The Adventures of Captain Bonneville

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Having reached Gun Creek, an important stream coming from the left,
Captain Bonneville turned up its course, to traverse the mountain and
avoid the great bend of Snake River. Being now out of the range of the
Bannecks, he sent out his people in all directions to hunt the antelope
for present supplies; keeping the dried meats for places where game
might be scarce.

During four days that the party were ascending Gun Creek, the smoke
continued to increase so rapidly that it was impossible to distinguish
the face of the country and ascertain landmarks. Fortunately, the
travellers fell upon an Indian trail which led them to the head-waters
of the Fourche de Glace or Ice River, sometimes called the Grand
Rond. Here they found all the plains and valleys wrapped in one vast
conflagration; which swept over the long grass in billows of flame, shot
up every bush and tree, rose in great columns from the groves, and set
up clouds of smoke that darkened the atmosphere. To avoid this sea of
fire, the travellers had to pursue their course close along the foot
of the mountains; but the irritation from the smoke continued to be
tormenting.

The country about the head-waters of the Grand Rond spreads out into
broad and level prairies, extremely fertile, and watered by mountain
springs and rivulets. These prairies are resorted to by small bands of
the Skynses, to pasture their horses, as well as to banquets upon the
salmon which abound in the neighboring waters. They take these fish in
great quantities and without the least difficulty; simply taking them
out of the water with their hands, as they flounder and struggle in
the numerous long shoals of the principal streams. At the time the
travellers passed over these prairies, some of the narrow, deep streams
by which they were intersected were completely choked with salmon, which
they took in great numbers. The wolves and bears frequent these streams
at this season, to avail themselves of these great fisheries.

The travellers continued, for many days, to experience great
difficulties and discomforts from this wide conflagration, which seemed
to embrace the whole wilderness. The sun was for a great part of the
time obscured by the smoke, and the loftiest mountains were hidden from
view. Blundering along in this region of mist and uncertainty, they were
frequently obliged to make long circuits, to avoid obstacles which they
could not perceive until close upon them. The Indian trails were their
safest guides, for though they sometimes appeared to lead them out of
their direct course, they always conducted them to the passes.

On the 26th of August, they reached the head of the Way-lee-way River.
Here, in a valley of the mountains through which this head-water makes
its way, they found a band of the Skynses, who were extremely sociable,
and appeared to be well disposed, and as they spoke the Nez Perce
language, an intercourse was easily kept up with them.

In the pastures on the bank of this stream, Captain Bonneville encamped
for a time, for the purpose of recruiting the strength of his horses.
Scouts were now sent out to explore the surrounding country, and search
for a convenient pass through the mountains toward the Wallamut or
Multnomah. After an absence of twenty days they returned weary and
discouraged. They had been harassed and perplexed in rugged mountain
defiles, where their progress was continually impeded by rocks and
precipices. Often they had been obliged to travel along the edges of
frightful ravines, where a false step would have been fatal. In one of
these passes, a horse fell from the brink of a precipice, and would have
been dashed to pieces had he not lodged among the branches of a tree,
from which he was extricated with great difficulty. These, however, were
not the worst of their difficulties and perils. The great conflagration
of the country, which had harassed the main party in its march, was
still more awful the further this exploring party proceeded. The flames
which swept rapidly over the light vegetation of the prairies assumed
a fiercer character and took a stronger hold amid the wooded glens and
ravines of the mountains. Some of the deep gorges and defiles sent up
sheets of flame, and clouds of lurid smoke, and sparks and cinders that
in the night made them resemble the craters of volcanoes. The groves and
forests, too, which crowned the cliffs, shot up their towering columns
of fire, and added to the furnace glow of the mountains. With these
stupendous sights were combined the rushing blasts caused by the
rarefied air, which roared and howled through the narrow glens, and
whirled forth the smoke and flames in impetuous wreaths. Ever and anon,
too, was heard the crash of falling trees, sometimes tumbling from crags
and precipices, with tremendous sounds.

