first across the continent-第50部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　a　favorite　food；　for　it　is　found　to　be　a　strong；　healthy　diet；　preferable　to　lean　deer　or　elk；　and　much　superior　to　horseflesh　in　any　state。　With　these　he　proceeded　along　the　south　side　of　the　river；　and　joined　us　in　the　evening。〃

Above　the　rapids　the　party　encountered　two　tribes　of　Indians　from　whom　they　endeavored　to　buy　horses；　for　they　were　now　approaching　a　point　when　they　must　leave　the　river　and　travel　altogether　by　land。　One　of　these　tribes　was　known　as　the　Weocksockwillacurns；　and　the　other　was　the　Chilluckittequaws。　　These　jaw…breaking　names　are　commended　to　those　who　think　that　the　Indian　names　of　northern　Maine　are　difficult　to　handle。　　Trees　were　now　growing　scarcer；　and　the　wide　lowlands　spread　out　before　the　explorers　stretched　to　the　base　of　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains　without　trees；　but　covered　with　luxuriant　grass　and　herbage。　After　being　confined　so　long　to　the　thick　forests　and　mountains　of　the　seacoast；　the　party　found　this　prospect　very　exhilarating；　notwithstanding　the　absence　of　forests　and　thickets。　The　climate；　too；　was　much　more　agreeable　than　that　to　which　they　had　lately　been　accustomed；　being　dry　and　pure。



Chapter　XX

The　Last　Stage　of　the　Columbia

On　the　thirteenth　of　April　the　party　reached　the　series　of　falls　and　rapids　which　they　called　the　Long　Narrows。　　At　the　point　reached　the　river　is　confined；　for　a　space　of　about　fourteen　miles；　to　narrow　channels　and　rocky　falls。　　The　Long　Narrows　are　now　known　as　the　Dalles。　　The　word　〃dalles〃　is　French；　and　signifies　flagstones；　such　as　are　used　for　sidewalks。　Many　of　the　rocks　in　these　narrows　are　nearly　flat　on　top；　and　even　the　precipitous　banks　look　like　walls　of　rock。　At　the　upper　end　of　the　rapids；　or　dalles；　is　Celilo　City；　and　at　the　lower　end　is　Dalles　City；　sometimes　known　as　〃The　Dalles。〃　　Both　of　these　places　are　in　Oregon；　the　total　fall　of　the　water　from　Celilo　to　the　Dalles　is　over　eighty　feet。　Navigation　of　these　rapids　is　impossible。　　As　the　explorers　had　no　further　use　for　their　pirogues；　they　broke　them　up　for　fuel。　The　merchandise　was　laboriously　carried　around　on　the　river　bank。　They　were　able　to　buy　four　horses　from　the　Skilloots　for　which　they　paid　well　in　goods。　　It　was　now　nearly　time　for　the　salmon　to　begin　to　run；　and　under　date　of　April　19　the　journal　has　this　entry：

〃The　whole　village　was　filled　with　rejoicing　to…day　at　having　caught　a　single　salmon；　which　was　considered　as　the　harbinger　of　vast　quantities　in　four　or　five　days。　　In　order　to　hasten　their　arrival　the　Indians；　according　to　custom；　dressed　the　fish　and　cut　it　into　small　pieces；　one　of　which　was　given　to　each　child　in　the　village。　In　the　good　humor　excited　by　this　occurrence　they　parted；　though　reluctantly；　with　four　other　horses；　for　which　we　gave　them　two　kettles；　reserving　only　a　single　small　one　for　a　mess　of　eight　men。　　Unluckily；　however；　we　lost　one　of　the　horses　by　the　negligence　of　the　person　to　whose　charge　he　was　committed。　The　rest　were；　therefore；　hobbled　and　tied；　but　as　the　nations　here　do　not　understand　gelding；　all　the　horses　but　one　were　stallions；　this　being　the　season　when　they　are　most　vicious；　we　had　great　difficulty　in　managing　them；　and　were　obliged　to　keep　watch　over　them　all　night。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

As　it　was　obviously　our　interest　to　preserve　the　goodwill　of　these　people；　we　passed　over　several　small　thefts　which　they　committed；　but　this　morning　we　learnt　that　six　tomahawks　and　a　knife　had　been　stolen　during　the　night。　　We　addressed　ourselves　to　the　chief；　who　seemed　angry　with　his　people；　and　made　a　harangue　to　them；　but　we　did　not　recover　the　articles；　and　soon　afterward　two　of　our　spoons　were　missing。　　We　therefore　ordered　them　all　from　our　camp；　threatening　to　beat　severely　any　one　detected　in　purloining。　This　harshness　irritated　them　so　much　that　they　left　us　in　an　ill…humor；　and　we　therefore　kept　on　our　guard　against　any　insult。　Besides　this　knavery；　the　faithlessness　of　the　people　is　intolerable；　frequently；　after　receiving　goods　in　exchange　for　a　horse；　they　return　in　a　few　hours　and　insist　on　revoking　the　bargain　or　receiving　some　additional　value。　We　discovered；　too；　that　the　horse　which　was　missing　yesterday　had　been　gambled　away　by　the　fellow　from　whom　we　had　purchased　him；　to　a　man　of　a　different　nation；　who　had　carried　him　off。　We　succeeded　in　buying　two　more　horses；　two　dogs；　and　some　chappelell；　and　also　exchanged　a　couple　of　elk…skins　for　a　gun　belonging　to　the　chief　。　。　。　One　of　the　canoes；　for　which　the　Indians　would　give　us　very　little；　was　cut　up　for　fuel；　two　others；　together　with　some　elk…skins　and　pieces　of　old　iron；　we　bartered　for　beads；　and　the　remaining　two　small　ones　were　despatched　early　next　morning；　with　all　the　baggage　which　could　not　be　carried　on　horseback。　We　had　intended　setting　out　at　the　same　time；　but　one　of　our　horses　broke　loose　during　the　night；　and　we　were　under　the　necessity　of　sending　several　men　in　search　of　him。　　In　the　mean　time；　the　Indians；　who　were　always　on　the　alert；　stole　a　tomahawk；　which　we　could　not　recover；　though　several　of　them　were　searched；　and　another　fellow　was　detected　in　carrying　off　a　piece　of　iron；　and　kicked　out　of　camp；　upon　which　Captain　Lewis；　addressing　them；　told　them　he　was　not　afraid　to　fight　them；　for；　if　he　chose；　he　could　easily　put　them　all　to　death；　and　burn　their　village；　but　that　he　did　not　wish　to　treat　them　ill　if　they　kept　from　stealing；　and　that；　although；　if　he　could　discover　who　had　the　tomahawks；　he　would　take　away　their　horses；　yet　he　would　rather　lose　the　property　altogether　than　take　the　horse　of　an　innocent　man。　The　chiefs　were　present　at　this　harangue；　hung　their　heads；　and　made　no　reply。

