaching the top of a mountain which commanded an extensive view -of the plain, suddenly stopped—and after gazing fixedly for some time, -discovered moving objects at the verge of the horizon. At first, those -around him imagined they saw buffaloes; next, they fancied they could -discover a herd of deer; the final conclusion was, that an armed party -of Black-Feet rapidly approached them. What was to be done? Victor, the -chief, lost nothing of his usual presence of mind. He calmly quitted the -head of the camp, mounted his horse, and making the animal perform a few -evolutions, he was instantly surrounded by the bravest of his band. Isaac -proposed prayer.—Victor exclaimed: “Let us wait until the Black-Feet show -themselves yonder.” Saying these words, he pointed out a second mountain -which concealed us. Never had any position offered more advantages. The -Black-Feet were climbing the opposite side—they were already fatigued. -Between the mountain and the chain which crowned the horizon extended -an immense plain, without either tree, ravine or river that could offer -them the least rampart. They were but thirty-seven in number, newly -exercised in arms, and on foot. The Flat-Heads, on {401} the contrary, -were on horseback, numbered fifty, in the flower of age, all well armed -and conducted by chieftains whose shadow would put to flight more enemies -than were now approaching. Besides, Victor was at their head; he who had -never been conquered, and what is more, not even wounded, though six -different times he had been encompassed by the Black-Feet. The marked -protection of Heaven had thus manifested itself in his favor! - -The enemy, then, could not escape them. All eyes were strained towards -the spot indicated by the chief, expecting the approach of the foe. -Victor judges that there is “periculum in mora;” he casts a smiling look -on the missionary, raises his fire-arms, utters a yell, urges on his -steed, and flies to the combat, followed by the bravest of the land. -Perceiving their approach, the Black-Feet took to flight, casting -away all that embarrassed them; but beholding themselves hemmed in on -all sides, they endeavoured to rally; the Flat-Heads hasten towards -them; Victor’s horse having been lately wounded, Fidele, Ambrose, -Isaac, Ferdinand, and Emanuel, passed their chief, and arrived first in -front of the enemy. Fidele spoke not; but his warrior name, signifying -_Thunderbolt_, sufficiently {402} declared his courage. Ambrose announced -him by that title, which causes the Black-Feet to turn pale, and added, -in a terrible voice: “Fire not! If you fire you are dead men!” God -spoke by his lips. Instead of firing, one of the Black-Feet threw down -his gun, whilst several others extended their arms, in a supplicating -attitude. The brave Ambrose refused not the pardon his enemies solicited; -for true courage will never bathe itself in the blood of a conquered -foe, who appeals for mercy, and whose conversion has been begged of -Heaven. The generous warrior willingly extends his hand to the foe; and -_all_, imitating his example, show that clemency has conquered. At this -happy moment, when such Christian sentiments pervaded every heart, the -_Black-gown_ advanced, and the conquered foes offered him their hands, -and, spreading a buffalo-skin on the snow, invited him to seat himself, -and receive the honors of the calumet. Whilst the smoke of peace ascended -towards heaven, presents were offered, and received, on both sides. The -oldest of the Black-Feet band, seated on the left of the missionary, -presented him a pair of Indian moccasins, and, strange to say, they were -embroidered, with a blue cross standing out conspicuously {403} from the -surrounding work. The poor idolater! did he, at that moment, think of the -“quam speciosi pedes?” Most probably not; but, it is certain, he remarked -the pleasure caused by his present, and felt an assurance, from the -manner in which it was received, that, henceforward, all hearts would be -united. - -The Flat-Head camp set out on their return. The thirty-seven Black-Feet -followed them. The thawing of the snow rendered the roads exceedingly -bad, and the kind-hearted Flat-Heads, compassionating the fate of -their new friends, did all they could to help them on their journey. -Before separating, Victor conducted the principal Black-Feet into the -missionary’s lodge, that he might witness their parting good friends; -and, during half an hour, every thing was said that could strengthen the -new-formed friendship between the tribes. The Black-Feet told us, that -for some time past they had been expecting a Black-gown, and that, when -he should come among them, he would be well received; that, henceforth, -they and the Flat-Heads would live like brothers; “that the prayer of -the Flat-Heads should be theirs.” And, although the sun had set, they -assisted at prayers; after which, {404} they exchanged some tokens of -friendship, and left, declaring that they were going to persuade their -village to act as they had done. - -The 19th March, feast of St. Joseph, seven days after the pardon so -generously granted the Black-Feet, Heaven bestowed on us the fruit of -our forbearance in the amicable visit of the grand chief of the “Petite -Robe, Itchetles Melakas—or the three crows.” All the chiefs smoked with -him under the missionary’s tent. Ambrose explained to him the Catholic -Tree; Victor invited him to pass the night in his lodge. Such attention -completely gained his heart; and the next morning the Black-Foot -communicated to the missionary the resolution he had formed of soliciting -the admission of his twenty-eight lodges among the Flat-Head tribe; and -that he would repair to the village of St. Mary’s for that purpose, -towards the decline of the present moon. - -During the night of the 19th some of the Black-Feet, belonging to a -distant tribe, stole into the camp of the Flat-Heads and carried off -five horses; but one of the robbers fell, pierced with balls, and two -strokes of the knife. It would be difficult to describe the horrors of -that night! the {405} savage yells, mingled with the sound of thunder, -and report of musketry. The miserable desperado, by the lightning’s -glare, could be perceived on the ground, streaming torrents of blood from -his wounds, and his unhappy soul about to quit the agonizing body, to -find in eternity the chastisement due to its crimes. What else could the -minister of God do, in such a circumstance, but pray the Father of Mercy -to perform a miracle of grace in favor of the criminal. - -The Flat-Heads have abolished the barbarous custom of reeking their -vengeance on the mutilated body of their enemy. They even carry their -generosity so far, as to give sepulture to all who die among them. The -robber owed his grave to the bravest of the Flat-Heads, the chief of -a numerous family, and the adopted father of two children, whom the -Black-Feet have rendered orphans. - -The following day offered nothing remarkable, if I except the many proofs -of solid virtue displayed by the camp. To afford them pleasure, the -missionary amused himself in his leisure hours tracing with a pen several -historical facts, drawn from their annals, and suited to {406} their -tastes; such as, march of the camp, divers occupations, labors of the -chase, feats of arms, singular tragic scenes, religious ceremonies, &c., -&c. It would be difficult to relate the pleasure this little collection -gave them; and, what is still better, it contributed powerfully to raise -the authority of the chieftains in the estimation of the young men, -and to excite in them a noble emulation in the practice of good; for -experience has clearly proved, both in civilized and uncivilized society, -that this quality is not only a stimulus to noble actions, but a greater -preventive of evil, than all chastisements united. - -Human ingenuity is useful, but it can do little towards the salvation of -souls, if it be not joined to fervent prayer. Every missionary should -be convinced of this truth. Our pious neophytes have experienced the -efficacy of frequent recourse to Heaven. Each day they had invoked the -Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Holy Heart of Mary; and the first Friday -and Saturday of March proved the most successful hunting days. We had -invoked the patron of hunters, and our chase was relatively fortunate. -We had implored the protection of the glorious St. Michael, and never -did our chiefs display greater valor {407} in the presence of the enemy. -We had entreated the Apostle of the Indies to obtain the conversion of -the Indians, and one party of Black-Feet falls under our power, whilst -the other amicably visits us, and departs, exclaiming, “The prayer of -the Flat-Heads shall be ours.” In fine, we had taken St. Raphael as our -guide; our journey was long, fatiguing, and perilous, nevertheless, no -serious accident occurred, though we often fell on the ice and rocks. -Not a hunter in our camp was there who did not remark this manifest -protection; and nearly all testified their gratitude to God by a fervent -communion. - -On Passion Sunday one hundred and three approached the holy table. The -evening of so happy a day was crowned by the erection of a cross, to -which they gave the name of Eugene, because the previous evening a quiver -of that excellent Flat-Head, and a letter written on a piece of skin, -after the Indian fashion, apprised us that he had been massacred in the -neighborhood by a party of Banax. We then remembered, with consolation, -that, on Ash Wednesday, a few days before his death, he came to see us, -and during his stay received the holy communion. {408} Thus, all seemed -to concur, even this death, in causing us to bless the Divine Bounty -which ever watches with paternal care, to supply the necessities of his -confiding children. - -AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE FLAT-HEAD AND PEND-D’OREILLE LANGUAGE - -THE SIGN OF + THE CROSS - - Skwest kyle-e-ou, Ouls kezees, Ouls Saint Pagpagt. - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. - - Komieetzegail. - May it be so. - - Kyle-e-ou Itchitchemask, askwest kowâkshamenshem, a-i-letzemilkou - Our Father of heaven, may thy name be respected every where - - ye-elskyloog. Entziezie telletzia spoe-oez. - on the earth. May thou be master of all hearts. - - Assintails ye-elstoloog etzageél - May thy will be done on earth as it is - - Itchitchemask. Kóogwitzelt yettilgwa lokaitsiapetzinem. - in heaven. Give us this day all our wants. - - Kowaeksméemillem klotaiye kloistskwen etzageel kaitskolgwélem - Forgive us the evil we have done as we forgive - - klotaye kloistskwen klielskyloeg koayalokshilem takaekskwentem - the evil done unto us by others. Grant us thy help to avoid - - klotaye kowaeksgwéeltem klotaye. Komieêtzegail. - evil but deliver us from evil. May it be so. - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE FLAT-BOW AND KOETENAY LANGUAGE - - Akikliai Stailoe, Akaltes, Saint Kilkiltlui. - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. - - Schaeykiakakaaike. - May it be so. - - Katitoe naitle naite, akiklinais zedabitskinne wilkane. - Our Father, who art in heaven, may thy name be great and honoured. - - Ninshalinne oshemake kapaik akaitlainam. - Be thou the master of all hearts. - - Inshazetluité younoamake yekakaekinaitte - May thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - - Komnakaike logenie niggenawaishne naiosaem miaitéke - Grant us this day all our wants. - - Kekepaime nekoetjekoetleaitle ixzeai, - Forgive us all the evil we have done, - - Iyakiakakaaike iyazeaikinawash kokakipaimenaitle. - as we forgive all the evil done unto us. - - Amatikezawês itchkestshimmekakkowêlle akatakzen. - Strengthen us against all evil, and deliver us from it. - - Shaeykiakakaaike. - May it be so. - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE ASSINIBOIN LANGUAGE - - Tnchiachttoobe machpiachta yaeoenshi ba-eninshi - Our Father heaven who art there let it - - nabishi nietshalzilzi, Nitanwiadezi, ektyyaegnizi, - be great, thy name, thy kingdom come, - - yetshoeszizi aittshaiszi lenmachkoetzizi asêettshaiszi machtpiachta - thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, - - Tnkoem nangaah oezoezandie innimbechain, - give us this day the means of life, - - ezieyakink taniôzeni etchoengoebezie sinkimbishnitshaa ektaes - look over our evil doings as we look over those who do - - etchoengoebezie. - evil unto us. - - Youoechtontjen tanniaesni etchoem goebishniet tchain, - Guide us that we not fall into evil, - - napéen giettshioenn ingninnaegé. Eetchees. - and drive off all evil from us. Amen. - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE CREE LANGUAGE - - Eokosisit mina, ewiotawit mina, emiosit manito, owigowionik. - Him who has a Son, him who has a Father, him who is the beautiful - Spirit, in his name. - - Pitone Ekeesiikik. - May it be so. - - Notanan kitsi kijikok epian pitone mewaitsikatek kiwigowin, pitone - Our Father in the great heaven being seated, may it be honoured thy - name, may it - - otitamomakad kitibeitsikewin, ispits enatota kawigan kitsi kisikok, - arrive thy kingdom (reign) like thee being followed in the great - heaven, - - pitone ekusi iji waskitaskamik. Anots kakijikak miinânipakweji - may it be the same on earth. Now in this day give us our - - ganiminan mina latwaw kigigake. Canisi kaiji kasenamawayakik - bread and in every day. As we have remitted to those - - ka ki matsitota koyankik ekusi iji kasinamawinan eki - who to us have done evil so likewise remit unto us what we - - matsitotamank. Pisiskeiminan kitsi eka matsi mamitoueitamank - have done evil. Be merciful to us that we fall not into evil, - - iekatenamawinan kamayatok. Pitone Ekeesiikik. - keep away from us all what is evil. May it be so. - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE BLACK-FOOT LANGUAGE - - Kikanâtzeniekasin ochkoeye tokakisint - Of the Father in his name, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit. - - Kamoemanigtoep. - May it be so. - - Kinanâ spoegsts tzittâpigpi, kitzinnekazen kagkakomimokzin. - Our Father in heaven who art, thy name, may it be holy. - - Nagkitapiwatog neto kinyokizip. - Thy reign may it arrive. - - Kitzizigtaen nejakapestoeta tzagkom, nietziewae spoegsts. - Thy will, may it be done on earth as it is in heaven. - - Ikogkiowa ennoch matogkwitapi. - All we need, this day unto us grant. - - Istapikistomokit nagzikamoót komonetziewae nistowâ - Forgive the evil we have done as we pardon the wrong we have received, - - Nagkezis tapi kestemoóg. - Help us against sin. - - Spemmoók matéakoziep makapi Kamoemanigtoep. - From all what is evil deliver us. May it be so. - - -OUR FATHER, IN THE POTAWOTOMIE LANGUAGE - -+ TCHIBIATIKONIKEWIN—sign of the Cross. - - Olinosowinig Weosimit, ipi Wekwissimit, ipi menojuwepisit Mennito. - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. - - Ape iw nomikug. - Amen. - - NOSINAN—OUR FATHER. - - Nosinan Wakwik ebiyin ape kitchitwa kitchilwa wenitamag - kitinosowin, enakosiyin ape piyak kitewetako tipu wakwig, ape - tepwetakon chote kig. Ngom ekijikiwog michinag mamitchiyak - ponigetedwichinag kego kachi kichiinakineyi ponigeledwoiket - woye kego kachi kichiimidgin, kinamochinag wapatadiyak. - Chitchiikwan nenimochinag meyanek waotichkakoyakin. - - Ape iw nomikug. - - -VOCABULARY - - ENGLISH. FLAT-HEAD. BLACK-FOOT. CREE. - - Hair Komike Notakane Nistika-â - Forehead Tchilchemaiche Nonissi Miskatek - Nose Spezâeks Nopisis Niskiwen - Mouth Spelimetzim Naoji Tapisken - Teeth Galaig Nogpikiêt Nepita - Tongue Taigoetzetze Naetzinni Daini - Cheeks Shilkzemoos Nozippinain Nanawai - Ears Caine Nogtokie Nigtawake - Chin Koiaipaits Nogpiskinny Gwaeskonêou - Neck Tchesspin Nogkokinne Nikwayo - Arms Stitchewagen Notezisê Nespiton - Elbow Zintchenposka Nogkinnetsis Dossken - Shoulder Lintchemilkoy Nogkazikkiê Digtiman - Hand Tchails Nogkiziaiks Tzigtshie - Fingers Stagtig Tommakiotketzis Nemezittzischân - Belly Olin Nokoen - Backbone Zintshametchin Nogtazistkin - Thighs Zintzemoostche Noketokezinnen - Knees Tcoemmekaisne Noketokeziss - Legs Titchemaekshen Nieziekzinnen - Feet Tzotchin Nietzigzip - Lips Speliêmetzin Notoinish Ndon - Eyes Stitchekoetkoltloest Nowaaps Niskisick - - CREE. - - 1 Péak - 2 Nizo - 3 Nisto - 4 Nêou - 5 Nianen - 6 Koutonazek - 7 Têpeko - 8 Enanéo - 9 Tégametata - 10 Mitâtat - - ASSINIBOIN. - - 1 Kâtcheêt - 2 Num - 3 Yamine - 4 Tonza - 5 Zapita - 6 Shâgape - 7 Shayoen - 8 Shagnoge - 9 Namtchoeank - 10 Wi-ink Chemine - - -PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS IN FLOWER IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, - -_Of which the botanical names follow_: - - 1. Helenium - 2. Sabbatia Angularis - 3. Spigelia Marylandica - 4. Geum Geniculatum - 5. Rudbeckia Comentosa - 6. Euchroma Coccinea - 7. Astet Coccinnus - 8. Ilex Ligustrifolia - 9. Convallaria Stellata - 10. Chrysanthunum Arcticum - 11. Aronia Amifolia - 12. Polymnia Uvedelia - 13. Frasera Caroliniensis - 14. Ophrys, Malaxis - 15. Sedum Stenopetalum - 16. Prunus Duerinckii - 17. Cantua Aggregata - 18. Rudbeckia Purpurea - 19. Actinomeris Squarrosa - 20. Cardamine Bellidifolia - 21. Houstonia Longiflora - 22. Melanthium Monoicum - 23. Liatris Brachystachya - 24. Rhexia Mariana - 25. Claytonia Spathulata - 26. Aquilegia Formosa - 27. Campanula Divarica - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] Chapter v of volume ii of the original edition.—ED. - -[2] For this island, now called Sauvie’s, see our volume xxi, p. 300, -notes 85, 86. The root is described in our volume vi, p. 278, note 87.—ED. - -[3] The Clackamas River, for which see our volume xxi, p. 320, note -105.—ED. - -[4] The land at the Falls of the Willamette was a private possession -of Dr. John McLoughlin, who took up the claim in 1829, making some -improvements. His rights were first contested by members of the Methodist -mission. Later, after he had become a naturalized American citizen, he -was deprived thereof by legislative act—an injustice which was corrected -in 1862, when the land was restored to the heirs of the estate. The town -site at this place was platted as Oregon City (a name still retained), -and for some years was the seat of government and metropolis of -Oregon.—ED. - -[5] Tualatin River, draining the present Washington County, was a fertile -valley early settled. About 1852 the river was by private enterprise made -navigable for some distance.—ED. - -[6] William Johnson, an English sailor who had deserted to the Americans, -and served on the “Constitution” in the fight with the “Guerrière.” He -afterwards became a trapper in the Hudson’s Bay service, and came to -Oregon (1839) to settle with his native wife and family. He served as -sheriff in the first provisional government. He appears later to have -removed his claim to the lower Willamette, in the neighborhood of South -Portland. According to Dr. McLoughlin’s statement, Oregon Historical -Society _Quarterly_ i, p. 197, he “left by sea and never returned to -Oregon.”—ED. - -[7] For Thomas McKay consult our volume xxi, p. 201, note 46. His father -is noted in Franchère’s _Narrative_, our volume vi, p. 186, note 9.