In the daytime, the mountains were wrapped in smoke so dense and
blinding, that the explorers, if by chance they separated, could only
find each other by shouting. Often, too, they had to grope their way
through the yet burning forests, in constant peril from the limbs and
trunks of trees, which frequently fell across their path. At length
they gave up the attempt to find a pass as hopeless, under actual
circumstances, and made their way back to the camp to report their
failure.




45.

The Skynses--Their traffic--Hunting--Food--Horses--A horse-
race--Devotional feeling of the Skynses, Nez Perces and
Flatheads--Prayers--Exhortations--A preacher on horseback
Effect of religion on the manners of the tribes--A new
light.

DURING the absence of this detachment, a sociable intercourse had been
kept up between the main party and the Skynses, who had removed into
the neighborhood of the camp. These people dwell about the waters of
the Way-lee-way and the adjacent country, and trade regularly with
the Hudson's Bay Company; generally giving horses in exchange for the
articles of which they stand in need. They bring beaver skins, also, to
the trading posts; not procured by trapping, but by a course of internal
traffic with the shy and ignorant Shoshokoes and Too-el-icans, who keep
in distant and unfrequented parts of the country, and will not venture
near the trading houses. The Skynses hunt the deer and elk occasionally;
and depend, for a part of the year, on fishing. Their main subsistence,
however, is upon roots, especially the kamash. This bulbous root is said
to be of a delicious flavor, and highly nutritious. The women dig it
up in great quantities, steam it, and deposit it in caches for winter
provisions. It grows spontaneously, and absolutely covers the plains.

This tribe was comfortably clad and equipped. They had a few rifles
among them, and were extremely desirous of bartering for those of
Captain Bonneville's men; offering a couple of good running horses for
a light rifle. Their first-rate horses, however, were not to be procured
from them on any terms. They almost invariably use ponies; but of a
breed infinitely superior to any in the United States. They are fond of
trying their speed and bottom, and of betting upon them.

As Captain Bonneville was desirous of judging of the comparative merit
of their horses, he purchased one of their racers, and had a trial of
speed between that, an American, and a Shoshonie, which were supposed to
be well matched. The race-course was for the distance of one mile and a
half out and back. For the first half mile the American took the lead
by a few hands; but, losing his wind, soon fell far behind; leaving the
Shoshonie and Skynse to contend together. For a mile and a half they
went head and head: but at the turn the Skynse took the lead and won the
race with great ease, scarce drawing a quick breath when all was over.

The Skynses, like the Nez Perces and the Flatheads, have a strong
devotional feeling, which has been successfully cultivated by some
of the resident personages of the Hudson's Bay Company. Sunday is
invariably kept sacred among these tribes. They will not raise their
camp on that day, unless in extreme cases of danger or hunger: neither
will they hunt, nor fish, nor trade, nor perform any kind of labor on
that day. A part of it is passed in prayer and religious ceremonies.
Some chief, who is generally at the same time what is called a "medicine
man," assembles the community. After invoking blessings from the Deity,
he addresses the assemblage, exhorting them to good conduct; to be
diligent in providing for their families; to abstain from lying and
stealing; to avoid quarrelling or cheating in their play, and to be
just and hospitable to all strangers who may be among them. Prayers
and exhortations are also made, early in the morning, on week days.
Sometimes, all this is done by the chief from horseback; moving slowly
about the camp, with his hat on, and uttering his exhortations with
a loud voice. On all occasions, the bystanders listen with profound
attention; and at the end of every sentence respond one word in unison,
apparently equivalent to an amen. While these prayers and exhortations
are going on, every employment in the camp is suspended. If an Indian
is riding by the place, he dismounts, holds his horse, and attends with
reverence until all is done. When the chief has finished his prayer
or exhortation, he says, "I have done," upon which there is a general
exclamation in unison. With these religious services, probably derived
from the white men, the tribes above-mentioned mingle some of their old
Indian ceremonials, such as dancing to the cadence of a song or ballad,
which is generally done in a large lodge provided for the purpose.
Besides Sundays, they likewise observe the cardinal holidays of the
Roman Catholic Church.

