OCR Text |
Show Lewis mHt ()Larke's EXj)Cdllion oJcl Indian house; but befor~ the party rcttu,Jcd with them, the wcatbt·r cloucled, an<l we again had haiJ and 1·ain tlm·ing the rest of the day. Our only vi~itcrs were two Indians who spent a short time with us. Friday ~o. A sucocssion of rain and hail during the night. At ten o'clock it clear·cd oJf i'ot• a short time, but the rain soon l'ecomnwncctl; we now covered in four or out· huh; three Indians came in a canoe with mats. roots, and the IJcrrit':- t of the saeacommis. These lleOll)c proct·ed with a dexterity and tine!;se in theit· bargains, which, if they ha.v(' not learnt ft·om theit· foreign visiters, it ma.y show how nearly allied ii the cunning of savages to tho little arts of traffic. They bt.•gin by asldng double or treble the value of what they have to soli, aml lower thch· demand in )H'Opor·tion to the g•·eatca· or less deg•·ec of ardor or lmowlcdgc ot'the purchaser, who with all his management is not able to vrocurc the a1•ticlc for Jess tban its real value. whi(•h t.hr Indians per· fcctly understand. Our chief medium of tr~ule consists of' blue and white bead•, Jiles with which they sharpen their tools, fish-hooks. and tohacco: but of all these articles blue beadli and tobacco at•e the most esteemed. Saturday 2t.. As usual it ruitwd all night ami cont inucd \lithout intermission during the day. One of our Indiau vi1itcrs was detected in stealing a horn spoon, and turned out of the <'amp. 'Vc find that. tl•e plant called saracommis forms an agt·eeable mixtul'c with tobacco, aml we therefore despatched two men to tlte open lands nca.r the ocean, in order to collect some of it, while the rest continued theil' work. Sunday 22. 'rhere was no interval in the rain last night and to-day; so that we t.m.unot go on t•apidly with om· buildings. Some of the men are indeed quite sit•li, othm·s have received bruises, anti several cotn})lain of ltilcs. We discover too, that part or out• elk meat is spoiling in consequence of the warmth ur tltc weather, though we have kept a constani iimoke uuder it. l!1' the .],fissout•l. .1\'[omlay ~~. It continut'd raining th~ whole day, with no variation r.--<:CH'I)t occasional thumler and hail. rrwo canoe'S of Clatsops came to us wifh various cu·tiei('S for sale; lVe bought •hrc(' mat~ and bttgs neatly made of flags and rusht•s, and also the "kin of a )lantbcr seven rcet long, including the tail. For all tht•se we gav<' six small tisb· books, a worn~out file, and some ponnded fish whi<·h had become · so sul't and mouldy L.y ~xposure, that we could not use it: it is, however, ],;~hJ.v twiz('d by the lml!an~ of (11is nrighllout·hood. Although a very pot•tablt• and convenit·nt. food, the mode" or cul'ing seems known. or at least tn·actise'l only by the J ndiaus nt•at· the g1·t·at falls, and t•oming r .. om such a distanc<', has ~m additiona.l value iu the eyes ol'tiH·se people, who at·c anxious to posst~ ss some food k ss IH'('carious Hmn the it· ordinary subsistl'nce. AtUong- these ~Jat sops was a second chief to whom wr gave a medal, and sent :,ome llOuudct.l fish to Cuscalah, who ('Ould uot come to sec us, ou account of siekncss. 'l'hc next day, 'l"ucsclay 2i·, however, he came in a cano<' with his young brothet• and two S<Juaws. Jla,·ing h·ratt'd <'aptain ( 'lal'l\.t.' so kindly at his village we were plcaHctl to see him, and he gaHl us two mats and a. parcel of roots. These we aceet>tcd, as it would have been offensive to decline the offc1• hut al'tm·nards two files wet·c demanded in return l'ot· the p•·csents, and not being able to spat·o those :uticles, we l'estot·c·d the mats and roots. Cusca1ah was a little displeast>d: in the evcniug howve• · he otfcrcd each of us one or the squaws, aud even this b~ing declined, Cuscalah as well as the whole p~wty or [ndtans were highly offended: the f't~males I>:U't icularly scctucd to be much incensed at om· indifference about their· favours. The whole stock ol' meat being now completely spoiled, our pounded fish IJecamc again out· elaicl' dl'})('ttclencc. H ha(l rained constantly all day, l.lut we still conlinuctl working and at last moved into out· hut.s. Wetlncsday ~5. \Ve wct·c awaked at daylight by a tl.is hat·ge of firearms, whj•·h was followcll by a son" ft·om th~ |