—ED. - -[8] Townsend was at Fort Vancouver when Bailey was brought in wounded, -after his contest with the Rogue River Indians. See his _Narrative_ in -our volume xxi, pp. 328-330. - -Mrs. Bailey was a Miss Margaret Smith, who came out in 1837 to reinforce -the Methodist mission.—ED. - -[9] The blacksmith and tinker were apparently Thomas J. Hubbard and -Calvin Tibbitts, who came to Oregon with Wyeth. See for the former, W. H. -Gray, _History of Oregon_ (Portland, Oregon, 1870), pp. 191, 198; for the -latter our volume xxi, p. 73, note 50. Both were instrumental in laying -the foundations of the Oregon provisional government.—ED. - -[10] This mission was under the care of Father Blanchet, and was founded -the year of Farnham’s visit. It was located twelve miles above Champoeg, -on the east bank of the river. See De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume -xxvii, p. 320, note 164.—ED. - -[11] For the founding and site of this mission see our volume xxi, p. -299, note 84. The school was later (about 1842) removed to Salem, and the -headquarters established there.—ED. - -[12] Dr. Elijah White, a native of New York state, came out as missionary -physician in 1837. After serving about four years at the mission, he had -some disagreement with its superintendent, and returned to the states. -He then received the appointment at Washington of “sub-Indian agent for -Oregon,” an office with indeterminate duties, anomalous in character. -Once more in Oregon, Dr. White was zealous in execution of the business -of his office as he conceived it, but antagonized many of the settlers -thereby and found himself in disfavor; so that upon visiting Washington -in 1845 he was not able to secure the renewal of his appointment. He -returned to Oregon, however, and in 1861 was employed as special Indian -agent. In later life he removed to San Francisco, where he died in March, -1879.—ED. - -[13] Rev. David (not Daniel) Leslie came to the Methodist mission with -the second reinforcement of 1837. His ability was at once recognized, -and during Jason Lee’s absence he acted as superintendent. In 1838 at -the request of the American settlers he served them as justice of the -peace. The first meeting for a provisional government was held under -his presidency (1841). Upon the dissolution of the mission he became -a Methodist preacher, making his home in and about Salem, where he -was chaplain of the first territorial legislature, and for many years -president of the board of trustees of Willamette University. With the -exception of a few months in the Sandwich Islands (1842-43), his life -was practically spent in Oregon, where he was highly respected for the -probity and purity of his character.—ED. - -[14] J. L. Whitcomb came out in 1837 as a lay member of the mission. His -duties were the superintendence of the farms. In 1842 he married the -widow of Cyrus Shepard, and the same year, because of broken health, -returned to the United States. - -Alanson Beers, from Connecticut, also came (1837) as a lay member of the -mission, and remained in Oregon until his death in 1853. He was one of -the executive committee of three appointed by the provisional government, -and treasurer of the board of trustees of Oregon Institute.—ED. - -[15] Farnham forwarded the petition to Congress from Honolulu, in -January, 1840, accompanied by a letter of his own in which he sharply -criticized the conduct of the Hudson’s Bay Company—see _Senate Docs._, -27 Cong., 3 sess., 102. The petition or memorial, which is largely the -work of Farnham, was presented to the senate June 4, 1840, by Senator -Lewis Linn of Missouri. It may be found in _Senate Docs._, 26 Cong., 1 -sess., 514, signed “David Leslie and others;” _Cong. Globe_, 26 Cong., -1 sess., 440, reports seventy signers. The memorial requests Congress -to establish a territorial government, notes that the British are, -through the Hudson’s Bay Company, granting lands, surveying harbors, -bays, and rivers, cutting and shipping timber, and preparing to hold -all the territory north of the Columbia. It describes the country south -of that river as “of unequalled beauty and fertility,” “a delightful -and healthy climate,” and “one of the most favored portions of the -globe;” and concludes by praying for the “civil institutions of the -American Republic,” “the high privileges of American citizenship; the -peaceful enjoyment of life; the right of acquiring, possessing, and using -property; and the unrestrained pursuit of rational happiness.”—ED. - -[16] An act of parliament was passed (about 1837) at the instigation of -Dr. McLoughlin, extending the jurisdiction and civil laws of Canada over -the British subjects of Oregon territory. Under this law James Douglas -was commissioned justice of the peace for criminal matters and for civil -suits under £200 in value. Imprisonment was possible either in the forts -of the Hudson’s Bay Company or the jails of Canada.—ED. - -[17] W. H. Wilson had in early life been a cooper on a whaling vessel. -Having been converted to Methodism, he came out to Oregon in 1837 as -a lay helper, and studied medicine with Dr. Elijah White. In 1840 he -married Chloe A. Clark of the mission, who afterwards became first -teacher of the Oregon Institute, of which her husband was for some -time agent. They made their home in Salem, where he died suddenly of -apoplexy. Wilson was the treasurer of the first provisional government of -Oregon.—ED. - -[18] For Ewing Young see our volume xx, p. 23, note 2.—ED. - -[19] The reader will take notice that this is an ex-parte -statement.—ENGLISH EDITOR. - -[20] For the origin of this northern boundary, see our volume xxviii, -note 1.—ED. - -[21] For David Thompson, a former North West explorer, see Franchère’s -_Narrative_ in our volume vi, p. 253, note 61. Exclusive of the Alaskan -mountains, there have been no peaks measured in the Rocky Mountain system -exceeding 14,500 feet in height.—ED. - -[22] Mount Brown is in British Columbia, about latitude 52° 28′ north, -not far from Athabasca Pass. It was formerly thought to be above 15,000 -feet in height, but recent measurements have reduced it to less than -10,000.—ED. - -[23] This is Athabasca Pass, first discovered by David Thompson in -1811—see Elliott Coues, _Henry-Thompson Journals_ (New York, 1897), ii, -pp. 668, 669. Mount Hooker lay south of the pass, and Mount Brown to the -north; the former is about 10,500 feet above sea level (once supposed to -be more than 15,000 feet). For a description of the passage of this gap -see Franchère’s _Narrative_ in our volume vi, pp. 352-357.—ED. - -[24] The first of these passes is now known as Maria’s, and is that taken -by the Great Northern Railway in crossing from Missouri waters to those -of the Columbia. The second pass is probably intended to designate that -taken by Lewis and Clark, who used not one, but several passes through -the network of mountains in western Montana and eastern Idaho. The third -is the pass from Henry’s Lake to Red Rock, the source of the Jefferson -(not of the Big Horn), over which De Smet went with the Indians—see his -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, pp. 252, 253, notes 128, 130. The last is -South Pass, for which see Wyeth’s _Oregon_ in our volume xxi, p. 58, note -37.—ED. - -[25] These spurs from the mountains are not definable. Farnham simply -implies them from the watersheds. Upon many of the older maps the -Kooskooskee (modern Clearwater) is also called Salmon—leaving to the -modern Salmon River the name of Wapiacakoos (Waptacaca, Waptiacoos).—ED. - -[26] Mount St. Elias and Mount Fairweather belong to the Alaskan system, -not to that of the Cascade or Presidents’ Range, which properly ends at -Puget Sound. Mount St. Elias, the highest mountain save one in North -America (18,090 feet) was discovered by Vitus Behring in 1741. Its ascent -was accomplished in the summer of 1897 by the Italian explorer, the Duke -of Abruzzi. - -Mount Fairweather, so named by the whalers, who predicted fair weather -when the summit of this peak was free from clouds, has an altitude of -15,050 feet; it is located near Sitka, on the Alaskan coast.—ED. - -[27] For Hall J. Kelley see our volume xxi, p. 24, note 6. In his -“Memoir” to Congress, _House Reports_, 25 Cong., 3 sess., 101, he -says: “The eastern section of the district referred to is bordered by -a mountain range, running nearly parallel to the spine of the Rocky -mountains and to the coast, and which, from the number of its elevated -peaks, I am inclined to call the Presidents’ range.”—ED. - -[28] The reader will remember that our Author is an American.—ENGLISH ED. - -[29] By Mount Tyler Farnham evidently intends Mount Baker, an extinct -volcano in Whatcom County, Washington (altitude 10,827 feet), supposed -to have shown symptoms of eruption as late as 1875. This peak was named -by Vancouver (1792) for one of his officers. J. Q. Thornton, _Oregon -and California_ (New York, 1849), i, p. 256, calls this Mount Polk, and -assigns the name of Tyler to “an elevation on the peninsula between -Hood’s Canal and the ocean.”—ED. - -[30] Evidently Mount Rainier, although incorrectly located, its distance -and direction being somewhat deceptive. It is southeast (not northeast) -of Puget Sound in Pierce County, Washington, the highest of the Cascade -Range (14,526 feet). It was first noted by Vancouver in 1792, and named -for a rear-admiral in the British navy. Its Indian name was Ta-ko-man, -the white peak, hence its alternate name of Mount Tacoma.—ED. - -[31] Mount Olympus, in Jefferson County, Washington (latitude 47° 50′ -north, altitude 8,150 feet), was discovered originally by Perez (see our -volume xxviii, p. 32, note 8), who named it Santa Rosalia. Captain John -Meares (1785) bestowed its present appellation (see our volume vii, p. -112, note 17).—ED. - -[32] In re-naming the Presidents’ Range there appears to have been -considerable confusion in assigning the name of the first executive. -Kelley intended the name to be given to Mount St. Helens, which at first -Farnham adopted (see _ante_, our volume xxviii, p. 353, note 221). C. G. -Nicolay, _Oregon Territory_ (London, 1846), p. 209, says that St. Helens -was called Mount Washington. Nevertheless, Farnham here applies the name -of Adams to Mount St. Helens, and that of Washington to Mount Hood, -for which latter see Franchère’s _Narrative_ in our volume vi, p. 248, -note 54. Franchère applied the title Washington to Mount Jefferson; it -has been finally attached to a peak south of Jefferson, in Linn County, -Oregon.—ED. - -[33] Mount Jefferson, on the eastern borders of Linn County, a height -crowned with perpetual snow, was first sighted by Lewis and Clark -on March 30, 1806, from the mouth of Willamette River. In _Original -Journals_, iv, p. 223, Clark says: “discovered a high mountain, S. E. -covered with snow which we call Mt. Jefferson.”—ED. - -[34] Mount McLoughlin (Madison) is now called Diamond Peak; it is in the -southeastern extremity of Lane County, and has an altitude of 8,807 feet. - -The mountain named for Monroe cannot now be definitely determined, -because of confusion of nomenclature. It would seem from the latitude -given by Kelley to have been intended for the present Mount Scott. -Mount John Quincy Adams is the present Mount Pitt, which name was -first assigned by the English to Mount Shasta; this, according to -Thornton (_op. cit._ in note 29, _ante_), was also the Mount Monroe of -the Americans. The term Mount Pitt is now applied to a volcanic peak -(altitude 9,760 feet) on the borders of Jackson County, Oregon, eight -miles west of Klamath Lake.—ED. - -[35] Mount Shasta, of Siskiyou County, California, in latitude 41° 25′ -north. Next to Rainier, Shasta is the highest peak of the Cascades, -attaining 14,380 feet in altitude, and being perpetually capped with -snow.—ED. - -[36] For Cape Disappointment see our volume vi, p. 233, note 36.—ED. - -[37] Boat Encampment, a noted place on the route to Canada, is described -by Franchère in our volume vi, pp. 351, 352.—ED. - -[38] For a brief history of Fort Okanagan see our volume vi, p. 260, note -71. Alexander Ross had charge of this post for several years; see his -descriptions in our volume vii, pp. 151-159, 198-207, 272-319. Afterward -it became a Hudson’s Bay post (in 1821, not 1819). See De Smet’s visit to -this region in our volume xxvii, p. 372, note 193.—ED. - -[39] For Spokane River, Lake Cœur d’Alène (Pointed Heart), and Spokane -House, see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 366, note 185. -See also Ross’s _Oregon Settlers_, our volume vii, pp. 207-222; also his -_Fur-Hunters of the Far West_, i, pp. 137-139.—ED. - -[40] For H. H. Spaulding see our volume xxi, p. 352, note 125. Fort -Colville is described in De Smet’s _Letters_, our volume xxvii, p. 330, -note 166.—ED. - -[41] For Kettle Falls see our volume vi, p. 346, note 153.—ED. - -[42] For Archibald McDonald, see our volume xxi, p. 344, note 119.—ED. - -[43] Now known as Lower Arrow Lake, an expansion of the Columbia many -miles in length, between 49° and 50° of north latitude.—ED. - -[44] For the Flathead River, as here intended (now known as Clark’s Fork -of the Columbia), see our volume vi, p. 348, note 155. Its sources are -near those of the Missouri, not the Saskatchewan.—ED. - -[45] For Lake Pend d’Oreille (Kalispel, Kullerspelm) see De Smet’s -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 339, note 175. - -Flathead House was built (November, 1809) by David Thompson, of the North -West Company, and was maintained throughout the regime of the British -fur-trade on the Northwest Coast. In 1824-25 Alexander Ross passed the -winter there. It was a small fort tributary to Colville, and in charge -usually of a trusted Canadian hunter or trapper. According to the report -of 1854 it was situated east of Flathead Lake, on one of its smaller -tributaries—_Senate Docs._, 33 Cong., 2 sess., vii, no. 37.—ED. - -[46] This is the stream now known as Kootenai River, for which see our -volume vi, p. 348, note 156. For the post of that name see our volume -vii, p. 210, note 71. The small post was maintained on Kootenai River for -nearly half a century. In 1854 it was reported as an inferior station, in -charge of a Canadian as trader and postmaster.—ED. - -[47] For the passage of these straits and Upper Arrow Lake, see -Franchère’s _Narrative_ in our volume vi, pp. 348, 349.—ED. - -[48] The Canadian Pacific Railway crosses the Columbia at Revelstoke just -above the Lower Dalles of the river. The Upper or Little Dalles shut in -the river for about a mile; these narrows are now navigated by local -steamers.—ED. - -[49] The “few miles” is about one hundred and fifty, in which the river -passes through an almost continuous cañon—navigable by canoes, however, -save at Dalles des Morts (Narrows of the Dead), so named for the number -of accidents occurring therein. The canoe voyage ended at the upper bend -of the Columbia, where Canoe River enters from the north, the Columbia -coming from the southeast.—ED. - -[50] The trail follows an affluent of the Columbia known as Little -Canoe (or Portage) River, leading to Athabasca Pass. See Franchère’s -description of the difficulties of the passage in our volume vi, pp. -352-354.—ED. - -[51] For these lakes see our volume vi, p. 353, note 163.—ED. - -[52] Fraser’s River, the largest stream wholly within the limits of -British Columbia, rises near the source of the upper branch (Canoe River) -of the Columbia, flows northwest for a hundred and ninety miles, and -then turns abruptly south until at about latitude 49° 20′ north it bends -west into the Strait of Georgia. Sir Alexander Mackenzie was upon its -upper waters in 1793. The whole course of the river was explored by Simon -Fraser (1808), who until he reached the river’s mouth supposed that he -was upon the Columbia. See his “Journal” in L. R. Masson, _Bourgeois de -la Compagnie du Nord Ouest_ (Quebec, 1889), i, pp. 155-221.—ED. - -[53] Probably Joseph McGillivray, for whom see our volume vi, p. 346, -note 152. Fort Alexandria, on Fraser River, was built (1821) on the east -bank of the stream to serve as a supply post, transmitting goods from -the Columbia country. It was placed at the point where Sir Alexander -Mackenzie turned back (1793), and was named in his honor. In 1836 the -fort was removed to the west bank of the river. With varying fortunes the -post has ever since been maintained; in 1863 a wagon road was opened as -far as Alexandria to accommodate the inrush of miners.—ED. - -[54] For the Similkameen River see our volume vii, p. 206, note 67.—ED. - -[55] For the Luhon (Lowhum, now Des Chutes) and John Day rivers see our -volume vii, p. 133, notes 32, 33; for the Umatilla and Walla Walla, -volume vi, p. 338, notes 141, 142.—ED. - -[56] Klamath River rises in southern Oregon, in the county of the same -name, flows through Klamath lakes and breaks through the barrier of -the Cascades about on the California boundary line. Thence flowing in -a somewhat irregular course, it receives tributaries from Shasta and -Siskiyou mountains, and enters the ocean in Del Norte County, California. -It is about two hundred and seventy-five miles long, and navigable for -about forty miles from its mouth. Gold and timber are found on its -banks.—ED. - -[57] For the Cowlitz River see our volume vi, p. 245, note 49. For Juan -de Fuca Strait, _ibid._, p. 256, note 64.—ED. - -[58] The Umpqua is noted in our volume vii, p. 231, note 82.—ED. - -[59] This appears extravagant, but the fact cannot be disputed. It may be -observed, however, that the wood, from its rapid growth, has but little -weight—half that of the common pine or deal.—ENGLISH ED. - -[60] The Coquille River, which rises in several branches among the -Coast Mountains and enters the ocean at Coos Bay, in the county of that -name. It is navigable for small steamers for over thirty miles from its -mouth.—ED. - -[61] Coal was first exported from Washington in 1854; no more was mined -until 1870, when the Seattle shafts were opened. Washington is known as -the “Pennsylvania of the West” for the number and extent of its coal -fields.—ED. - -[62] On the organization and career of the North West Company see J. -Long’s _Voyages_ in our volume ii, preface, pp. 15, 16. The difficulties -with the Hudson’s Bay Company are briefly recounted by Franchère in our -volume vi, pp. 379-381, particularly notes 195, 199.—ED. - -[63] This lease was the result of a protest from Great Britain to the -government of Russia for the attack by the latter upon a British brig -entering the Stikeen River to found a fort. The Hudson’s Bay Company -waived its claim for damages in virtue of this lease of the mainland of -Russian America between Cape Spencer and 54° 40′ north latitude. After -being several times renewed, the lease expired in 1868 upon the purchase -of Alaska by the United States.—ED. - -[64] See our volume vi, p. 377, note 191, for a description of York -Factory.—ED. - -[65] For further details of the system of the Hudson’s Bay Company see -A. G. Morice, _History of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, -formerly New Caledonia_ (Toronto, 1904), pp. 99-116; also George Bryce, -_Remarkable History of Hudson’s Bay Company_ (Toronto, 1900).