Whoever has introduced these simple forms of religions among these poor
savages, has evidently understood their characters and capacities, and
effected a great melioration of their manners. Of this we speak not
merely from the testimony of Captain Bonneville, but likewise from
that of Mr. Wyeth, who passed some months in a travelling camp of the
Flatheads. "During the time I have been with them," says he, "I have
never known an instance of theft among them: the least thing, even to
a bead or pin, is brought to you, if found; and often, things that have
been thrown away. Neither have I known any quarrelling, nor lying. This
absence of all quarrelling the more surprised me, when I came to see the
various occasions that would have given rise to it among the whites: the
crowding together of from twelve to eighteen hundred horses, which have
to be driven into camp at night, to be picketed, to be packed in the
morning; the gathering of fuel in places where it is extremely scanty.
All this, however, is done without confusion or disturbance.

"They have a mild, playful, laughing disposition; and this is portrayed
in their countenances. They are polite, and unobtrusive. When one
speaks, the rest pay strict attention: when he is done, another assents
by 'yes,' or dissents by 'no;' and then states his reasons, which are
listened to with equal attention. Even the children are more peaceable
than any other children. I never heard an angry word among them, nor
any quarrelling; although there were, at least, five hundred of them
together, and continually at play. With all this quietness of spirit,
they are brave when put to the test; and are an overmatch for an equal
number of Blackfeet."

The foregoing observations, though gathered from Mr. Wyeth as relative
to the Flatheads, apply, in the main, to the Skynses also. Captain
Bonneville, during his sojourn with the latter, took constant occasion,
in conversing with their principal men, to encourage them in the
cultivation of moral and religious habits; drawing a comparison between
their peaceable and comfortable course of life and that of other tribes,
and attributing it to their superior sense of morality and religion. He
frequently attended their religious services, with his people; always
enjoining on the latter the most reverential deportment; and he observed
that the poor Indians were always pleased to have the white men present.

The disposition of these tribes is evidently favorable to a considerable
degree of civilization. A few farmers settled among them might lead
them, Captain Bonneville thinks, to till the earth and cultivate grain;
the country of the Skynses and Nez Perces is admirably adapted for the
raising of cattle. A Christian missionary or two, and some trifling
assistance from government, to protect them from the predatory and
warlike tribes, might lay the foundation of a Christian people in the
midst of the great western wilderness, who would "wear the Americans
near their hearts."

We must not omit to observe, however, in qualification of the sanctity
of this Sabbath in the wilderness, that these tribes who are all
ardently addicted to gambling and horseracing, make Sunday a peculiar
day for recreations of the kind, not deeming them in any wise out of
season. After prayers and pious ceremonies are over, there is scarce an
hour in the day, says Captain Bonneville, that you do not see several
horses racing at full speed; and in every corner of the camp are groups
of gamblers, ready to stake everything upon the all-absorbing game of
hand. The Indians, says Wyeth, appear to enjoy their amusements with
more zest than the whites. They are great gamblers; and in proportion to
their means, play bolder and bet higher than white men.

The cultivation of the religious feeling, above noted, among the
savages, has been at times a convenient policy with some of the more
knowing traders; who have derived great credit and influence among them
by being considered "medicine men;" that is, men gifted with mysterious
knowledge. This feeling is also at times played upon by religious
charlatans, who are to be found in savage as well as civilized life. One
of these was noted by Wyeth, during his sojourn among the Flat-heads.
A new great man, says he, is rising in the camp, who aims at power
and sway. He covers his designs under the ample cloak of religion;
inculcating some new doctrines and ceremonials among those who are more
simple than himself. He has already made proselytes of one-fifth of
the camp; beginning by working on the women, the children, and the
weak-minded. His followers are all dancing on the plain, to their own
vocal music. The more knowing ones of the tribe look on and laugh;
thinking it all too foolish to do harm; but they will soon find that
women, children, and fools, form a large majority of every community,
and they will have, eventually, to follow the new light, or be
considered among the profane. As soon as a preacher or pseudo prophet of
the kind gets followers enough, he either takes command of the tribe, or
branches off and sets up an independent chief and "medicine man."




46.