〃At　ten　o'clock　the　men　returned　with　the　horse；　and　soon　after　an　Indian；　who　had　promised　to　go　with　us　as　far　as　the　Chopunnish；　came　with　two　horses；　one　of　which　he　politely　offered　to　assist　in　carrying　our　baggage。　We　therefore　loaded　nine　horses；　and；　giving　the　tenth　to　Bratton；　who　was　still　too　sick　to　walk；　at　about　ten　o'clock　left　the　village　of　these　disagreeable　people。〃

At　an　Indian　village　which　they　reached　soon　after　leaving　that　of　the　disagreeable　Skilloots；　they　found　the　fellow　who　had　gambled　away　the　horse　that　he　had　sold。　　Being　faced　with　punishment；　he　agreed　to　replace　the　animal　he　had　stolen　with　another；　and　a　very　good　horse　was　brought　to　satisfy　the　white　men；　who　were　now　determined　to　pursue　a　rigid　course　with　the　thievish　Indians　among　whom　they　found　themselves。　　These　people；　the　Eneeshurs；　were　stingy；　inhospitable；　and　overbearing　in　their　ways。　Nothing　but　the　formidable　numbers　of　the　white　men　saved　them　from　insult；　pillage；　and　even　murder。　　While　they　were　here；　one　of　the　horses　belonging　to　the　party　broke　loose　and　ran　towards　the　Indian　village。　A　buffalo　robe　attached　to　him　fell　off　and　was　gathered　in　by　one　of　the　Eneeshurs。　　Captain　Lewis；　whose　patience　was　now　exhausted；　set　out；　determined　to　burn　the　village　unless　the　Indians　restored　the　robe。　Fortunately；　however；　one　of　his　men　found　the　missing　article　hidden　in　a　hut；　and　so　any　act　of　violent　reprisal　was　not　necessary。

So　scarce　had　now　become　fuel；　the　party　were　obliged　to　buy　what　little　wood　they　required　for　their　single　cooking…fire。　They　could　not　afford　a　fire　to　keep　them　warm；　and；　as　the　nights　were　cold　and　they　lay　without　any　shelter；　they　were　most　uncomfortable；　although　the　days　were　warm。　They　were　now　travelling　along　the　Columbia　River；　using　their　horses　for　a　part　of　their　luggage；　and　towing　the　canoes　with　the　remainder　of　the　stuff。　　On　the　twenty…third　of　April　they　arrived　at　the　mouth　of　Rock　Creek；　on　the　Columbia；　a　considerable　stream　which　they　missed　as　they　passed　this　point　on　their　way　down；　October　21。　　Here　they　met　a　company　of　Indians　called　the　Wahhowpum；　with　whom　they　traded　pewter　buttons；　strips　of　tin　and　twisted　wire　for　roots；　dogs；　and　fuel。　These　people　were　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　the　salmon。　The　journal　says：

〃After　arranging　the　camp　we　assembled　all　the　warriors；　and　having　smoked　with　them；　the　violins　were　produced；　and　some　of　the　men　danced。　This　civility　was　returned　by　the　Indians　in　a　style　of　dancing；　such　as　we　had　not　yet　seen。　　The　spectators　formed　a　circle　round　the　dancers；　who；　with　their　robes　drawn　tightly　round　the　shoulders；　and　divided　into　parties　of　five　or　six　men；　perform　by　crossing　in　a　line　from　one　side　of　the　circle　to　the　other。　All　the　parties；　performers　as　well　as　spectators；　sing；　and　after　proceeding　in　this　way　for　some　time；　the　spectators　join；　and　the　whole　concludes　by　a　promiscuous　dance　and　song。　Having　finished；　the　natives　retired　at　our　request；　after　promising　to　barter　horses　with　us　in　the　morning。〃

They　bought　three　horses　of　these　Indians　and　hired　three　more　from　a　Chopunnish　who　was　to　accompany　them。　The　journal　adds：

〃The　natives　also　had　promised　to　take　our　canoes　in　exchange　for　horses；　but　when　they　found　that　we　were　resolved　on　travelling　by　land　they　refused　giving　us　anything；　in　hopes　that　we　would　be　forced　to　leave　them。　Disgusted　at　this　conduct；　we　determined　rather　to　cut　them　to　pieces　than　suffer　these　people　to　enjoy　them；　and　actually　began　to　split　them；　on　which　they　gave　us　seve