—ED. - -[66] Henry Bliss, _The Colonial System: Statistics of the trade, industry -and resources of Canada and other Plantations in British America_ -(London, 1833, not 1831).—ED. - -[67] Andrew Henry, one of the partners of the Missouri Fur Company, in -the autumn of 1818 built a post on the north fork of Lewis or Snake -(Saptin) River. This was maintained only until the following spring, -but is renowned for being the first American trading post on Columbian -waters. The site was supposedly near Egin, Idaho, and the stream has -since been known as Henry’s Fork.—ED. - -[68] The North West Company decided (1805) to explore the region west -of the Rockies and commissioned Simon Fraser to undertake it. In 1805 -he built Fort McLeod, the first post in British Columbia. The next -summer saw the establishment of two posts—St. James on Stuart Lake, and -Fraser on Lake Fraser. Fort Fraser was begun by John Stuart and has been -maintained until the present time.—ED. - -[69] For the Astorian enterprise see our volumes v-vii.—ED. - -[70] David Thompson, for whose arrival at Astoria see Franchère’s -_Narrative_ in our volume vi, pp. 252-255.—ED. - -[71] See Ross’s _Oregon Settlers_ in our volume vii, pp. 244-249.—ED. - -[72] See our volume xxviii, p. 38, note 18.—ED. - -[73] The joint occupancy of Oregon was not determined by the provisions -of the Treaty of Ghent, but by a separate convention made (1818) at -London. The renewal occurred as Farnham states, by the convention of 1827 -signed at London by Albert Gallatin on the part of the United States, and -Charles Grant and Henry U. Addington for Great Britain; see _Treaties -and Conventions between the United States and Other Powers_ (Washington, -1889), pp. 415-418, 426, 427.—ED. - -[74] For Fort Vancouver see our volume xxi, p. 297, note 82; the early -history of Fort George is narrated in our volume vi, p. 241, note 42. -After the headquarters of the fur company were withdrawn from Fort -George, it was maintained chiefly as a post of observation to report -incoming vessels; a single clerk lived at this place, raised vegetables -and flowers in his garden, and welcomed travellers. The foundations of -Fort George were visible at Astoria as late as 1870, but are now entirely -built over.—ED. - -[75] For Fort Nisqually see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, -p. 386, note 203. Fort Langley was founded in 1827 upon the north bank -of the Fraser, not far from the mouth; it was an important dépôt for -supplying the interior posts. While James Yale was factor in charge the -buildings were totally destroyed by fire (1840), but a new stockade was -immediately erected. In 1858 Langley was the prospective capital of the -newly-erected province of British Columbia, and a town site was surveyed -about the fort; but being considered indefensible from a military point -of view, and on the wrong side of the river, New Westminster was chosen -instead and Fort Langley was abandoned. - -Fort McLoughlin was erected upon the seacoast in 1833, and placed in -charge of Dr. Tolmie; but the location was insecure because of the -hostility of the neighboring Indians, and it was therefore abandoned in -1843, the effects being removed to the newly-established Fort Camosum at -Victoria.—ED. - -[76] Fort Simpson, named in honor of Sir George, the Hudson’s Bay -Company’s governor, was not upon Dundas Island, but on the mainland -opposite. Its first site was six miles above the mouth of Nass River -(1831). Three years later it was removed to the Chimsyan Peninsula, below -Nass River—one of the finest harbors on the coast. It is still maintained -as a Hudson’s Bay post, being known as Port Simpson; recent efforts have -been made to make this a port of entry for Pacific Ocean traffic.—ED. - -[77] For Fort Fraser see _ante_, p. 56, note 68. Fort St. James, at -the outlet of Stuart Lake (latitude 54° 26′ north), was built in 1806 -by Simon Fraser amid a large population of Indians, and has been -maintained continuously to the present. After the advent of the Hudson’s -Bay Company, Fort St. James was made the emporium of New Caledonia, -the residence of a chief factor. In 1828 it was visited by Sir George -Simpson, who entered in proper state with buglers and bagpipers, the -governor and his suite mounted, amid the welcoming discharge of cannon -and musketry (A. McDonald, _Peace River_, pp. 24, 25). For two views of -this post see Morice, _Northern Interior of British Columbia_, pp. 102, -110. - -Fort McLeod is the oldest permanent post west of the Rocky Mountains. -Founded in 1805 by Simon Fraser, it has maintained a continuous existence -to the present. It was named for Archibald Norman McLeod, a colleague -of its founder in the North West Company. Located on a lake of the same -name, near the source of Finlay River, in latitude 55° north, it was -chiefly useful as a supply post on the route from Canada via Peace River. - -Chilcotin was founded (about 1828) on a river of the same name tributary -to the upper Fraser, about latitude 52° as an outpost for Fort Alexandria -(see _ante_, p. 44, note 53). Difficult of maintenance because of the -troublesome character of the Chilcotin Indians, it was abandoned before -1850. - -In addition to the posts mentioned, the Hudson’s Bay Company had in -Farnham’s time within New Caledonia, Forts Babine, Connolly, and -George—the latter on the upper Fraser, the two former on lakes of the -same name in the far north.—ED. - -[78] All these posts have been before noted: Fort Thompson (Kamloops) in -our volume vii, p. 199, note 64; Kootenay and Flathead in notes 45, 46, -_ante_; Fort Hall in our volume xxi, p. 210, note 51; Fort Boise, in our -volume xxviii, p. 321, note 199; Fort Colville in De Smet’s _Letters_, -our volume xxvii, p. 330, note 166; Okanagan in our volume vi, p. 260, -note 71; Walla Walla in our volume xxi, p. 278, note 73.—ED. - -[79] Usually known as Fort Umpqua, this post was founded in 1832 by John -McLeod, being situated about forty miles up the Umpqua River, on the -south bank, on a small prairie of about two hundred acres. It was usually -in charge of a French Canadian clerk, who needed to be vigilant because -of the treacherous nature of the savages. The post was attacked in 1840 -by ten times the number of defenders, but the assault was repulsed. The -stockade having been burned (1851), the Hudson’s Bay Company declined to -rebuild, leasing the land to an American settler, W. W. Chapman.—ED. - -[80] The idea of a transcontinental railway had not yet dawned. Farnham’s -plan shows, however, boldness of conception for these early days of -railway building.—ED. - -[81] Alexander Simpson, a relation of Sir George, and brother of -the Arctic explorer Thomas Simpson, whose early death was a loss to -geographical science. Alexander Simpson was on his way to the Sandwich -Islands, to investigate the trade conditions therein. See his _Life and -Travels of Thomas Simpson_ (London, 1845), pp. 345, 351.—ED. - -[82] For the history of Fort Vancouver see our volume xxi, p. 297, note -82.—ED. - -[83] The site of the present St. Helens, a small town, the seat of -Columbia County, Oregon.—ED. - -[84] This epidemic began in 1829, and wrought great mortality among the -natives. By 1832 it was particularly severe around Fort Vancouver. One -village visited contained but two infants living—the remainder of the -inhabitants having died of the plague. Various causes have been given, -some regarding the disease as scarlet fever, others as some form of -malaria due to putrid food, others thinking it attributable to immoral -habits, etc. By its ravages nearly three-fourths of the native population -was swept from the lower Columbia before the advent of American -immigrants.—ED. - -[85] For Tongue Point see our volume vi, p. 242, note 44.—ED. - -[86] For James Birnie, the clerk in charge, see Townsend’s _Narrative_ in -our volume xxi, p. 361, note 130.—ED. - -[87] For Baker’s Bay see our volume vi, p. 234, note 38.—ED. - -[88] Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) entered the navy as a midshipman (1818). -He rose to a lieutenancy, and in 1838 was placed in charge of an -expedition composed of five vessels dispatched to explore Southern seas. -After visiting the Pacific islands, the squadron (1841) explored the -Northwest Coast, Wilkes personally visiting the Columbia and Willamette. -Appointed to the rank of captain (1835), Wilkes was commander of the -vessel that in the War of Secession stopped the steamer “Trent,” and took -therefrom the Confederate envoys Mason and Slidell. During the remainder -of the war he was in charge of the West India squadron. Retiring in -1864, two years later he attained the rank of rear-admiral. The report -of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition was not published until 1845, when -five volumes were issued; later, other editions brought the number up -to eighteen. In 1842, however, a _Synopsis of the Cruise of the United -States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838, ’39, ’40, ’41 and ’42_ -was published at Washington. From this version Farnham evidently made his -extracts.—ED. - -[89] What are now known as the Olympic Mountains, in northwest -Washington. The term “Claset” was first employed by Vancouver (1792), who -bestowed upon what Cook had called Cape Flattery, the name Point Classet, -from an adjacent Indian village of that name; see George Vancouver, -_Voyage of Discovery_ (London, 1801), ii, pp. 46-48.—ED. - -[90] By the Klameth (Klamath) is intended the present Siskiyou Mountains, -which branch off from Sierra Nevada toward the coast in about latitude -42°, the boundary between California and Oregon. The country between -the Rockies and California had not then been explored, but there was an -erroneous idea of a transverse chain of mountains which was confused with -the Sierra Nevada; see our volume xxviii, p. 305, note 182.—ED. - -[91] Vancouver Island was long supposed to be a portion of the mainland. -Its insularity was not proved until 1792, when both Vancouver and the -Spanish ships circumnavigated it. At the request of the Spanish envoy, it -received the name Quadra and Vancouver Island (see Vancouver, _Voyage_, -ii, p. 357); but the length of the appellation has caused the first part -to be dropped. See our volume xxviii, p. 33, note 10. - -Queen Charlotte Islands (now proved to be two) were first visited by the -Spaniards in 1774. Dixon, an English navigator, named the group in 1787, -giving his own name to the channel north of the island. The Americans, -in ignorance of Dixon’s prior discovery, named the island for Washington -(1789); see our volume xxviii, p. 38, note 16.—ED. - -[92] Johnstone Straits, named for one of Vancouver’s lieutenants who -first discovered the passage thence to Queen Charlotte Sound, are on the -northeast coast of Vancouver Island, separating it from the mainland.—ED. - -[93] Gonsalez Lopez de Haro was pilot of two expeditions dispatched by -the Spaniards (1788, 1789) to watch their interests on the Northwest -Coast. An expedition of discovery passing from Juan de Fuca Straits -into the Gulf of Georgia (1790), gave to the channel the name of Lopez -de Haro. This appears on Vancouver’s map as “Canal de Arro.” During the -boundary dispute (1858) between the United States and British Columbia -concerning the islands at the entrance of Juan de Fuca Straits, the Canal -de Haro acquired much prominence as a limit to the United States claim. -The matter was submitted to the decision of the German emperor, who gave -the award in favor of the United States (1872), hence Canal de Haro -became an international boundary.—ED. - -[94] The three largest islands off the mainland east of Hecata Strait and -Queen Charlotte are Princess Royal, Pitt, and Banks.—ED. - -[95] The fort upon Vancouver Island was founded at its southern -extremity—not at Nootka, or at Clayoquot Sound just below. Built in 1843, -the aboriginal name Camosun was soon changed to Victoria, in honor of -the British sovereign. When Oregon passed to the United States, Victoria -became the presumptive capital of British territory, and thither James -Douglas, chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, removed. In 1849 the -island of Vancouver was ceded to the fur company on condition that a -colony of British subjects be established thereon. Accordingly Victoria -was platted in 1851, and two years later had a population of three -hundred. The place was incorporated in 1862, and is now the capital -of British Columbia. It is a substantially built town, picturesquely -situated by the seashore, and possesses a mild climate.—ED. - -[96] Probably Athabasca Pass, for which see _ante_, p. 30, note 23. -McGillivray’s Portage is the route less than two miles in length between -the headwaters of Kootenai River and those of the Columbia. See De Smet’s -_Oregon Missions_, _post_, p. 209, note 109.—ED. - -[97] For the Yakima, Pisquow, and Entiatqua rivers see our volume vii, -pp. 141, 147, 148, notes 40, 44, 45, respectively.—ED. - -[98] This is an error, for both the Kooskooske (Clearwater) and Salmon -are eastern affluents of the Lewis. The former rises in the Bitter Root -Mountains in several branches, which flowing westward unite in a large -stream entering the Lewis at Lewiston. It was down this stream that Lewis -and Clark made their way to Columbian waters; see _Original Journals_, -iii, pp. 97-102. - -For the Salmon see our volume xxi, p. 69, note 45.—ED. - -[99] Three of these rivers are alluded to in note 55, p. 45, _ante_. -Wilkes reported them from hearsay information, for his own journey did -not extend above Fort Vancouver. Quisnel’s (Quesnel) River, an affluent -of the Fraser in New Caledonia, was named for Jules Maurice Quesnel, -Fraser’s lieutenant on his voyage of 1808. As here placed, “Quisnel’s” -would seem to denote a Columbia affluent between Umatilla and John Day’s; -for such a branch see our volume vii, p. 135, note 34. - -Cathlatate River is found on the map of Charles Preuss, drawn from -the surveys of Frémont (published in 1848), as a northern affluent of -the Columbia, between the Cascades and the Dalles; it would appear to -correspond, therefore, either to Klickitat or White Salmon River.—ED. - -[100] See on these streams our volumes vi, p. 245, note 49; and xxi, p. -320, note 105.—ED. - -[101] Stuart River was discovered (1806) by Simon Fraser, who named it in -honor of his companion, John Stuart. It rises near latitude 56° north, -flowing southwest through several lakes, of which Stuart Lake is the -largest, into Nechaco River. The latter comes from the west along the -fifty-fourth parallel, and carries the waters of Stuart’s River into the -Fraser, sixty-five miles farther east at the site of Fort George.—ED. - -[102] Chilcotin River, named for a turbulent Indian tribe, rises in -several branches, and flows west not far from the fifty-second parallel, -into Fraser River. By Pinkslitsa is probably intended the Puntataenkut, -a small western affluent entering the Fraser at 53° north latitude, -opposite the Quesnel, which comes from the east, having taken its rise in -a large lake of the same name. For Thompson’s River see our volume vii, -p. 159, note 51.—ED. - -[103] Chehalis River, the largest coastal stream of Washington, drains -the western central part of that state, receiving many tributaries from -the southern slope of the Olympic Mountains. It is navigable for steamers -as far as Montesano, seat of a county of the same name as the river. The -principal industry of the Chehalis River valley is lumbering, although -agriculture is creeping into the cleared districts. Gray’s Harbor branch -of the Northern Pacific Railway traverses the entire valley. For Gray’s -Harbor see our volume vi, p. 256, note 64.—ED. - -[104] For the Umpqua see our volume vii, p. 231, note 82; for the -Klamath, _ante_, p. 46, note 56. Rogue River in the southwestern -portion of Oregon, is a rapid stream of considerable size, rising in -many branches in the Cascade Range, its northernmost tributary heading -near Crater Lake. Its general course is west and southwest, the chief -tributary being Illinois River. The name Rogue was derived from a -troublesome tribe of Indians who attacked parties of overland emigrants -from California; see our volume xxi, pp. 328, 329.—ED. - -[105] For Lake Okanagan see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. -372, note 193. Stuart and Quesnel are mentioned in notes 99, 101, _ante_; -Lake Kamloops in our volume vii, p. 159, note 51.—ED. - -[106] Flat Bow is now known as Kootenai Lake, an enlargement of the -river of that name in southeastern British Columbia, over sixty miles -in length. For Cœur d’Alène Lake see our volume vii, p. 211, note 75; -Kulluspelm (Kalispel) is the modern Pend d’Oreille Lake, for which see De -Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 339, note 175.—ED. - -[107] Referring to the Lapwai mission, for which see our volume xxviii, -p. 338, note 215.—ED. - -[108] Both of these names were assigned by Vancouver in the course of -his exploration in 1792. Having entered the Straits of Juan de Fuca he -anchored at Port Discovery, and then proceeding west sailed through the -great inlet whose opening (passed in 1790) was called by the Spanish -navigator Quimper, Canal de Caamano. Vancouver thoroughly explored this -arm of the ocean, giving to its southwestern branch the name of Hood’s -Inlet; and “to commemorate Mr Puget’s exertions (in exploring) the south -extremity of it I named it Puget’s Sound.” (Vancouver’s _Voyage_, ii, p. -146.)—ED. - -[109] For the settlements at Nisqually and Cowlitz see De Smet’s -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 386, note 203.—ED. - -[110] This information concerning Fort Boise was incorrect; see our -volume xxviii, p. 321, note 199, and Palmer’s _Journal_ in our volume -xxx, which mentions this post in 1845. - -Kamia was a mission established at the mouth of a stream of that name, -now called Lawyer’s Cañon Creek. Here Rev. Asa B. Smith labored for two -years (1839-41) among the upper Nez Percés, compiling with the help -of the noted chief Lawyer a grammar and dictionary of the Nez Percé -language. The hostility of the tribe did not, however, materially abate; -the missionaries were denied the right of agriculture and the station was -finally abandoned. Lewis and Clark camped near the site of this mission -in 1806, on their return journey.