Scarcity in the camp--Refusal of supplies by the Hudson's
Bay Company--Conduct of the Indians--A hungry retreat--John
Day's River--The Blue Mountains--Salmon fishing on Snake
River Messengers from the Crow country--Bear River Valley--
immense migration of buffalo--Danger of buffalo hunting--A
wounded Indian--Eutaw Indians--A "surround" of antelopes.

PROVISIONS were now growing scanty in the camp, and Captain Bonneville
found it necessary to seek a new neighborhood. Taking leave, therefore,
of his friends, the Skynses, he set off to the westward, and, crossing
a low range of mountains, encamped on the head-waters of the Ottolais.
Being now within thirty miles of Fort Wallah-Wallah, the trading post of
the Hudson's Bay Company, he sent a small detachment of men thither
to purchase corn for the subsistence of his party. The men were well
received at the fort; but all supplies for their camp were peremptorily
refused. Tempting offers were made them, however, if they would leave
their present employ, and enter into the service of the company; but
they were not to be seduced.

When Captain Bonneville saw his messengers return empty-handed, he
ordered an instant move, for there was imminent danger of famine. He
pushed forward down the course of the Ottolais, which runs diagonal
to the Columbia, and falls into it about fifty miles below the
Wallah-Wallah. His route lay through a beautiful undulating country,
covered with horses belonging to the Skynses, who sent them there for
pasturage.

On reaching the Columbia, Captain Bonneville hoped to open a trade with
the natives, for fish and other provisions, but to his surprise they
kept aloof, and even hid themselves on his approach. He soon discovered
that they were under the influence of the Hudson's Bay Company, who had
forbidden them to trade, or hold any communion with him. He proceeded
along the Columbia, but it was everywhere the same; not an article of
provisions was to be obtained from the natives, and he was at length
obliged to kill a couple of his horses to sustain his famishing people.
He now came to a halt, and consulted what was to be done. The broad and
beautiful Columbia lay before them, smooth and unruffled as a mirror; a
little more journeying would take them to its lower region; to the noble
valley of the Wallamut, their projected winter quarters. To advance
under present circumstances would be to court starvation. The resources
of the country were locked against them, by the influence of a jealous
and powerful monopoly. If they reached the Wallamut, they could scarcely
hope to obtain sufficient supplies for the winter; if they lingered any
longer in the country the snows would gather upon the mountains and
cut off their retreat. By hastening their return, they would be able to
reach the Blue Mountains just in time to find the elk, the deer, and the
bighorn; and after they had supplied themselves with provisions, they
might push through the mountains before they were entirely blocked by
snow. Influenced by these considerations, Captain Bonneville reluctantly
turned his back a second time on the Columbia, and set off for the Blue
Mountains. He took his course up John Day's River, so called from one
of the hunters in the original Astorian enterprise. As famine was at
his heels, he travelled fast, and reached the mountains by the 1st of
October. He entered by the opening made by John Day's River; it was a
rugged and difficult defile, but he and his men had become accustomed
to hard scrambles of the kind. Fortunately, the September rains had
extinguished the fires which recently spread over these regions; and the
mountains, no longer wrapped in smoke, now revealed all their grandeur
and sublimity to the eye.

They were disappointed in their expectation of finding abundant game in
the mountains; large bands of the natives had passed through, returning
from their fishing expeditions, and had driven all the game before them.
It was only now and then that the hunters could bring in sufficient to
keep the party from starvation.

To add to their distress, they mistook their route, and wandered for
ten days among high and bald hills of clay. At length, after much
perplexity, they made their way to the banks of Snake River, following
the course of which, they were sure to reach their place of destination.

It was the 20th of October when they found themselves once more upon
this noted stream. The Shoshokoes, whom they had met with in such scanty
numbers on their journey down the river, now absolutely thronged its
banks to profit by the abundance of salmon, and lay up a stock for
winter provisions. Scaffolds were everywhere erected, and immense
quantities of fish drying upon them. At this season of the year,
however, the salmon are extremely poor, and the travellers needed their
keen sauce of hunger to give them a relish.

In some places the shores were completely covered with a stratum of dead
salmon, exhausted in ascending the river, or destroyed at the falls; the
fetid odor of which tainted the air.

