OCR Text |
Show 38 ' houses. Jlere we landrd, ami as it was late heforr all ibe canoes joined us, we were oblige<l to remain hrre this ('Vrujng, the diJliculties of the navigation having pcrmittt•<l us ~o make only six mih~s. This vilht~e is situatrd at the <'Xb't•mi· 1y of a lleep bend tow~u·ds the •·ight, and immediately a.boYc a ledge of high rocks, twenty feet above the mal'ks of thu highest flood, but broken in several plarcs, so as to form channels which are at pr·csent dry, extemling nearly across the river; this forms the second fall, or the place most p1'oha~ blywhil'h the [ndians imli<•atc by the wort\ Timm. While tho canoes were coming on, ca}ltain Clarke walked witb two men clown to cxamino t hcsc channels. On these •·ocks the Indians m·e accustomed to <h·y fish, and as the season for that purpose is now ovcl', tho poles wlaieh they usc a.re tied up very securely in bundles, and placed on the s<"afl'olds. 'l'hc stocl" of lhb dried and llounded wcJ'e so abundant that he counted one hundred and seven of them making mor·e than ten thousand IJounds of illat pr·ovision. After examining the narrows as weJl as the lai<'ncss of the hour would p<>rmit, he rf"tm·ncd to the village though a a·ocky open countl'y, inft•sted with polecats. '!'his village, the rcsiclcnec of a. tJ•ihc Ntllcd tho Echeloots, consists of twenty -one houses, scattered p•·omiscuously over an c)c,'atcd situation, nca1· a mound about thirty feet above tho common level, which has some remains of houses on it, and bears eyery appea1·ance of being artiflcial. The hou es, whieh are the fit·st WOO(lcn builtlings we bave seen sine~ leaving the JIJjnois count!·), are ncat·ly equal in si~c, and exhilJit ~' vct·y iugulat• appearance. A large bole. twenty feel wide ami thit·ty in length, is dug to the depth of six feet. '!'he sides arc thl'nlincd wil h S})lit pieces of timber, l'isiug just above the sul'i'aee of the ground, which arc smoothed to the same width by but·ning, or shaved with small il•on axes. (l'hesc timbers are secured in theil' tweet position by a pole, stt·etched along the side of the building near the etncs, and suppol'ted on a stl'ong post fixed at each Up the .JJiissouri. corn~r. 'rhc timbers at the gn.ble ends rise gra<lually higher, the middle pirccs being the Jwoadest. At th(> top of tbe~sc is a sort of semicin~lc. made to receive a ridgc-)lOlc. the wbolo length of the house, propped by an additional post io the middle. and fot·uling the top of the roof. }"rom this ridgepole to the caves oft he house, arc place<\ a number of small poles or rafters~ se<\ut·cd at caeh end by fiba·cs of' the cedar. On these llolcs. which a1·c connected by small ti·ansvt'll'SC bal'S of wood. is laid a con·l'ing of the white ccdaa·, ot· arbor vitre, kept on by the stt·ands ol' the cedar iilJrcs: but a small dis~ tancc along the whole length oft be ••idgc-l)ole is lel't uncovered for the (llll'posc or light. and pt•rmittin~ tlw smoke to pass through. The roof thus l"ol·mcd has a dcsr ·nt about t~qual to that common amon~st us, and neal' the caves is pcrfot'atc<J with a number of small holes, made most p1·oba1Jiy to dis~ charge their anows in case of an attack. 'I'bc only entrance is by a small door at the gable end, cut out of the middle piece or timber. twenty-nine and a half inelws high, and fourteen inches broad, and reaching only <'ightccn inches above the earth. Before this hole is hung a mat, and on pushing it aside aml cl'awling tht·ough, the descent is by a small 'voodt.'n lathlet·, made in the l'ot·m of tho e used amongst us. One haH' of the inside is used as a. place of deposit for tbeit dl'icd fish, of which thct•e at·c large quantities stored away. am\ with a few baskets of IJcrries for·m the only family provisions; the other half adjoining the door, remains fot• tho acC'ommodation of the family. On each side arc at·ranged ncar the walls, small hcds or Jllats }llaccd on little scaffolds or bedsteads, raised ft·om eighteen inches to three feet f1·om the gt·ound, and in the middle of the vacant s1mcc is tbe fire, or somcti mcs two or tlu·ct· til'cs, when, as is imlccd usually the case, the house contains th1·ee families. 1,Jae inlaabitauts received us with g•·cat kinducss-inYited us to their houses, and iu tho evening, after our camp had been formed, ca.mc in great numbet·s to see us: accompany ing them was a principal chief, and several of the warl'io1:s |