—ED. - -[111] The Puget Sound Agricultural Company was organized in London -(1838) at the instance of Dr. McLoughlin, who perceived the agricultural -possibilities of the region and desired to turn them to account for -British enterprise. It was a sub-corporation of the Hudson’s Bay Company, -designed to supply the Russian contracts. Farms were opened at the -points stated by Farnham, and large quantities of cattle imported from -California. Dr. W. F. Tolmie, who made headquarters at Nisqually, was -manager of the corporation. After the Oregon Treaty (1846) he withdrew -the headquarters to Victoria. The farms in Oregon proper were gradually -abandoned. Those in the present state of Washington, however, were -retained, and were the cause of much friction between the company and -the American settlers. In 1864 the commission appointed by the joint -governments to settle claims, awarded the Puget Sound Agricultural -Company $750,000 for their land and improvements in lieu of $5,000,000 -claimed by the corporation. The company continued operations in British -Columbia until about 1874, but never attained financial success. As a -colonizing agency the association in successive years brought (after -1839) several companies of settlers from the Red River colony—a movement -which is reported to have alarmed Dr. Marcus Whitman, and to have been -one of the causes of his journey (1842-43) to the United States.—ED. - -[112] For these mission sites see De Smet’s _Letters_, our volume xxvii, -pp. 367, 388, 389, notes 187, 208, 209.—ED. - -[113] The sale of spirituous liquors to Indians, during the days of -the competition between the fur-companies (see preface to J. Long’s -_Voyages_ in our volume ii) was so ruinous and dangerous that early in -the nineteenth century the North West Company, moved by the exertions -of William Wilberforce and other English philanthropists, made strong -efforts to discontinue the traffic, and upon its consolidation with -the Hudson’s Bay Company (1821) the liquor-selling to natives was -forbidden. Surreptitiously, however, this was continued, especially upon -the seacoast and the Russian frontier. Upon the assassination of John -McLoughlin, Jr., at his post at Stikeen, caused by a drunken frolic -(1842), Sir George Simpson visited Sitka and entered into an agreement -with the Russian governor Adolphus Etholin, to suppress the sale of -liquor to the Indians in both Russian and British territory. Meanwhile -Dr. McLoughlin at Vancouver, used his best endeavors to stamp out the -traffic in Oregon. The vessel purchased (1841) as Farnham here narrates, -was the “Thomas H. Perkins” from Salem, Mass. The Oregon provisional -government made similar efforts, passing a prohibitory law (1844) under -which two incipient distilleries were destroyed. Not until the rush of -settlement coming with the gold seekers (1848-50) began, did the liquor -traffic gain much foothold.—ED. - -[114] For a brief sketch of Father Nicolas Point see De Smet’s _Letters_ -in our volume xxvii, p. 192, note 67.—ED. - -[115] On the boundaries of Oregon consult our volume xxviii, p. 29, -note 1. By the Oregon Treaty (1846) the northern boundary was fixed at -the parallel 49°; north of this was British, not Russian, territory. -The writer of this introductory matter seems not to have been well -informed.—ED. - -[116] For the early Spanish explorations of the Northwest Coast see -Farnham’s _Travels_ in our volume xxviii, pp. 30-32, including notes -3-9.—ED. - -[117] Compare with this Franchère’s _Narrative_ in our volume vi, pp. -248, 249; see also H. S. Lyman, _History of Oregon_ (New York, 1903), i, -pp. 167-174, where the traditions of descendants from early castaways are -collected. The Tillamook (Kilamuke) Indians are noted in our volume vi, -p. 258, note 67.—ED. - -[118] For Cook’s discoveries (1778-79, not 1790) see our volume xxviii, -p. 31 note 6; for Gray, Vancouver, and Mackenzie, our volume vi, pp. -183-185, notes 1, 2, 4.—ED. - -[119] For the Lewis and Clark expedition see Thwaites, _Original -Journals_ (New York, 1905). The Astorian enterprise is narrated in -Franchère’s _Narrative_ and Ross’s _Oregon Settlers_, volumes vi and vii -of our series.—ED. - -[120] See Franchère’s _Narrative_ in our volume vi, pp. 294-303; and -Ross’s _Oregon Settlers_ in our volume vii, pp. 244-250.—ED. - -[121] For McLoughlin see Townsend’s _Narrative_ in our volume xxi, p. -296, note 81.—ED. - -[122] See, on the Willamette settlement, De Smet’s _Letters_ in our -volume xxvii, p. 386, note 203; on Provencher, _ibid._, p. 391, note -213.—ED. - -[123] The Methodist here mentioned was Jason Lee, who went out in 1833; -see our volume xxi, p. 138, note 13. The Episcopalian clergyman was Rev. -Herbert Beaver, who was sent as chaplain by the Hudson’s Bay Company -on their vessel the “Nereid,” arriving at Vancouver in August, 1836. -Although having formerly served in the West Indies, Beaver did not -find it easy to adapt himself to frontier life, and for his officious -criticisms incurred the dislike of the gentlemen at Fort Vancouver. After -eighteen months of service he returned to England, and the company sent -no more chaplains to the Northwest.—ED. - -[124] For these two priests see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, -pp. 320, 369, notes 164, 189.—ED. - -[125] See our volume xxviii, p. 380, note 242, for account of Douglas.—ED. - -[126] The Catholic settlement was that known as French Prairie; the -Methodist establishment is described in De Smet’s _Letters_, our volume -xxvii, p. 388, note 208.—ED. - -[127] The Cowlitz and Nisqually settlements are noted in our volume -xxvii, p. 386, note 203. - -Whidbey (not Whitby) is a large island in Puget Sound, which was named -(1792) in honor of Joseph Whidbey, one of Vancouver’s subordinates, who -first circumnavigated it. The permanent American settlement thereon began -in 1851, and prospered because of its fertile open prairie land.—ED. - -[128] For Fort Langley see note 75 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 58.—ED. - -[129] The site and founding of this mission is described in De Smet’s -_Letters_, our volume xxvii, pp. 281-284.—ED. - -[130] Bear Lake, frequently called Lake Connolly, was the site of the -Hudson’s Bay post of that name founded about 1826 among the Sekanais -Indians. It is somewhat north of latitude 56° near the source of Stuart -River.—ED. - -[131] Mt. St. Helena was measured by Captain Wilkes, and was made 9,550 -feet.—EDITOR OF CATHOLIC ALMANAC. - -_Comment by Ed._ For Mount St. Helens see our volume vi, p. 246, note 50. - -[132] For the Klamath (Clamet) see note 56 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 46; the -Umpqua is noted in our volume vii, p. 231, note 82; the Chehalis, note -103 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 81.—ED. - -[133] For this epidemic see note 84 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 68.—ED. - -[134] On the camas consult our volume xxi, p. 247, note 61.—ED. - -[135] The Chinook and Kilamuke tribes on the coast call their most -powerful god by the name of Ikani, and to him they ascribe the creation -of all things. The god who made the Columbia river and the fish in it -they call Italupus.—_Expl. Exp._, vol. v., p. 119.—ED. OF CATHOLIC -ALMANAC. - -[136] For the sites of the Methodist missions see De Smet’s _Letters_, -in our volume xxvii, p. 388, note 208. Our author here refers to the -Willamette and Dalles missions. For the Presbyterian missions consult our -volume xxi, p. 352, note 125; De Smet’s _Letters_, our volume xxvii, p. -367, note 187; and Farnham’s _Travels_, in our volume xxviii, pp. 333, -338, notes 210, 215.—ED. - -[137] This was known as the “great re-inforcement,” and was secured -by Jason Lee on his return to the United States in 1838-39. The -bark “Lausanne” was chartered, and inducements held out not only to -missionaries but to farmers and mechanics, to volunteer for this -movement. The expense incurred was $42,000, and in addition thereto a -sum was said to have been contributed by the federal government from the -secret service fund. (H. H. Bancroft, _History of Oregon_, i, p. 171.) -Fifty-two persons set sail from New York October 10, 1839, arriving in -the Columbia the following May, and, as our author here indicates, soon -scattering to various posts. This formed the nucleus of the American -colony in Oregon.—ED. - -[138] For this symbolical catechism and its explanation see De Smet’s -_Letters_, in our volume xxvii, pp. 403-411.—ED. - -[139] Speaking of the farm belonging to the Hudson Bay Company at -Cowlitz, Capt. Wilkes says: “The grounds appear well prepared, and were -covered with a luxuriant crop of wheat, (May, 1841). At the farther end -of the prairie was to be seen a settlement, with its orchards, &c., and -between the trees, the chapel and parsonage of the Catholic mission gave -an air of civilization to the whole. The degree of progress resembles -that of a settlement of several years’ standing in our western states,” -&c.—_Explor. Exped._, vol. iv., p. 315.—ED. OF CATHOLIC ALMANAC. - -[140] For these Hudson’s Bay posts see respectively, De Smet’s _Letters_, -our volume xxvii, p. 330, note 166; Franchère’s _Narrative_, in our -volume vi, p. 260, note 71; and Townsend’s _Narrative_, in our volume -xxi, p. 278, note 73.—ED. - -[141] For Fort George see note 74 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 57. The Chinook -are described in our volume vi, p. 240, note 40.—ED. - -[142] Of the Catholic mission at Penn’s cove, between Whitby’s Island -and the main, Mr. Wilkes says: “It (the island) is in possession of the -Sacket tribe, who have here a permanent settlement, consisting of large -and well-built lodges of timber and planks.... This whole tribe are -Catholics, and have much affection and reverence for their instructors.” -After speaking of the good feeling promoted among the Indians by the -Catholic clergymen, he continues: “Besides inculcating good morals and -peace, the priests are inducing the Indians to cultivate the soil, and -there was an enclosure of some three or four acres, in which potatoes and -beans were growing.”—ED. OF CATHOLIC ALMANAC. - -[143] Sir Edward Belcher (1799-1877) of the British navy was born at -Halifax, Nova Scotia, entered the navy in 1812, and was commissioned a -lieutenant in 1818. He became an expert in surveying and charting, and -was thus employed (1825-28) in the Pacific Ocean on H. M. S. “Blossom.” -In 1836 he was appointed to the command of the man-of-war “Sulphur,” -which was sent to the Pacific on a surveying expedition, and incidentally -on account of the British difficulties with the Russian settlements of -Alaska. In 1839 (not 1840) he surveyed the coast from San Francisco Bay -to the Columbia, entering the latter with two men-of-war, “Sulphur” and -“Starling,” and surveying as far as Fort Vancouver. Belcher’s relations -with the Hudson’s Bay official in charge were not cordial, and he -criticized both the unmilitary appearance of Fort Vancouver and Dr. -McLoughlin’s attitude toward the American missionary colonists. On the -return journey, Belcher’s ships were detained on the coast of China by -the war in those parts. An account of the voyage was published in London -(1843), and the same year Belcher was knighted. He cruised in Oriental -waters from 1842-47. In 1852-54 he commanded an Arctic expedition -searching for Sir John Franklin.—ED. - -[144] Sir George Simpson, born in Ross-shire, Scotland (1792), was in -a merchant’s office in London, 1809-20. In the latter year he came to -America, having charge during the winter of 1820-21 of a Hudson’s Bay -post on Lake Athabasca. Upon the coalition of the rival fur-companies, -the North West and Hudson’s Bay (1821), Simpson was chosen governor for -the northern department, a position filled with acceptability until -his death in 1860. He made two expeditions to the Northwest Coast, the -first by canoe in 1828. In 1841-42 he journeyed entirely around the -world. Leaving Liverpool in March, 1841, he reached Fort Garry in the -Red River country (the modern Winnipeg), in May, whence the trip across -the plains and mountains to Fort Colville was made by horses. Proceeding -down the Columbia to Vancouver, Sir George visited California and Alaska, -returning overland across Siberia, and reaching London after an absence -of nineteen months. His adventures were published as _A Narrative of a -Journey around the World, 1841-42_ (London, 1847). For a recent study of -Simpson see George Bryce, _Makers of Canada_ (Toronto, 1905), ix. Simpson -met Wilkes at Vancouver, and speaks of the pleasure it gave him. See -Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 72, note 88.—ED. - -[145] “We stopped for a few hours at the Catholic mission,” says Capt. -Wilkes, “to call upon the Rev. Mr. Bachelet (Blanchet), to whom I had -a note of introduction from Dr. McLaughlin; he received me with great -kindness. Mr. B. is here settled among his flock, and is doing great good -to the settlers in ministering to their temporal as well as spiritual -wants.... Mr. Drayton, Michael, and myself, dined with Mr. B. on oatmeal -porridge, venison, strawberries and cream. His hospitality was tendered -with good and kind feelings, and with a gentlemanly deportment that spoke -much in his favor, and made us regret to leave his company so soon.” Mr. -Wilkes represents the missions here and the farms of the Canadians, in -a thriving state. He has incorrectly given the name _Bachelet_ to Mr. -Blanchet, superior of the Oregon mission, who was recently consecrated -vicar-apostolic of that country.—_Explor. Exp._, vol. 4, p. 350. - -Of the Methodist mission at Willamette, Mr. Wilkes says: “About all the -premises of this mission there was an evident want of the attention -required to keep things in repair, and an absence of neatness that I -regretted much to witness. We had the expectation of getting a sight of -the Indians on whom they were inculcating good habits, and teaching the -word of God: but with the exception of four Indian servants, we saw none -since leaving the Catholic mission.”—_Ibid._ p. 351, 2. At this latter -mission he numbers four or five hundred natives. The Methodists had a -school of twenty pupils at some distance. - -Near Port Orchard the chapel of the Catholic mission is 172 feet long by -72 wide. “Many of the natives,” says Mr. Wilkes, “are capable of saying -their prayers and telling their beads, and some were met with who could -sing some Catholic hymns in their own language.” - -Of the Protestant missions at Clatsop, Capt. Wilkes observes: “There -appeared to me to be little opportunity for exercising their ministerial -calling, though I understood afterwards that at particular seasons a -number of Indians collected to hear them.”—Vol. iv., p. 322.—ED. OF -CATHOLIC ALMANAC. - -[146] See our volume xxvii (De Smet), pp. 192, 193, notes 67, 69, 70.—ED. - -[147] Identical with De Smet’s _Letters_ published in our volume -xxvii.—ED. - -[148] These two missionaries were refused passage in the annual Hudson’s -Bay Company’s brigade, and came to Oregon by sea, arriving in September, -1842. Langlois was placed in charge of the Willamette mission and the -seminary of St. Joseph. Bolduc, who had formerly served in Polynesia, -relates _post_ his experiences in Vancouver Island and vicinity.—ED. - -[149] See De Smet’s account in his _Letters_, our volume xxvii, pp. -374-376.—ED. - -[150] H. M. Chittenden and A. T. Richardson, in _Father De Smet’s Life -and Travels_ (New York, 1905), give the following information with regard -to these fathers: Peter De Vos was born in Ghent in 1797; coming to -America in 1836 he went in 1842 to reinforce the mission of St. Mary’s in -Montana. He served there and in the Willamette valley for eight years, -when he was transferred to the College of Santa Clara, California, where -he died April 17, 1859. - -Father Adrian, younger brother of Father Christian Hoeken, was born in -Holland in 1815. His mission service was connected with St. Ignatius at -its first site in 1844-54, and at the present site in 1854-59. In the -latter year he re-opened the abandoned Blackfeet mission, returning the -following year (1860) to the East, where he spent his later life, dying -at Marquette College, Milwaukee, April 19, 1897.—ED. - -[151] Michele Accolti was born at Bari, Italy, in 1806. Having been -educated at Rome, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1832, and -accompanying De Smet to Oregon remained there until 1851 in charge of -various parishes both north and south of the Columbia. About 1851 Accolti -removed to San Francisco, and in 1853 went to Rome for reinforcements for -the newly-founded Jesuit college at Santa Clara. Returning thither in -1855 he served as pastor for ten years, when he was transferred to San -Francisco, where he died November 6, 1878. - -Giovanni Nobili was a native of Rome (1812). After six years in Oregon he -was transferred to California, and died at Santa Clara, March 1, 1856. -See _post_ for the account of his journey to New Caledonia, where he was -known as “Petit Père,” because of his small stature. - -Antonio Ravalli was born in Ferrara in 1812. After entering the Jesuit -order (1827) he taught for some years in Turin and neighboring cities, -before coming to Oregon with Father de Smet. His first station was at St. -Ignatius, whence he went to Fort Colville, removing shortly to St. Mary’s -in the Bitterroot valley where so much of his life was spent. When St. -Mary’s was abandoned (1854), Father Ravalli removed to the Sacred Heart -mission, returning three years later to the Colville region. In 1860 he -retired to Santa Clara, California, where for three years he was master -of novices. But his heart was in the mountains, whither he returned and -labored until his death, October 2, 1884. Father Ravalli was much beloved -in Montana. For illustration of his monument see L. P. Palladino, _Indian -and White in the Northwest_ (Baltimore, 1894), p. 55. - -Aloysius Vercruysse was born at Courträi, Belgium, in 1806. He served -chiefly at St. Ignatius mission, being transferred to Santa Clara in -1863. Thence, because of failing health, he was sent home to Belgium, -where he died July 17, 1866. - -Brother Francis Huybrechts died at the Cœur d’Alène mission April 5, -1872, aged seventy-four years.—ED. - -[152] De Smet gives a detailed account of the voyage and the visit to -Valparaiso and Lima, in the first letter in his _Western Missions and -Missionaries_ (New York, 1863). See also Chittenden and Richardson, _De -Smet_, ii, pp. 408-436.—ED. - -[153] On the bar of the Columbia River occurred the wreck of the -_Peacock_, one of the vessels attached to the Exploring Expedition. A -thrilling account of this event is given in Capt. Wilkes’ Narrative. Of -the bar itself he says: “Mere description can give little idea of the -terrors of the bar of the Columbia; all who have seen it have spoken -of the wildness of the scene, and the incessant roar of the waters, -representing it as one of the most fearful sights that can possibly meet -the eye of the sailor. The difficulty of its channel, the distance of the -leading sailing marks, their uncertainty to one unacquainted with them, -the want of knowledge of the strength and direction of the currents, with -the necessity of approaching close to unseen dangers, the transition from -clear to turbid water, all cause doubt and mistrust. Under such feelings, -I must confess that I felt myself laboring.”—Vol. iv., p. 293.—ED. OF -CATHOLIC ALMANAC. - -[154] For this mission see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. -365, note 184. The direction from St. Mary’s is northwest, not south.