It was not until the travellers reached the head-waters of the Portneuf
that they really found themselves in a region of abundance. Here the
buffaloes were in immense herds; and here they remained for three days,
slaying and cooking, and feasting, and indemnifying themselves by an
enormous carnival, for a long and hungry Lent. Their horses, too, found
good pasturage, and enjoyed a little rest after a severe spell of hard
travelling.

During this period, two horsemen arrived at the camp, who proved to be
messengers sent express for supplies from Montero's party; which had
been sent to beat up the Crow country and the Black Hills, and to winter
on the Arkansas. They reported that all was well with the party, but
that they had not been able to accomplish the whole of their mission,
and were still in the Crow country, where they should remain until
joined by Captain Bonneville in the spring. The captain retained the
messengers with him until the 17th of November, when, having reached the
caches on Bear River, and procured thence the required supplies, he sent
them back to their party; appointing a rendezvous toward the last of
June following, on the forks of Wind River Valley, in the Crow country.

He now remained several days encamped near the caches, and having
discovered a small band of Shoshonies in his neighborhood, purchased
from them lodges, furs, and other articles of winter comfort, and
arranged with them to encamp together during the winter.

The place designed by the captain for the wintering ground was on the
upper part of Bear River, some distance off. He delayed approaching it
as long as possible, in order to avoid driving off the buffaloes, which
would be needed for winter provisions. He accordingly moved forward but
slowly, merely as the want of game and grass obliged him to shift his
position. The weather had already become extremely cold, and the snow
lay to a considerable depth. To enable the horses to carry as much dried
meat as possible, he caused a cache to be made, in which all the baggage
that could be spared was deposited. This done, the party continued to
move slowly toward their winter quarters.

They were not doomed, however, to suffer from scarcity during the
present winter. The people upon Snake River having chased off the
buffaloes before the snow had become deep, immense herds now came
trooping over the mountains; forming dark masses on their sides, from
which their deep-mouthed bellowing sounded like the low peals and
mutterings from a gathering thunder-cloud. In effect, the cloud broke,
and down came the torrent thundering into the valley. It is utterly
impossible, according to Captain Bonneville, to convey an idea of the
effect produced by the sight of such countless throngs of animals of
such bulk and spirit, all rushing forward as if swept on by a whirlwind.

The long privation which the travellers had suffered gave uncommon ardor
to their present hunting. One of the Indians attached to the party,
finding himself on horseback in the midst of the buffaloes, without
either rifle, or bow and arrows, dashed after a fine cow that was
passing close by him, and plunged his knife into her side with such
lucky aim as to bring her to the ground. It was a daring deed; but
hunger had made him almost desperate.

The buffaloes are sometimes tenacious of life, and must be wounded
in particular parts. A ball striking the shagged frontlet of a
bull produces no other effect than a toss of the head and greater
exasperation; on the contrary, a ball striking the forehead of a cow
is fatal. Several instances occurred during this great hunting bout,
of bulls fighting furiously after having received mortal wounds.
Wyeth, also, was witness to an instance of the kind while encamped
with Indians. During a grand hunt of the buffaloes, one of the Indians
pressed a bull so closely that the animal turned suddenly on him. His
horse stopped short, or started back, and threw him. Before he could
rise the bull rushed furiously upon him, and gored him in the chest so
that his breath came out at the aperture. He was conveyed back to the
camp, and his wound was dressed. Giving himself up for slain, he called
round him his friends, and made his will by word of mouth. It was
something like a death chant, and at the end of every sentence those
around responded in concord. He appeared no ways intimidated by the
approach of death. "I think," adds Wyeth, "the Indians die better than
the white men; perhaps from having less fear about the future."

The buffaloes may be approached very near, if the hunter keeps to the
leeward; but they are quick of scent, and will take the alarm and
move off from a party of hunters to the windward, even when two miles
distant.

The vast herds which had poured down into the Bear River Valley were now
snow-bound, and remained in the neighborhood of the camp throughout the
winter. This furnished the trappers and their Indian friends a perpetual
carnival; so that, to slay and eat seemed to be the main occupations of
the day. It is astonishing what loads of meat it requires to cope with
the appetite of a hunting camp.