—ED. - -[155] These were Fathers Zerbinati and Joset, and Brother Magri, whom De -Smet met in his journey eastward preparatory to sailing for Europe, and -who had been sent as reinforcement by the Jesuit authorities abroad. They -went forward to the frontier, arriving at the mission late in 1843. - -Pietro Zerbinati remained at St. Mary’s mission, where he was -accidentally drowned late in the summer of 1845. - -Joseph Joset was of Swiss origin. He reinforced the Cœur d’Alène mission, -where he resided for many years, serving both the government and the -cause of the Indians in the war of 1858. He was frequently stationed -at Colville, and for some years served a church in Spokane. In 1891 he -returned to the Cœur d’Alène mission, dying at De Smet in 1900. - -Brother Vincent Magri was a skilled mechanic, and had charge of milling -operations at St. Ignatius. Later he was sent to the Cœur d’Alène -mission, where he died June 18, 1869.—ED. - -[156] Augustine Magloire Alexander Blanchet, younger brother of -Archbishop Blanchet, was born near Quebec in 1797, educated in that -city, and consecrated to the priesthood in 1821. For some years he -served as missionary on islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and at Cape -Breton; then he returned to parish work, being arrested on a charge of -participating in the Papineau revolt. No evidence to that effect being -adduced, he was released, and was serving as canon of Montreal cathedral -when called by his brother (1844) to be bishop of Walla Walla. After -consecration as herein described, he set out for his diocese by way of -St. Louis, first having declared his intention of becoming a citizen -of the United States. Blanchet arrived on the Walla Walla September 5, -1847, shortly before the Whitman massacre. The Catholics were accused, -doubtless unjustly, of having instigated that event, whose horrors -they sought to mitigate. Blanchet was obliged to abandon the Cayuse -mission, and in 1850 was made bishop of Nisqually, a diocese which later -(1853) was co-extensive with Washington Territory. He established his -headquarters at Vancouver, where was inaugurated a long litigation of -the land claim of the church. Bishop Blanchet resigned in 1878, dying in -retirement February 15, 1887.—ED. - -[157] Bolduc probably refers to the Spanish settlement at Nootka Sound; -see Farnham’s _Travels_ in our volume xxviii, pp. 32, 33, notes 8 and -10.—ED. - -[158] For Mounts Hood and St. Helens see our volume vi, pp. 246, 248, -notes 50, 54; for Baker and Rainier, see notes 29, 30 (Farnham), _ante_, -p. 33.—ED. - -[159] For the Cowlitz settlement see De Smet’s _Letters_, in our volume -xxvii, p. 386, note 203. “Shwally” is a form for Nisqually, described in -the same note.—ED. - -[160] Still known as Partridge (Perdrix) Point, on the west side of -Whidbey Island, opposite Penn Cove.—ED. - -[161] The eulachon (_Thaleichthys pacificus_), commonly known as the -candlefish. It is of the smelt order, and has a delicious flavor. See a -drawing by Capt. William Clark in _Original Journals of the Lewis and -Clark Expedition_, iv, frontispiece.—ED. - -[162] For the Clallam consult De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. -387, note 207.—ED. - -[163] For Vancouver Island see Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 75, note -91. The expedition landed in Camosun Bay. A manuscript journal of Sir -James Douglas forms the basis of the account in H. H. Bancroft, _History -of British Columbia_ (San Francisco, 1887), pp. 92-116.—ED. - -[164] These were the Songhies, a tribe of Coast Salishan stock, -inhabiting the region around Victoria. For a detailed description of -this tribe see Franz Boas in _Report_ of British Association for the -Advancement of Science, 1890, pp. 563-582. Boas gives the proper tribal -name as Lkuñgen, and says the term Songhies (Songish) is derived from one -of their septs. As Bolduc reports, they lived in the long board houses -with carved posts, and enclosed their village with palisades. There are -about a hundred of this tribe extant under the charge of the Cowichan -agency.—ED. - -[165] This was a band of Cowichan Indians, named for their chieftain -Tsoughilam (Toungletats). The Cowichan are a large subdivision of the -Coast Salishan tribe, occupying the east coast of Vancouver Island, and -up the Fraser River as far as Yale; see _Report_ of British Association -for the Advancement of Science, 1894, pp. 454-463. See also an account -of the attack of this tribe on the newly-erected Fort Camosun in H. H. -Bancroft, _British Columbia_, pp. 106-110.—ED. - -[166] The former tribe was probably the Kwantlums, a branch of the -Cowichan family, occupying the lower Fraser valley about Fort Langley and -above.—ED. - -[167] For Kawitskins (Cowichan) and Klalams (Clallam), see _ante_, p. -148, note 49; for Isanisks (Songhies), p. 149, note 51.—ED. - -[168] For the founding of Sitka see our volume vi, p. 258, note 68.—ED. - -[169] Lopez Island, between Rosario Straits and Canal de Haro.—ED. - -[170] Bishop Blanchet had previously visited Whidbey Island; see _ante_, -p. 120. The Skagit Indians were a tribe of Salishan origin inhabiting -the territory in the neighborhood of Skagit Bay and on the river of that -name. In 1855 they took part in the treaty of Point Elliott, and were -assigned to the Swinomish Reservation at the mouth of Skagit River. The -Indians on this reservation number about two hundred and fifty; they are -partly civilized, wear civilized dress, speak English, hold allotted -lands, and are largely members of the Roman Catholic church.—ED. - -[171] For the origin of this name see our volume vi, p. 233, note 36.—ED. - -[172] For the Clatsop see our volume vi, p. 239, note 39. The American -with them was probably either Solomon H. Smith, or Calvin Tibbitts, who -both lived at Clatsop Plains, having crossed the continent with Wyeth; -see Wyeth’s _Oregon_, our volume xxi, p. 73, note 50.—ED. - -[173] James Birnie (Burney), for whom see Townsend’s _Narrative_ in our -volume xxi, p. 361, note 130.—ED. - -[174] See descriptions of this form of entombment in our volume xxi, p. -338; also in _Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition_, iii, -pp. 260, 326.—ED. - -[175] This was the building on the site of the present city of Salem, -which was erected in 1842 by Jason Lee for the Indian mission school -formerly conducted in a log house twelve miles below. The mission school -had suffered reverses from illness and the loss of missionary leaders, -and Rev. George Gary had arrived in Oregon May 1, 1844, to close up the -affairs of the entire Methodist mission. The building for the school, -which had with the surrounding land cost nearly $10,000 became the -property of the Oregon Institute, which opened a school therein in the -autumn of this year (1844). This subsequently became the nucleus of -Willamette University, chartered in 1853.—ED. - -[176] The site was about three miles above Champoeg, not far from the -residence of Etienne Lucier, one of the earliest settlers of French -Prairie.—ED. - -[177] For a sketch of this missionary see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our -volume xxvii, p. 193, note 69.—ED. - -[178] The mission or residence at this point was known as St. Francis -Xavier. The convent was, however, entitled St. Mary’s or Notre Dame, from -the convent at Namur, whence the sisters set forth.—ED. - -[179] Chittenden and Richardson, _De Smet_, ii, p. 453, give “Oregon -City” as the alternative of this native village. Consultation with Oregon -historians, however, gives no support to this theory—the term “Cuhute” -never having been applied to the locality of Oregon City during the -residence, or within the knowledge of white settlers. George H. Himes of -Portland, after interviewing several pioneers, writes us: “I conclude -that the village referred to by De Smet was the name of a village -belonging to a small sub-tribe of Indians in the vicinity of the present -town of St. Paul, Marion County, which was annihilated by the disease -already alluded to.”—ED. - -[180] This letter enclosed those following, numbered iv-xv, in the last -of which De Smet says that he is sending a packet of letters by the -Hudson’s Bay brigade from Columbia, which he has just encountered.—ED. - -[181] Addressed to Bishop (later Archbishop) John Hughes of New -York. From the time of the descriptive letter number ii, written -from Willamette valley October 9, 1844, to the beginning of this -letter in February, 1845, Father de Smet had made a journey to his -previously-founded missions in the interior. Leaving Vancouver, he -ascended the river to Fort Walla Walla, thence crossed Spokane plains -and the mountains to the camp of the Pend d’Oreille on Clark’s Fork, -where he met Father Adrian Hoeken. There a deputation from the Cœur -d’Alènes waited on the father to persuade him to visit their mission of -Sacred Heart, where he was received November 11 by Father Nicolas Point. -Setting forth thence, eight days later he found the road to the Flatheads -impracticable because of floods and ice, so that he was obliged to pass -the winter (1844-45) with the Pend d’Oreille in their winter quarters on -Clark’s Fork.—ED. - -[182] For the location of Horse Plain see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our -volume xxvii, p. 337, note 172. The location of the Bay of the Pend -d’Oreille (Kalispels) is given _post_, note 73.—ED. - -[183] For these tribes and the former visit of De Smet, see his _Letters_ -in our volume xxvii, especially p. 141, note 8.—ED. - -[184] This stream, now known as St. Regis Borgia, is a tributary of the -Missoula from the west. Rising in Bitterroot Mountains it flows slightly -south of east through a fertile valley, which forms the present route -of the Northern Pacific Railway. See De Smet’s _Letters_, in our volume -xxvii, p. 362, note 183.—ED. - -[185] Stiettiedloodsho was surnamed “Bravest of the Brave;” for an -account of his fight with the Crows, see _post_, letter xxiii. His -baptismal name was Moses, and he was an adopted brother of Father de -Smet, who relates several anecdotes of his piety; see Chittenden and -Richardson, _De Smet_, iv, pp. 1225, 1226. He was known to be living in -1857. Possibly Selpisto was the great chief baptized in 1840 as Peter. -For Chalax see our volume xxvii, p. 284, note 148.—ED. - -[186] The site of the first mission of St. Ignatius, called by De Smet -the Bay of the Kalispels, was on the east bank of Clark’s Fork, in -latitude about 48° 20′ north, longitude 117° 10′ west, in the present -Stevens County, Washington, not far from the town of Usk. The mission was -maintained at this point until 1854, when, the spot proving unsuitable -from frequent overflows, a site was chosen in western Montana on the -present Flathead Reservation, whence the mission was transferred and -where it has since been maintained. See L. B. Palladino, _Indian and -White in the Northwest_, pp. 68-79.—ED. - -[187] Manresa is a town in the northeastern part of Spain, where Ignatius -Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, spent a year dwelling in a cave, and -subjecting himself to severe austerities. It is now a place of pilgrimage -for the pious followers of the saint.—ED. - -[188] Champoeg—an Indian name, signifying a kind of edible root—was an -Indian camping and council ground, lying on the borders of Kalapuya -territory. Among the earliest settlements in the Willamette valley were -those made near this place.—ED. - -[189] Oregon City was laid out in lots (1843) by Dr. John McLoughlin, who -had taken up the site as early as 1829 and by 1837 had made improvements -there. The Methodist mission had built a store and a mill on the same -site and later there was a prolonged dispute over the title. Meanwhile -Oregon City (or Willamette Falls) grew, and was made the seat of the -provisional government (1845-49). McLoughlin gave the site for the -building of the church here mentioned, which was dedicated February 8, -1846.—ED. - -[190] The Kamloop and Atnah are Shushwap (Shoowhapamooh) clans of the -great Salishan stock of Indians, inhabiting the region between the Rocky -Mountains and Fraser River, north of the British American boundary line. -The Kamloop lived in the Thompson River district, near a fort of that -name (see Ross’s _Oregon Settlers_ in our volume vii, p. 199, note 64). -For the term “Atnah” see our volume vii, p. 159, note 52. - -The Porteurs (Carriers) are described in De Smet’s _Letters_ in our -volume xxvii, p. 307, note 160. Consult G. M. Dawson “The Shuswap -People,” in Royal Society of Canada _Transactions_, ix, part ii, -pp. 3-44; A. G. Morice, “The Western Dénés” in Canadian Institute -_Proceedings_, 3d series, vol. 7, pp. 109-120; and Franz Boas, in -_Report_ of British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1890, pp. -642-647.—ED. - -[191] The Stelatin dwelt on the western end of Fraser Lake; the Nashkutin -(Nashkoten) on and about Blackwater River; the Chilcotin (Tchilkoten) on -a river of that name [see note 102 (Farnham), _ante_, p. 81,] and the -Nakasletin (Nazeteoten) on Stuart Lake.—ED. - -[192] Brother J. B. McGean (McGill) was an Irishman, who went to the -mission field with Fathers Peter De Vos and Adrian Hoeken in 1843. In -1854 he was at St. Ignatius mission where he was farm superintendent.—ED. - -[193] Father de Smet and his Indians followed the aboriginal trail across -the Cascades, which afterwards became the foundation of the Barlow -Road. See “History of the Barlow Road,” in Oregon Historical Society -_Quarterly_, iii, pp. 71-81. For Mount Hood see our volume vi, p. 248, -note 54.—ED. - -[194] For Captain Nathaniel Wyeth and his expeditions to Oregon, see -our volume xxi, preface, and p. 23, note 3. This quotation, which is -not verbatim, is taken from Wyeth’s _Memoir_, published in _Reports of -Committees_, 25 Cong., 3 sess., no. 101, p. 11.—ED. - -[195] For the Nez Percé Indians see our volume vi, p. 340, note 145. -While closely related the Cayuse are thought by modern ethnologists to be -a separate language stock, although they also spoke the Nez Percé tongue. -See our volume vii, p. 137, note 37.—ED. - -[196] Now known as Kettle Falls; see our volume vi, p. 346, note 153.—ED. - -[197] For the first two tribes see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume -xxvii, p. 319, notes 161, 162. The Zingomenes are the Spokan (see Father -de Smet’s letter in Chittenden and Richardson, _De Smet_, iii, p. 801), -for whom see our volume vi, p. 341, note 146. Kalispel is an alternative -for the Pend d’Oreille, noted in our volume xxvii, p. 141, note 8 (De -Smet).—ED. - -[198] The salmon of the Pacific coast rivers comprises five species of -one genus, _Oncorhyncus_: _O. chavicha_, the quinnat or King salmon; _O. -nerke_, the blue-backed salmon; _O. kisutch_, the silver salmon; _O. -keta_, the dog salmon; and _O. gorbusha_, the hump-backed salmon. The -sixth variety noted may be the _Salmo gairdneri_, or steelhead salmon -trout.—ED. - -[199] The residence or mission of St. Francis Regis is in the Colville -valley, about seven and a half miles from the present town of Colville. -On his next visit De Smet found settled in the vicinity about seventy -Canadian métis, or half breeds. The station does not appear to have -been continuous, but to have been re-established after the Indian wars -(1847-56). Later it became a flourishing mission, with schools for boys -and girls, and was frequently visited by Spokan and Colville Indians from -the neighboring reservations. For the Cree see J. Long’s _Voyages_ in our -volume ii, p. 168, note 75.—ED. - -[200] The Flatbows (Arcs à plats), in the use made of the term by De -Smet, signify that branch of the Kutenai stock that is now known as the -Lower Kutenai; by “Kootenay” the author designates the Upper branch of -the tribal stock. They differ slightly in customs and dialects, as well -as in habitat, the Lower Kutenai being partly in the United States; -the Upper almost wholly in British Columbia. For a scientific study of -this stock see Dr. A. F. Chamberlain in _Report_ of British Association -for the Advancement of Science, 1892, pp. 549-614; see also De Smet’s -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 357, note 180.—ED. - -[201] Lake Pend d’Oreille, in northern Idaho; for which see De Smet’s -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 339, note 175.—ED. - -[202] For a brief biographical sketch of Peter Skeen Ogden see Townsend’s -_Narrative_ in our volume xxi, p. 314, note 99. For an account of De -Smet’s journey with Ogden in 1842, see the former’s _Letters_ in our -volume xxvii, pp. 373-377.—ED. - -[203] These officers were Captain Henry J. Warre, nephew and aide-de-camp -of Sir R. Downer Jackson, commandant of British forces in North America, -and Lieutenant M. Vavasour of the Royal Engineers. They had a commission -from the government, perhaps not as extensive as is reported by De Smet, -but doubtless ample in case of war. They were also secretly commissioned -by the Hudson’s Bay Company to report on Dr. McLoughlin’s attitude in -regard to the American settlers, and their adverse account was answered -by him in detail, after his resignation (1846). The two officers left -Montreal May 5, 1845, reporting at Fort Garry, whence they took the -overland route followed by Sir George Simpson in 1841, arriving at Fort -Colville August 12, three days after the meeting with De Smet in the -Idaho forests. Their appearance at Fort Vancouver nearly coincided with -that of the naval officers Park and Peel from the Pacific squadron. -Warre and Vavasour examined the country thoroughly, and made estimates -of the Indian tribes. See Robert M. Martin, _Hudson’s Bay Territories_ -(London, 1849), p. 80. They visited Vancouver Island and Puget Sound, -the settlements on the Willamette and the mouth of the Columbia, making -drawings and sketches of several places visited. They remained at Fort -Vancouver during the winter of 1845-46 assisting at the festivities -inaugurated by the officers of the “Modeste” (see Palmer’s _Journal_ in -our volume xxx, note 189), and left for England via the spring brigade. -They mention meeting Father de Smet seven days from Boat Encampment -on the return journey. Arriving in Liverpool August 12, 1846, Captain -Warre prepared for the press _Sketches in North America and the Oregon -Territory_ (London, 1849), a copy of which is in the Portland public -library. Captain Warre had been in Canada since 1839; on his return to -England he received the thanks of the colonial secretary, Earl Grey, for -his arduous services during his journey to the West on “special duty.” -Later he commanded the 57th regiment in the Crimean War and in New -Zealand, 1861-66, becoming lieutenant general in 1877, and dying in 1898. -He is the author of _Sketches in the Crimea_ (London, 1856); he also -wrote _Historical Records of the 57 regiment of foot_ (London, 1878.)—ED. - -[204] Doubtless De Smet followed the well-known Indian trail which David -Thompson called the “Great Road of the Flatheads,” reaching Kootenai -River about on the border between Idaho and Montana, where was built a -North West Company house, later abandoned. See Thompson’s description of -the road in Elliott Coues (ed.) _New Light on the Early History of the -Greater Northwest_ (New York, 1897), ii, p. 673; also the accompanying -map by Thompson.—ED. - -[205] The wappato (_sagittaria latifolia_) was an important article of -food for the Northwest Indians. See descriptions of its gathering and -preparation in _Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition_, -index. The flower of the bitterroot (_Lewisia rediviva_) has been chosen -as the Montana state flower; it gives name both to the river and to a -range of mountains in that state. The biscuit root was probably what is -known as the white-apple or prairie potato (_Psoralea esculenta_), a -food-root widely spread in North America. See our volume xxi, p. 248, -note 62.—ED. - -[206] On the camas see our volume xxi, p. 247, note 61.—ED. - -[207] _Evernia vulpina_, still used for food by the Kutenai.—ED. - -[208] Kootenai Lake, in eastern British Columbia, is an enlargement of -the river of the same name, seventy-five miles in length and with a width -of from two to five miles. The river enters at the southern end, and -leaves the lake about midway of its length opposite Pilot Bay.—ED. - -[209] Edward Berland, a Hudson’s Bay Company employe, aided Sir George -Simpson on his voyage around the world in 1841. See his curious autograph -reproduced in Simpson, _Narrative_, i, p. 125.—ED. - -[210] Known as Kootenai River Traverse, located in the neighborhood of -the present Fort Steele. See Simpson’s description of its passage in his -_Narrative_, pp. 137, 138.—ED. - -[211] De Smet is passing up the Kootenai River in its course through -Montana, following the line of the present Great Northern Railway, which -leaves Kootenai valley at Jennings, where the river coming from the north -makes an abrupt turn to the west. A recently-built branch of this railway -extends from Jennings along the upper Kootenai into British Columbia.—ED. - -[212] Probably the Yaac River, a considerable mountain tributary of the -Kootenai, in northwestern Montana. De Smet may, however, refer to some -small stream that enters the main river near Kootenai Falls, some ten or -twelve miles above the embouchment of the Yaac. David Thompson called the -Kootenai, McGillivray River, in honor of the Hon. William McGillivray, -one of the North West Company partners.—ED. - -[213] De Smet was an observant traveller. The mineral wealth of Flathead -County, Montana (through which he was passing), has not yet been -developed; but galena ore bearing both lead and silver has been found, -and considerable quantities of coal and oil are known to exist in that -district. See _Report_ of Great Northern Railway, 1902.—ED. - -[214] Tobacco Plains are situated on both sides of the international -boundary, taking their name from Tobacco River, a Montana affluent of the -Kootenai. This has for many years been the habitat of one division of the -Upper Kutenai, known as Agkanegunik (people of the Tobacco Plains). David -Thompson visited and traded there in 1808. A British Columbia branch -of this tribe still has a reservation of 2,560 acres just north of the -international boundary, where a band of fifty-seven was in 1902 employed -in farming and cattle-raising. The Kutenai of to-day are all Roman -Catholics.—ED. - -[215] For Flathead (Tête plat) Lake see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume -xxvii, p. 359, note 181.—ED. - -[216] From Tobacco Plains De Smet advanced up the valley of the upper -Kootenai, towards the portage near the headwaters of the Columbia. This -valley runs between the main range of the Rockies and the Selkirks, among -some of the most majestic scenery on the North American continent.—ED. - -[217] Taken from a composition of De Smet’s on his second journey to -the Rocky Mountains (1841), and then applied to the heights around the -sources of the Platte. See Chittenden and Richardson, _De Smet_, iv, pp. -1353, 1354.—ED. - -[218] These are Upper Columbia and Windermere lakes, the former 2,700 -feet above sea level, and the ultimate source of the Columbia River. -The river is navigable from Lake Windermere as far as Golden, where the -Canadian Pacific Railway crosses, and steamers ply the course of about -160 miles. The passage from one lake to the other is possible only for -canoes. This region was first explored by David Thompson in 1807.—ED. - -[219] These are composed of gravelly flats, the great spawning beds of -the Columbia salmon. At times steamboat navigation is impeded by the -immense number of the fish.—ED. - -[220] The Hot Springs—one of a temperature of 120°, the other of 90° -Fahrenheit—issue from natural basins of their own formation, on the side -of a cliff just below Upper Columbia Lake.—ED. - -[221] Richard Chandler (1738-1810), an English antiquary, undertook an -exploring expedition to Asia Minor and Greece (1765) under the auspices -of the English Dilettanti Society. The results were published as _Travels -in Asia Minor_ (London, 1775), both sufficiently popular to run through -several editions. The author particularly mentions the famous Hot Springs -of the ancient Hierapolis, whose site is now known as Kambuk Kalessi, -on the Mæander River in Phrygia, and describes their incrustations and -stalactites. For the famous geographer Conrad Malte-Brun see our volume -xviii, p. 345, note 136.—ED. - -[222] The portage from Kootenai River (Arcs-à-plats) to Upper Columbia -Lake is but a mile and a half in length, over a level trail of rich -black soil now known as Kootenai Flat. There is little doubt that the -upper Columbia once drained this way into the Kootenai River, which now, -however, is slightly higher than the source of the Columbia. A canal has -been projected across the portage, but it is not yet completed.—ED. - -[223] For the Shushwap see our volume vii, p. 159, note 52.—ED. - -[224] Vermillion River, one of the headstreams of the Kootenai, rises in -the great group of the Rockies, near the foot of Mount Biddle, west of -Laggan, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and flows southeasterly until -uniting with the Beaverfoot to form the Kootenai. See “Sketch map of the -Canadian Rocky Mountains” in James Outram, _In the Heart of the Canadian -Rockies_ (New York, 1905).—ED. - -[225] De Smet is not sufficiently precise in his topography to make it -certain by which pass he crossed the Rocky Mountain divide. Probably it -was that over which Sir George Simpson made his way to the westward in -1841, now known as Simpson Pass (elevation 6,884 feet). It comes out -in the neighborhood of Banff on the Canadian Pacific Railway, in the -valley of Bow River, a tributary of the South Saskatchewan. See Simpson, -_Narrative_, i, pp. 118-121.—ED. - -[226] The Saskatchewan, with its two great branches, North and South, -drains a large portion of the vast plain lying between the Rocky -Mountains and the lake region of Manitoba, and enters Lake Winnipeg in -latitude 53° 10′, longitude 99° 20′ west. Nelson River enters Hudson Bay -near the fifty-seventh parallel of north latitude.—ED. - -[227] Bow River (des Arcs) is the northern branch of the South -Saskatchewan. It rises in the Rocky Mountains above Laggan, flowing east -and southeast until its junction with Belly River near longitude 111° -30′; these two then form the great South Saskatchewan. The name Rivière -des Arcs is thought to have been given from its course, as it was first -applied to the entire South Saskatchewan which takes a crescent course. -More probably it arose from its frequent curves or “ox-bows,” especially -in the upper reaches, above Banff. The earliest explorers of this -stream were the French, who under Lieutenant de Niverville, sent out by -Legardeur de St. Pierre (1752), erected Fort La Jonquière not far from -the modern town of Calgary. David Thompson explored Bow River valley for -the North West Company in 1800. The upper Bow is now the route of the -Canadian Pacific Railway.—ED. - -[228] The Blackfeet are noted in our volume v, p. 225, note 120, and -described in more detail by Maximilian in his _Travels_, our volume -xxiii, pp. 95-122. They range into the northern part of Montana in -the United States, but their usual habitat is the great plain of the -Saskatchewan in the provinces of Alberta and Assiniboia.—ED. - -[229] For the Assiniboin see our volume ii, p. 168, note 75. The -Assiniboin were wandering Indians grouped into many bands under separate -chiefs. Early in the nineteenth century those of the woods and foothills -of the Rockies became differentiated from the Assiniboin of the Plains, -and were usually denominated Stoney Indians. These latter were in two -bands, the Thickwood and Mountain Stoney, with dialects differing -considerably from the Assiniboin of the Plains. Their characteristics -were also different, they being more peaceable and inoffensive than their -Eastern relatives. They were very poor, nevertheless were good hunters -and energetic workers, many of them acting as guides especially in the -explorations connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway surveys. First -visited by Wesleyan missionaries as early as 1840, they now are largely -members of that denomination. A band of about six hundred live on a -reservation on Bow River near Morley, forty miles west of Calgary, not -far from the region in which they were encountered by De Smet.—ED. - -[230] The Assiniboin of the Plains had been decimated by small-pox in -1838; while still a numerous tribe, they were reduced from 1,000 to 400 -thinly-populated lodges. They had somewhat recovered, doubtless, before -Father de Smet’s journey.—ED. - -[231] Red Deer River rises in the Sawback Range, nearly east of Laggan, -and flowing east and southeast through the plains of Alberta empties into -the South Saskatchewan in Assiniboia, just east of the hundred and tenth -meridian.—ED. - -[232] Snake Country (Pays Serpent) was the term applied by the Hudson’s -Bay Company to the area drained by Snake (or Lewis) River, the home of -the Shoshoni (or Snake) Indians.—ED. - -[233] These tribes have all been previously noted—by “Kants” being meant -the Kansa; by “Saucs” the Sac; and by “Ajouas” the Iowa.—ED. - -[234] See De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume xxvii, p. 391, note 213.—ED. - -[235] Jean Baptiste Thibault went as a missionary to the Red River -country in 1833, and travelled widely in the great Northwest, visiting -the Hudson’s Bay posts and founding missions for both half-breeds and -Indians from Manitoba to New Caledonia. His colleague, Joseph Bourassa, -was engaged in the same work from 1844 to 1856.—ED. - -[236] For these rivers see our volume vi, p. 354, with accompanying -note. The mission at St. Ann, in Alberta about fifty miles west of Fort -Edmonton, was later in charge of the Oblate Fathers, headed by Father La -Combe.—ED. - -[237] The last four tribes belong to the great Athapascan, Déné, or -Tinneh stock, whose northern division occupies the northernmost interior -of the American continent. The names here given (probably translated -from French) are intended for the Beaver, Dogrib, Slave and Hare (or -Hare-skin) tribes. In general terms their habitat may be described as -follows: the Beaver upon Peace River; the Dogrib between Great Slave and -Great Bear lakes; the Slaves west of Great Slave Lake, upon Mackenzie -and Liard rivers; the Hares on the Mackenzie, Hare, Indian, and Anderson -rivers. See A. G. Morice, in Canadian Institute _Proceedings_, 1889, -pp. 109-174. These Indians still rove the great northern lands, little -affected by contact with whites.—ED. - -[238] These are all fur-trading posts, most of which De Smet had visited. -They have been described in previous volumes of our series, as follows: -Fort Corbeaux (Crow), or Alexander, our volume xxvii, p. 146, note 12 -(De Smet); Laramie (La Ramee), xxi, p. 181, note 30; Union, xxii, p. -373, note 349; Mandan, or Clark (near Big Knife, not Little Missouri), -xxii, p. 344, note 317; Pierre, xxii, p. 315, note 277; Lookout, xxii, -p. 304, note 261; Vermillion, xxvii, p. 153, note 22 (De Smet); fort at -Council Bluffs, xxii, p. 275, note 231; and Bellevue, xxii, p. 267, note -221. Fort Osage, originally a government post on the Missouri (not the -Osage), was abandoned in 1827; see our volume v, p. 60, note 31. Probably -De Smet here refers to the trading post at the Osage villages on Osage -River, in what is now Kansas. Fort Pied-Noir (Blackfoot), or Lewis, was -the successor of Fort Mackenzie (for which see our volume xxiii, p. 87, -note 75), destroyed in 1844. Fort Lewis was built (1845) by Alexander -Culbertson some distance above the old fort at the mouth of Maria’s -River, on the south bank of the Missouri, eighteen miles above the -present city of Fort Benton, Montana; see account of founding in Montana -Historical Society _Contributions_, iii, pp. 241-243 (note, however, that -the dates in these reminiscences are quite unreliable). Fort Lewis, named -for the explorer, Captain Meriwether Lewis, was abandoned in 1846 for -the site of Fort Benton—the new post, however, retaining the name Lewis -until about 1850. Fort Berthold, in McLean County, North Dakota, on the -Indian reservation of that name, one hundred and twenty-five miles above -Bismarck, was built as an American Fur Company post in 1845, and named -for Bartholomew Berthold, one of the partners of that corporation. An -opposition post (erected in 1859) was bought out in 1862, and the effects -and name transferred thither. This new stockade was nearly captured -by the Sioux in December, 1862. Two years later it was converted into -a military post, but the soldiers being withdrawn (1867) the fort was -thereafter maintained as an Indian agency, until accidentally burned in -1874; all vestiges have now disappeared. See engraving of its former -appearance in O. D. Wheeler, _Trail of Lewis and Clark_ (New York, 1904), -i, p. 276.—ED. - -[239] Right Reverend Mathias Loras was born in Lyons, France, in 1792. -At the age of twenty-six he was ordained priest, and in 1829 came to the -United States with Bishop Portier of Mobile. He served in the latter city -until chosen (1839) first bishop of the newly-created see of Dubuque. Two -years later he visited Europe for recruits, returning with two priests -and four deacons. Bishop Loras died at Dubuque in 1858. In 1841 he sent -Augustine Ravoux, one of the deacons who had reinforced his mission -(ordained priest in 1840), to visit the traders in what is now Minnesota, -and attempt the founding there of a Sioux mission; he was accompanied by -Father Lucien Galtier. The latter built a chapel on the site of St. Paul, -and gave the infant settlement its name, but in 1844 he was removed, -dying in 1866 at Prairie du Chien. Father Ravoux made many missionary -journeys over his wide territory—in 1845 to Fort Vermillion, in 1847 to -Fort Pierre—and established an incipient Sioux mission. The withdrawal of -Galtier made it imperative for Ravoux to devote himself to the care of -the Catholic communicants of his wide diocese. See his _Reminiscences and -Memoirs_ (St. Paul, 1890). He was still living in 1904.—ED. - -[240] For the Potawatomi mission see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume -xxvii, p. 156, note 26. Its first site in Kansas was as here stated; -later (1848) it was removed to Kansas River, and during the early -settlement was well known as St. Mary’s Mission—afterwards, simply St. -Mary’s. The mission school was continued until 1869. A town of this name -is in the southeastern corner of Pottawatomie County.—ED. - -[241] Several posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company were known as the -Rocky Mountain House; but this one, upon the North Saskatchewan, had -no other name. It was founded in 1802 by the North West Company, and -David Thompson was in charge 1806-07, making thence his first expedition -west of the mountains. It was located about a mile and a half above -the mouth of the Clearwater, on the south bank of the Saskatchewan. -See _Explorations by Captain John Palliser_ (London, 1863), pp. 74-77, -descriptive of the expedition sent by the government in 1857-59.—ED. - -[242] For the Sauteux see J. Long’s _Voyages_, in our volume ii, p. 79, -note 38. The Chippewa are the most numerous tribe of the Algonquian -stock, large numbers being still found in both Canada and the United -States, with a range nearly as wide as De Smet here gives them. In -the United States, however, their habitat never extended much beyond -Minnesota, where they were met by their hereditary enemies, the Dakota -(or Sioux). In Canada, their alliance with the Cree gave them a farther -westward range, and they occasionally traded at Fort Edmonton on the -upper Saskatchewan.—ED. - -[243] George A. de Belcourt arrived in the Red River country in 1831, and -spent twenty-eight years as a missionary in this territory, officiating -also at Pembina under commission from Bishop Loras of Dubuque. The -Chippewa mission here mentioned was situated on Winnipeg River, at a -place whose native name was Wabassimong. In 1846, the Oblate Father -Aubert was placed in charge; but lack of success rendered it necessary -to abandon the mission the following year. The log church which had -been erected was used some years later by Protestant missionaries. -See Alexandre Taché, _Vingt Années de Missions dans le Nord-Ouest de -l’Amérique_ (Montreal, 1866).—ED. - -[244] This was the half-breed known as Bird, whose treachery toward -Antoine Godin at Fort Hall, Idaho, is narrated by Townsend in our volume -xxi, pp. 353, 354; see also our volume xxiii, pp. 135, 145, 153.—ED. - -[245] This band of Blackfeet, which took its name from an important -chief, was mentioned by George Catlin in 1832, being said to consist of -two hundred and fifty lodges. Father de Smet says that they were almost -entirely destroyed. Charles Larpenteur, however, mentions this band as on -the war path against the Flatheads in 1848; see his _Forty Years a Fur -Trader_ (New York, 1898), ii, pp. 259-261.—ED. - -[246] John Rowand was born at Montreal and entered the North West Company -as a clerk in 1800. He was in charge at Fort Augustus for many years -and there was born his son who became widely known in Northwest annals. -Educated at Montreal and Edinburgh, he travelled abroad before returning -to the Northwest, where he was for many years a chief factor of the -company. He accompanied Sir George Simpson on his journey of 1841, and in -1848 retired from active service, settling in Quebec, where he died in -1889. See _Henry-Thompson Journals_, ii, pp. 602, 603; and Chittenden and -Richardson, _De Smet_, iv. pp. 1559-1561.—ED. - -[247] For Fort Edmonton (or Fort Augustus) see our volume vi, p. 364, -note 177. A nearly contemporary description may be found in Simpson, -_Narrative_, i, pp. 101, 102.—ED. - -[248] For Fort Jasper see our volume vi, p. 357, note 167. - -Assiniboine House was built in 1825 on the north side of Athabasca River, -in northern Alberta; the place is now abandoned and ruined. See Alexander -Ross, _Fur Hunters of the Far West_ (London, 1855), ii, p. 204. - -Lesser Slave Lake House, at the western end of the lake, was built by -Alexander Stuart of the North West Company early in the nineteenth -century.—ED. - -[249] For Fort des Montagnes see _ante_, p. 234, note 128. - -Fort Pitt was established in 1831, not far below old Fort Vermillion, -about half way between Carlton and Edmonton, on the south bank of the -Saskatchewan, about a hundred yards from the river. See description of -its appearance in 1859, in Earl of Southesk, _Saskatchewan and the Rocky -Mountains_ (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 139-142, 285-292. - -Fort Carlton (Carrollton) was the Hudson’s Bay post replacing the old -Fort de la Montée, for which see our volume vi, p. 374, note 185. Sir -George Simpson well describes its appearance in 1841 in his _Narrative_, -i, p. 84. For Cumberland House see our volume vi, p. 376, note 188.—ED. - -[250] The Lake of the Black Eagle does not appear to be charted, but the -entire country between Forts Edmonton and Assiniboine abounds in lakes. -This route was followed by Ross in 1825; see his _Fur Hunters_, ii, pp. -205, 209.—ED. - -[251] For the Pembina see our volume vi, p. 364, note 177. It is not -feasible to identify all these affluents of the upper Athabasca. Next -to Pembina, the largest of those mentioned is McLeod (McCloud) River, a -southern branch coming in some fifty miles above old Fort Assiniboine. -The Baptiste (the additional word Berland has been dropped) flows from -the west, entering the Athabasca where it bends to the east.—ED. - -[252] Of the two lakes at the headwaters of the Athabasca, both are -sometimes called Jasper, but the lower one was more frequently known as -Burnt (or Brulé) Lake. For these and Jasper House see our volume vi, p. -357, note 167.—ED. - -[253] The names of these streams appear to change frequently. The -Violin is now known as Fiddle River; it debouches from the south, near -the upper end of Brulé Lake. Medicine appears to be identical with the -stream called Rocky River, coming from very near the source of the North -Saskatchewan. The Assiniboine is now usually called Snake Indian River; -it takes its name from a small tribe that frequented its banks, who were -totally exterminated early in the nineteenth century by a fierce band of -Assiniboin.—ED. - -[254] The Maligne is a large stream coming from the south, not far from -the source of the Brazeau. Gens de Colets is now known as Snaring River; -it enters the Athabasca some miles above Jasper Lake. The Miette comes -from the west and joins the Athabasca at its abrupt turn from north to -east. The trail to Yellowhead Pass follows up the Miette, while that to -Athabasca Pass follows the main Athabasca River, to the Trou (or Hole), -more frequently Whirlpool River.—ED. - -[255] The Boucane is now Smoky River, the largest southwest affluent of -Peace (a la Paix) River.—ED. - -[256] For Fraser River see Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 43, note 52. - -A small branch of the Miette approaches within a few rods, on the summit -of Yellowhead Pass of the upper source of the Fraser, running thence into -Yellowhead, and sixteen miles lower down Moose Lake, whence issues the -main Fraser.—ED. - -[257] For the Carrier Indians, see our volume xxvii, p. 307, note 160. -They are the main branch of the Déné (Tinneh) stock, in British Columbia. -See Rev. A. G. Morice, “Are the Carrier Sociology and Mythology exotic?” -in Canadian Royal Society _Transactions_, x, part ii, pp. 109-120, with -map giving location of the tribes of New Caledonia. - -By the Achiganes, De Smet probably intends the Sekanais (Tsekenné), who -inhabit the western slopes of the Rockies from latitude 54° to 60°. -They are a nomadic people of the Déné stock, lacking houses, villages, -or social organization. Despising fish, they subsist on game and roots. -Numbering about two hundred souls, they now exist in two wandering bands -in the Babine and Upper Skeena River agency, Hoquelget division, British -Columbia.—ED. - -[258] The Montagnais are a branch of the great Athapascan (or Déné) stock -of northern Indians. By some authorities they are identified with the -Chippewyan; others consider them the western branch of the Chippewyan -tribe—De Smet uses the term in the first sense. The Chippewyan still rove -in their ancient habitat on Athabasca lake and river. The majority of the -tribe has been christianized by Catholic missionaries.—ED. - -[259] Lake Athabasca, in the northern portion of the territory of that -name, is the outlet of Athabasca River, and extends 190 miles in length -and from five to fifty-five in width. It discharges by Slave River into -Great Slave Lake, thence through the Mackenzie into the Arctic Ocean. -Fort Chippewyan, upon the shore of Lake Athabasca, was one of the -earliest trading posts erected by the English in the Northwest. Thence -Sir Alexander Mackenzie made his famous explorations (1789-93).—ED. - -[260] The Oblate monk was Alexandre Antoine Taché, later archbishop of -St. Boniface on the Red River, and the priest Father L. Laflèche. Father -Thibault had visited all the Athabascan district in the summer of 1844, -preparing the way for permanent mission stations. Reporting to Bishop -Provencher at Winnipeg, the latter sent the two missionaries to found a -central station at Ile à la Crosse (largely frequented by Crees), whence -stations were later established at Cariboo Lake and Lake Athabasca. - -Father Laflèche came to the Red River country in 1844, remaining at Ile -à la Crosse until 1849, when infirmities led him to retire. Elected -coadjutor for Bishop Provencher, he declined the responsibility, but -served as vicar general until 1856. - -Taché was Canadian born (1823); educated at Montreal, he joined the -Oblate order, and (1845) volunteered for mission service on the frontier. -Arrived at Red River, he was ordained priest, and sent (July, 1846) to -found the mission at Ile à la Crosse, whence he made journeys to the -distant tribes of the Northwest. Elected coadjutor bishop in 1849, he -visited Europe, being two years later consecrated in France. Returning to -Canada, he went back to his mission, whence he was summoned to Winnipeg -by the death of Bishop Provencher (1853). Taché was an important figure -in the Canadian Northwest, being profoundly interested for the material -and spiritual welfare of the Indians and half-breeds. He interceded -with the Dominion government for the latter’s grievances in 1869, and -after the Riel rebellion was useful in restoring harmony. Raised to an -archbishopric in 1871, he ably administered his diocese until his death -in 1894. - -See his own account of his early missionary experiences in _Vingt Années -de Missions dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Amérique_.—ED. - -[261] Paul, son of Simon Fraser the explorer (for whom see Farnham’s -_Travels_, _ante_, p. 43, note 52), was born in Glengarry, Ontario, in -1799. He entered the Hudson’s Bay Company as early as 1827, or before, -and in the following year was chief clerk in charge at Fort Vermillion, -when Sir George Simpson passed that way. In 1833 he was a senior clerk -at Fort McLeod, giving his principal attention to New Caledonia where -he was a chief trader before 1844. He built Fort Umpqua in Oregon, and -was stationed there for some time. In 1850 he resigned from the Northern -department and was sent to Fort Kamloops, where not long afterwards he -was killed by the fall of a tree.—ED. - -[262] There is an Island Lake on the Sturgeon River chain, not far -from Lake Ann, but De Smet’s topography is too indefinite to insure -identification.—ED. - -[263] La Fourche du Trou (Fork of the Hole), better known as Whirlpool -River, is that branch of the Athabasca that descends from the Committee’s -Punch Bowl on the summit of Athabasca Pass. The first appellation is -given because of a peculiar rock formation by which it enters the other -branch of the Athabasca through a rocky channel or hole. See our volume -vi, p. 353.—ED. - -[264] By reference to Letter iii, _ante_, pp. 170-172, it will be seen -that all the succeeding letters to this point were enclosed with that -accompanying them, and forwarded by the usual Columbia brigade, which De -Smet met at this point of his journey.—ED. - -[265] For a brief sketch of York Factory see our volume vi, p. 377, note -191.—ED. - -[266] For Francis Ermatinger see our volume xxvii, p. 235, note 108.—ED. - -[267] This river has various names, by some called Portage, and by others -Little Canoe, since it enters the Columbia at its great northern bend, -just where the Canoe River coming from the north also joins it. This -westward-flowing mountain torrent—first discovered by David Thompson in -1810-11—issues from a small lake at the summit of the pass, within a few -rods of the Committee’s Punch Bowl.—ED. - -[268] So named from Thompson’s camp, where he stopped to build canoes to -descend the Columbia. It became a noted site on the upper Columbia, where -horses or snow-shoes were exchanged for canoes or vice versa.—ED. - -[269] For the two peaks here mentioned, see Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, -pp. 29, 30, notes 22, 23.—ED. - -[270] The Dalles of the Dead was an especially dangerous place on the -upper Columbia. Probably they took their name from the sad fate of -a party who turned back from Boat Encampment in 1817. See Ross Cox, -_Adventures on the Columbia River_ (New York, 1832), p. 245.—ED. - -[271] Alexander Ross in his _Fur Hunters_, ii, pp. 165-175, speaks of -paintings in red ochre upon a rock on Lower Arrow Lake, against which the -passing Indians shot their arrows in defiance of the tribes beyond. By -examining these arrows, the natives could tell what tribes have lately -passed. Doubtless from this custom the lakes have received their name. -They are wide spreads of the river, beautifully located, amid high cliffs -and peaks. Upper Arrow Lake is about thirty-three miles long and three -broad; the Lower is more tortuous, and slightly longer and narrower. The -distance between them is more nearly sixteen than six miles.—ED. - -[272] For these two lakes see our volume xxvii, pp. 339, 359, notes 175, -181, respectively.—ED. - -[273] Roothan was at that time father general of the Jesuit order; see -our volume xxvii, p. 155, note 25 (De Smet). The lake is now known as -Priest Lake, and Blackrobe River as Priest River, occupying a forest -reserve of that name in northwestern Idaho, with a like strip in -northeastern Washington.—ED. - -[274] This portion of the river is fifteen miles south of the -international boundary line, and twenty-six above Kettle Falls. It is -known as the Little Dalles, the cañon being deep and narrow, without -bottom lands. See Thomas W. Symons, _Report of an Examination of the -Upper Columbia River_ (Washington, 1882), pp. 11-13.—ED. - -[275] Lewes (according to H. H. Bancroft, John Lee; according to Father -Morice, Thomas) was an old North West Company man, who was now chief -factor in the Hudson’s Bay Company. He had been stationed both on -Mackenzie River and in New Caledonia, and came to Colville about 1845. -Offered chief command of the latter district the following year, he -declined because of ill-health. Soon afterwards resigning, he retired -to Australia, but ultimately returned and settled in the Red River -country.—ED. - -[276] For Commodore Wilkes see Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 72, note -88.—ED. - -[277] For Fort Okanagan see our volume vi, p. 260, note 71.—ED. - -[278] De Smet proceeded with his Indian guides up the valley of Okanagan -River and lake, crossed to the upper waters of the South Thompson, and -came out on Shuswap Lake, a large irregularly-formed body of water, a -gathering place for the tribes of that stock. See our volume vii, p. 159, -notes 51, 52.—ED. - -[279] “Fort of the Sioushwaps” is Fort Kamloops, for which see our volume -vii, p. 199, note 64.—ED. - -[280] See Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 44, note 53.—ED. - -[281] Fort George, situated at the confluence of the Nechaco with the -Fraser, was built by Simon Fraser in the autumn of 1807, and named in -honor of the reigning English monarch. Hugh Faries was the first officer -in charge. The fort stood in the midst of a hunting country, and was -noted for its fine furs. A Hudson’s Bay Company post is still maintained -at this place.—ED. - -[282] Father de Smet ascended first the Nechaco to the embouchment of -Stuart River, then up that stream—whose native name is Nakasley or -Na’kaztle—to Stuart Lake, where is situated the capital of New Caledonia, -Fort St. James. See Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. 58, note 77.—ED. - -[283] The mission at Fort St. James received no further visit after that -of Father de Smet’s successor, Father Nobili (1847), for twenty-one -years. In 1868 the order of Oblates sent two missioners thither who were -at the fort in the early summer, and soon after founded a permanent -mission thereat, of which Father Adrian G. Morice was for many years the -head. See his _History of the Northern Interior of British Columbia_, pp. -326-336.—ED. - -[284] The Chilcotin are one of the four tribes of Western Déné, occupying -the valley of the river bearing their name. They are nearly related to -the Carrier in their customs and modes of life; but have always been more -turbulent, and difficult to control. The Hudson’s Bay Company built a -fort among them which was later abandoned because of the untrustworthy -character of the native population; see Farnham’s _Travels_, _ante_, p. -58, note 77. In 1864 they attacked the miners of the region, and the -consequent punitive expedition cost the Dominion government over $60,000. -They are now on reservations in their valley, being Roman Catholic -communicants and gradually becoming civilized.—ED. - -[285] For the forts upon these lakes and their location, see Farnham’s -_Travels_, _ante_, pp. 56, 58, notes 68, 77. - -Fort Babine—during the first years called Fort Kilmaurs—was built in 1822 -on the north bank of the lake of that name. Pierre C. Pambrum and William -Connolly were the first traders in charge. The Babine Indians, so named -from the plug of wood worn by the women to enlarge the lower lip, were -loyal Hudson’s Bay people, and good hunters. There are still three bands -of this tribe dwelling near Babine Lake—one known as the Old Fort Babines -have a village in the vicinity of the first post, fourteen miles from the -foot of the lake, and accessible only by canoes. - -The fort on Bear Lake was named Connolly, and established in 1826 for -the benefit of the northern Sekanais. The earliest post was built on an -island in the lake, and was the most northerly of the interior stations -of New Caledonia.—ED. - -[286] The Shushwap (Atnahs) proper live on both branches of Thompson -River; the Okanagan, on the lake and river of that name. Lake Superior -(or the “Upper” Lake) is probably Upper Arrow Lake of the Columbia. The -Fountain of Fraser River (not Lake) is an Indian village known as Hulilp, -near the site of the modern Lillooet; probably the author intends by this -the whole tribe of Lillooets, a western branch of the Shushwap. The Knife -Indians are probably the Thompson (or Similkameen) branch of the Shushwap -stock, inhabiting the valley of Similkameen River and ranging thence to -the Thompson and Fraser. The six bands of Shushwap here named correspond -in part with the divisions given by G. M. Dawson in “The Shuswaps of -British Columbia,” in Canadian Royal Society _Transactions_, ix, part 2, -pp. 3-43.—ED. - -[287] Peter H. Burnett was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1807. While -still young he moved with his parents to Missouri, where he engaged in -mercantile pursuits and began legal studies. Upon the introduction of -Senator Linn’s bill in Congress providing land for bona fide Oregon -settlers, Burnett determined to emigrate thither, and was chosen captain -of a large company, which set forth in 1843. Arrived in Oregon, he -settled first at Linnville, then at Tualatin Plains, where he took much -interest in the provisional government and was a member of its first -legislative committee (1844). The following year he was chosen judge of -the supreme court, and upon the establishment of territorial government -was appointed justice of the United States court. In 1848 he went to -California, where in 1850 he was elected first governor of the new state, -and later (1857-58) served as justice of the California supreme court. -Embarking in the banking business in San Francisco, he won eminence -as a financier, dying in his adopted home in 1894. He has related his -experiences in _Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer_ (New York, -1880). He therein details his conversion to Catholicism, due chiefly to -conviction following the reading of controversial works. Going to Oregon -City, he was received into the church by Father Devos (June, 1846). - -Dr. John E. Long was a native of England, being educated for a physician. -Emigrating to the United States in 1833, and to Oregon ten years later, -he acted as recorder of the first legislature of the provisional -government, but in 1846 was killed by an accident.—ED. - -[288] Donald Manson, born in Scotland in 1800, entered the Hudson’s -Bay Company at the age of seventeen, and was sent out to York Factory. -Three years later, at Winnipeg, he met Dr. McLoughlin and in 1823 -accompanied him to the Pacific department. At first assigned to an -exploring expedition under charge of Samuel Black, he reached Vancouver -January 6, 1825, and aided in completing its works. Two years later he -accompanied the expedition that founded Fort Langley, and was afterwards -sent to restore the trading post of old Fort George, at the mouth of -the Columbia. In 1829 Manson was placed in charge of Fort McLoughlin, -on Millbank Sound, and there remained for ten years, after which a -well-deserved furlough gave him the opportunity to revisit Scotland. -Returning to the Pacific, he was sent (1841) to succeed Samuel Black at -Kamloops, and to punish the latter’s murderers; the following year a like -task was assigned him at Stikeen. In 1844 Manson was placed in command -of New Caledonia, with headquarters at Fort St. James, a position ably -filled for fourteen years, when he retired from the service and settled -near Champoeg, in the Willamette valley, where he died January 7, 1880. -He married (1828) the daughter of Etienne Lucier, first settler of -French Prairie, and had a large family of children. See interview with -his daughter in Oregon Historical _Quarterly_, iv, p. 263; also Oregon -Pioneer Association _Transactions_, 1879, p. 56.—ED. - -[289] For Fort Walla Walla see our volume xxi, p. 278, note 73. The clerk -in charge was William B. McBean (not McBride), an educated half-breed -born in 1790 on the eastern side of the Rockies. In 1825 he was a -subordinate at Fort Alexandria; from 1836 to 1842 in charge at Fort -Babine. Thence he was sent to Fort Connolly (1842), and next (1845) -succeeded Archibald McKinley at Walla Walla. He attained an unpleasant -notoriety in connection with the Whitman massacre, because of his -Catholic proclivities, and his tardiness in aiding the survivors; but -most of the charges against him were unfounded. In New Caledonia he had -a reputation for being despotic and wily, also somewhat fanatical in -religious matters.—ED. - -[290] For the Lewis River see our volume vi, p. 277, note 86. The -crossing must have been made not far from the boundary line between Walla -Walla and Columbia counties on the south side of the river, and that -between Franklin and Whitman counties on the northern bank.—ED. - -[291] The Paloos were a Shahaptian tribe, nearly related, as De Smet -says, to the Nez Percés. Their habitat was the north bank of Lewis River, -from the mouth of Palouse River to that of the Lewis. Lewis and Clark -called them “Palleotepellows,” and credited them with 1,600 souls. In -1854 there were five hundred extant in three bands. They took part in the -wars of 1855-58, but were thoroughly cowed by Colonel George Wright’s -invasion of their territory. In 1860 their agent reported that the -remnant of the tribe had intermarried and settled among the Nez Percés, -on the Lapwai reservation in Idaho, and after that their separate tribal -existence lapsed.—ED. - -[292] Now known as Palouse River, the largest northern tributary of -the Lewis, below the Clearwater. Rising in eastern Idaho, it flows -west and then south—through a considerable cañon in its lower course, -forming falls over a hundred feet in height, about seven miles above its -confluence with the Lewis.—ED. - -[293] For Spokane River, see our volume xxvii, p. 366, note 185. De Smet -probably crossed the river not far from the present city of Spokane.—ED. - -[294] Of these two upper branches of the Cœur d’Alène, St. Joseph’s has -retained its name. Rising in the Bitter Root (not now called Pointed -Heart) Mountains it flows northwest into the southern arm of Cœur d’Alène -Lake. The St. Ignatius is now known as the Cœur d’Alène River; and -through its valley runs the Northern Pacific Railway. See our volume -xxvii, p. 365, note 184.—ED. - -[295] Mrs. S. Parmentier of Brooklyn, a liberal donor to Father de Smet’s -missions, to whom the following letter is addressed.—ED. - -[296] Apparently this was the present Blake’s Lake, in northern Spokane -County, which discharges by the West Branch into Little Spokane River. -No other lake north of Spokane River appears to answer to De Smet’s -description. Blake’s is about three miles long and a half mile wide, and -is in the forest region.—ED. - -[297] Probably Spokane Falls, the site of the modern city of that -name.—ED. - -[298] For the mission of Sacred Heart see our volume xxvii, p. 365, note -184. A sketch of Father Point is given in the same volume, p. 192, note -67; those of Father Joset and Brother Magri, _ante_, p. 139, note 42. For -a description and engraving of this mission as it appeared in 1853 see 35 -Cong., 2 sess., _Senate Docs._, vol. 18, pp. 112-114.—ED. - -[299] The Bitterroot Mountains, which the travellers were approaching by -way of Cœur d’Alène River, along which passed the Mullens road, and now -the Northern Pacific Railway.—ED. - -[300] The river here called St. Francis Regis is the same as St. Regis -Borgia, for which see note 71, _ante_, p. 174. De Smet advanced down that -stream to its junction with the Missoula, up the Missoula to St. Mary’s -(or Bitterroot) River thence to the mission, for which see our volume -xxvii, p. 282, note 145.—ED. - -[301] For this Iroquois Indian see our volume xxvii, p. 230, note 104.—ED. - -[302] The erection of the flour mill—the first in Montana—was due to -the mechanical skill of Father Antonio Ravalli, who arrived at St. -Mary’s mission in the autumn of 1845. The grinding stones, fifteen -inches in diameter, were brought from Europe, and are still preserved -as curiosities in the museum of the present St. Ignatius mission on the -Flathead reservation. See Palladino, _Indian and White in the Northwest_, -p. 46. The sawmill was made from wagon-tires, hammered and filed into a -saw and a crank.—ED. - -[303] For the Snake (Shoshoni) Indians see our volume v, p 227, note 122; -the Bannock, xxi, p. 192, note 41; the Nez Percés, vi, p. 340, note 145; -the Blackfeet, v, p. 225, note 120; also our volume xxiii, pp. 95-122.—ED. - -[304] For the Crows see our volume v., p. 226, note 121.—ED. - -[305] For Victor see our volume xxvii, p. 251, note 126. Governor Isaac -Stevens said of him in 1853: “We have to-day seen a good deal of Victor -in our camp, the Flathead chief, celebrated in the book of De Smet. He -appears to be simple-minded, but rather wanting in energy, which might, -however, be developed in an emergency.”—35 Cong., 2 sess., _Senate -Docs._, vol. 18, p. 109.—ED. - -[306] The party were marching up the Yellowstone along its southern -bank, to their left being the Snow Mountains, which extend just north of -Yellowstone National Park.—ED. - -[307] For Hell Gate (Devil’s Gate) see our volume xxvii, p. 269, note -139.—ED. - -[308] The foot of the Blackfoot forks is the mouth of Big Blackfoot -River, which rises in the main range of the Rockies and flows west for -about seventy-five miles into Hellgate River, about five miles above the -gorge called by that name. Up this stream is the “road that leads to the -buffalo,” going over Lewis and Clark Pass—the route which Captain Lewis -took on his return journey in 1806.—ED. - -[309] Leaving to the left the Big Blackfoot River, and its easy pass -across the mountains, De Smet continued up Hellgate River and its upper -waters, Deer Lodge River (called by him Cart River). See our volume -xxvii, p. 253, note 130, which describes the journey made by De Smet in -1841.—ED. - -[310] No stream named “Arrowstone” is now charted. De Smet passed from -the waters of the Columbia to those of the Missouri, by one of the -numerous low and easy gaps between Mullen’s on the north and Deer Lodge -on the south. Probably the party went over Cottonwood (or Peterson) Pass, -leading from Deer Lodge County into Jefferson, coming out upon Boulder -River, which empties into the Jefferson at Jefferson Island; or else -they followed the Silverbow route past the present Butte, and proceeded -by Big Pipestone Creek to the Jefferson—a route now used by the Montana -railways. All these were well-worn Indian trails.—ED. - -[311] For a brief description of the Three Forks of the Missouri see our -volume xxiii, p. 138, note 114.—ED. - -[312] See De Smet’s description of this route on his previous journey -(1841), in his _Letters_, our volume xxvii, p. 177, note 50.—ED. - -[313] For the Wind River Mountains see our volume xxi, p. 134, note -35.—ED. - -[314] The route lay almost directly north from the Yellowstone, along the -valley of what is now Shield’s River (named by Lewis and Clark for one of -their party), toward the sources of the Musselshell, the largest—with the -exception of the Yellowstone—southern tributary of the Missouri. See our -volume xxiii, p. 58, note 33.—ED. - -[315] Probably the Elk Mountains, lying between the two forks of the -Musselshell in Meagher County, Montana.—ED. - -[316] For the previous relations of De Smet with this chief see his -_Letters_ in our volume xxvii, pp. 317, 352.—ED. - -[317] For the Piegan, one division of the Blackfeet, see Maximilian’s -_Travels_ in our volume xxiii, pp. 95-97.—ED. - -[318] For this stream see our volume xxiii, p. 70, note 51. The camp was -probably upon one of the western affluents of the Judith, on the eastern -edge of the Little Belt Mountains.—ED. - -[319] For the Blood Indians, a branch of the Blackfoot tribe, consult -our volume xxiii, pp. 95-97, especially note 84. The Grosventres of the -Prairie, likewise called Fall Indians, are noted in our volume vi, p. -371, note 183; also our volume xxiii, pp. 75, 76. By the Blackfeet—his -final category—De Smet intends that branch of the tribe known as -Siksekai, or Blackfeet proper. See Maximilian’s description in our volume -xxiii, pp 95, 96.—ED. - -[320] Probably the missionary here mentioned was J. B. Thibault from Red -River, who travelled extensively in the Saskatchewan territory; see note -122, _ante_, p. 231.—ED. - -[321] The trader was Charles Larpenteur, then in the employ of the -American Fur Company. He left Fort Union July 8, with one keel-boat and -later made a Mackinac boat en route. See his journal in Elliott Coues, -_Forty Years a Fur-Trader on the Upper Missouri_, ii, pp. 237-242.—ED. - -[322] These tribes formed the Blackfoot confederacy, but the Sarcee -(Surcees) and Grosventres belonged to different stocks. For the former -see our volume xxiii, p. 90, note 77.—ED. - -[323] Sata was at Fort Benton in 1847, and acted as guide to Larpenteur -in the latter’s effort to reach the Flathead country. Larpenteur calls -him a half-breed Blackfoot and Flathead; evidently his mother was of the -latter tribe. See _Forty Years a Fur-Trader_, pp. 272, 274.—ED. - -[324] For the term “bourgeois” see our volume xxi, p. 183, note 33. -Larpenteur’s journal in _Forty Years a Fur-Trader_, ii, pp. 236-243, -explains why neither he nor Malcolm Clarke was at the fort when the -missionary arrived.—ED. - -[325] For Maria’s River see our volume xxiii, p. 84, note 73. Little -Sandy Creek, twenty-three miles below Maria’s, rises on the western slope -of Bearpaw Mountain, and flows west and then south into the Missouri. For -Maximilian’s description of the natural stone walls see our volume xxiii, -pp. 71-83; also the representations in our atlas, volume xxv, Plates 18, -61, 68, and 74.—ED. - -[326] For Porcupine River see our volume xxiii, p. 33, note 19. The -pyramid of elks’ horns is described in _ibid._, pp. 34, 35; and pictured -in our atlas, volume xxv, Plate 21. De Smet describes its later -destruction by a modern vandal, in Chittenden and Richardson, _De Smet_, -iv, p. 1372.—ED. - -[327] For Fort Union see our volume xxii, pp. 373-383. James Kipp, who -had been at Fort Clark during Maximilian’s visit, was at this time in -charge of Fort Union. See biographical sketch in our volume xxii, p. 345, -note 319.—ED. - -[328] Not the Grosventres of note 206, _ante_, but the Minitaree, also -called Grosventres (Big Bellies), for whom see our volume v, p. 113, note -76; also our volumes xxii, pp. 350, 359-363; xxiii, pp. 367-385. The -Minitaree removed to Fort Berthold in 1845.—ED. - -[329] For Fort Berthold see _ante_, p. 233, note 125. The clerk in charge -was probably Jacques Brugière, a nephew of James Kipp, who for many years -was at Fort Union. In 1847-48 he entered into partnership with Charles -Larpenteur for a trading venture to the Flatheads, which did not prove -successful. Theophile Brugière was also an American Fur Company employe, -who lived and married among the Yankton Sioux, becoming later the first -settler on the site of Sioux City, Iowa.—ED. - -[330] For Knife River see our volume xxii, p. 357, note 333.—ED. - -[331] This post was evidently Fort Mandan (or Clark); see our volume -xxii, p. 344, note 317, also xxiii, pp. 228-236. Des Autel (D’Isotille) -was clerk at Fort Mackenzie in the early forties, and aided Chardon -and Harvey in the massacre at this post, which led to its abandonment, -whereupon all the principals concerned were sent to lower posts. -Larpenteur reports Des Autel (Des Hôtel) as being in charge of Fort Clark -in 1847.—ED. - -[332] For the Arikara at the old Mandan village see our volume xxvii, p. -150, note 19 (De Smet).—ED. - -[333] According to the translation from the French given in Chittenden -and Richardson, _De Smet_, ii, p. 607, the voyagers were delayed five -days by adverse winds, reaching the camp, October 26, in the neighborhood -of Butes au Grés (or Sandstone Buttes), not far from Bismarck, North -Dakota. Henry Goulet (Goulé) afterwards resided at Sioux City, and during -the Harney campaign (1856) obtained permission to construct ferries in -that neighborhood. See South Dakota Department of History _Collections_, -i, p. 417.—ED. - -[334] For Fort Pierre see our volume xxii, p. 315, note 277, also pp. -317-321. For Honoré Picotte see our volume xxiv, p. 16, note 10.—ED. - -[335] Fleury’s Island is now called Farm Island, about two and a half -miles long, and the same distance below Fort Pierre. The post where -De Smet tarried, known as Fort Bouis or Fort Defiance, was erected by -Harvey, Primeau and Company who were acting in opposition to the American -Fur Company. The trade was with the Brulé Sioux, and the post was located -on the west bank of the Missouri at the mouth of Medicine Creek. It had -been founded but a short time before De Smet’s visit, but was soon bought -out by the American Fur Company, being then abandoned. - -For the Grande Detour (Big Bend) of the Missouri see our volume xxii, pp. -312, 313.—ED. - -[336] For Fort Lookout see our volume xxii, p. 304, note 261. The -bourgeois in charge was Colin Campbell, one of the best interpreters of -the region, who had accompanied Joshua Pilcher on the Arikara expedition -of 1823, and long served in the American Fur Company’s employ. Chittenden -and Richardson, _De Smet_, ii, pp. 609, 610, give the report of a council -held with the Sioux at this post, concerning their conversion.—ED. - -[337] For Running Water (Eau qui Court) River see our volume xxii, p. -291, note 252.—ED. - -[338] Apparently Bon Homme Island, the largest in that vicinity, for -which see our volume vi, p. 91, note 34.—ED. - -[339] For Fort Vermillion see our volume xxvii, p. 153, note 22 (De Smet). - -Major Joseph V. Hamilton was Indian agent at Council Bluffs, 1839-41; in -1843 Audubon found him at Fort George, in temporary charge of the agency -at that place.—ED. - -[340] For old Council Bluffs see our volume xxii, p. 275, note 231. See -also De Smet’s letters on this locality in Nebraska Historical Society -_Transactions_, i, pp. 42-44.—ED. - -[341] For Cabanné and the location of his post see our volume xxii, p. -271, note 226. - -For the early history of the Mormons in Missouri and Illinois, see our -volumes xx, pp. 94-99 with accompanying notes; xxiv, p. 119, note 99; and -xxvi, pp. 334-338. - -The charter of Nauvoo, their Illinois settlement, having been revoked -early in 1846, the Mormon leaders organized an emigration, and moved -west through Iowa to the Missouri River. Having held a council with the -neighboring Indians, they established winter quarters at what is now -Florence, Nebraska, where De Smet found them. Early in the spring of 1847 -a delegation was dispatched to seek a permanent home. The valley of Salt -Lake was chosen, and removals thither began in 1848. In a later letter -Father de Smet intimates that his account to them of the Salt Lake basin -had some influence in determining the site of their future home.—ED. - -[342] Brigham Young was born in Vermont in 1801; at the age of sixteen -he removed to New York, where he became a convert to Mormonism, entering -that church in 1832. Three years later he was chosen one of the twelve -apostles, and in 1837 led a band of followers to Missouri. After the -persecutions in that state, he aided in founding Nauvoo, Illinois, and in -1840 made a missionary trip to England. Upon the death of Joseph Smith, -Young became the head of the church—a position maintained until his death -in 1877. He guided the emigration to Salt Lake, and in 1850 was appointed -governor of the territory of Utah. - -De Smet’s early sympathy with the Mormons, as expressed at this time and -in other letters, later suffered a considerable change. See his letter of -1858 in Chittenden and Richardson, _De Smet_, iv, pp. 1407-1415.—ED. - -[343] The post at Bellevue, for which see our volume xxii, p. 267, note -221. - -Pierre Labbadie Sarpy, better known as Colonel Peter, was born in St. -Louis in 1805 of a prominent French Creole family. About 1822 he went -to the frontier as a trader, and thereafter preferred the free life of -the West to a conventional career in St. Louis. Upon the retirement of -Cabanné, Sarpy became the American Fur Company’s agent at Bellevue, where -he autocratically ruled for many years. His Indian wife Nekomi was a -woman of influence with the neighboring tribes. Colonel Sarpy aided the -Mormons on their emigration and assisted in building up the new territory -of Nebraska, establishing ferries, and maintaining several trading -posts. He removed from Bellevue to St. Mary’s, Iowa, later (1861) to -Plattsmouth, where he died in 1865.—ED. - -[344] For Laforce Papin see our volume xv, p. 143, note 44.—ED. - -[345] For these streams see our volumes v, p. 72, note 40; and xiv, pp. -219, 221, notes 170, 173. Table Creek is a small run in Otoe County, -Nebraska, at whose mouth is situated Nebraska City.—ED. - -[346] The site of St. Joseph was early known as Blacksnake Hills, -where Joseph Robidoux had a trading post—see our volumes xxii, p. 257, -note 210, and xxiv, p. 121, note 102. After the Platte purchase (1836) -settlers began flocking in, and in 1843 the town was platted, being named -St. Joseph for its founder. By the close of the year 1846, when De Smet -passed, the place had a population of nearly a thousand.—ED. - -[347] For the early history of Westport (Kansas City) see De Smet’s -_Letters_, our volume xxvii, p. 135, note 2.—ED. - -[348] For the Pawnee and their four great divisions see our volume xiv, -p. 233, note 179. See illustration of interior of a Kansa lodge, built in -a manner similar to the Pawnee, in _ibid._, p. 208.—ED. - -[349] See our volume xxvii, p. 208, note 82.—ED. - -[350] See on this subject of human sacrifice note 83 in De Smet’s -_Letters_, our volume xxvii, p. 210.—ED. - -[351] A name which they give to the Great Spirit.—DE SMET. - -[352] This method of smoking is in great repute among all the savages of -the West. It is of the same importance and equally as binding as an oath -among civilized nations. If two savages, ready to kill each other, can be -induced to accept the calumet, the dispute ceases, and the bond of their -friendship becomes stronger than ever.—DE SMET. - -[353] The ashki is a cord, made of horse-hair or of the bark of the -elm, which they prepare by boiling it in cold water. It varies from -twenty-five to sixty feet in length, and, although it is but about one -inch in thickness, it is strong enough to bind the most powerful man. -This they adorn with the quills of the porcupine, and with little bells. -The bells, besides for the sake of ornament, are intended to give notice -in case the victim makes any efforts to escape.—DE SMET. - -[354] For the Sanpoil Indians see De Smet’s _Letters_ in our volume -xxvii, p. 319, note 161.—ED. - -[355] For different forms of the name of the Yellowstone see our volume -xxii, p. 375, note 351.—ED. - -[356] Fort Augustus, the present Edmonton, Alberta.—ED. - -[357] For the former exploits of these two chiefs see De Smet’s _Letters_ -in our volume xxvii, pp. 285, 286.—ED. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PART II OF FARNHAM'S TRAVELS IN -THE GREAT WESTERN PRAIRIES, ETC., OCTOBER 21-DECEMBER 4, 1839; AND DE -SMET'S OREGON MISSIONS AND TRAVELS OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, -1845-1846 *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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