OCR Text |
Show 14.2 retire to tho foot of the mountains, and along tho creek!i, ,vbich supply timber fot• houses, and pass the winter in hunting dee1• or elk~ which, with the aid of thch· fish, enables them to subsist till in the spring they resume the circle of their employments. During thcit· residence on the river, from May to September, or rather before they begin the rc. gular fishery, they go down to tho falls, carl'ying with them skins, mats, silk grass, rushes, and chappelcll bread. They are here overtal,en by the Cbopunnish, and othfr t ribcs of the Rocky mountains, who descend the Kooslwoskee and Lewi!' s river for the 1mrpose of selling bear-grass, horses, qua. mash, and a few skins which they have obtained by hunting, or in exchange for horses, with the Tushepaws. At the falls, they find tho Chilluckittcquaws, Eneciburs, Echeloots, and Skilloots, which last serve as intermediate traders or carriers behvecn the inhabitants above and below tho falls. These tribes prepare pounded fish for tbo market, and the nations below bring wa11patoo roots, the fish of the seacoast, berries, and a variety of trjokets and small articles wbich they have procured ft·om the whites. The tratle then begins. 'l'hc Chopunnish, and Indians of the Rocky mountains, exchange the articles which thoy have brought fot• wappatoo, pounded fish, and beads. '['ho Indians of the plains being thcit• o" u fishermen, take only wa}>patoo, horses, beads, and other articles, pl'ocurcll from Europeans. The Indians, however, from Lewis's riYcl' to the falls, consume as food or fuel all tho fish which they take; so that the wbole stock fur cxpol'tatiou is prepared by the nations between the Towahnahiooks aml the falls, and amounts, as nearly as we could estimate, to about thirty thousand weight, ;chiefly salmon, above the quantity ,vhich they use themselves, or hurter with the more eastern lnt\ians. This is now carried down the l'iver by the Indians at the falls, and is consumed am on~ the nations at the mouth of the Columbia, who in return give the fish of the seacoast, and thl' ~u·ticles which they obtain fl'om the whites. 'fhe twihh- Up t11e ~Iissom·i. bouring people catch la•·ge quantities of salmon and dry them, but they do not understand or practice the art of dryin~ and pounding it in the manner used at the falb, and being very fond ofit, arc forced to purchase it at high p1·ices. '.rhis article, indeed, anti the wappatoo, fol'Jn the principle subjects or trade with the people of our immediate vicinity. '.rho t.raf: fic is wholly cart·icd on by wat01·; the~·e are c ven no roads or paths t)u·ough the country, except across the portages uhich conneC'.t the creeks. But the cit·cumstancc which forms the soul of this trade, is the visit of the whicrs. '£hey al·t·ive generalJy about the month of April, ami either remain until October, ot• return at that time; during which time, lmving no establishment on shore, they anchor on the north side of the bay, at the place ah'eady described, which is a spacious and commodip ous ln1.rbour, perfectly secm·e ft·om all except the south and southeast winds; and as they leave it befo•·c winter, tbey do not suffer ft·~ these wiud'l, whi<•h, dul'ing that season, are the most usual and the most violent. 'l'his situation is recommended bJ its neighbourhood to ft•csh water and wood, as well as to cxcell<>nt timbe1· for rcpail·s. llcrc they are immediately visited by the tribes along the seacoast, by the Cathlamahs, and lastly by the Skilloots, that numerous ~nd active people, wJw skirt the river between the marshy 1slands and the graml rapids, as well a~ the Cowcliskcc, and who carry down the fish prepared by their immediate neighbours the Chilluckittequaws, .Eneesburs, ~nd Echceloots, residing from tlt~ gran\ rapitb to the taUs, as well as all the articles which they have pro. cured in barter at the mat·kct in May. 'l,hc accumulated trade of' the Columbia now consists of dressed and undl'essed skins of elk, sea-otter, the common otter, bP.aver, eom .. Blon fox, spuck, and tiger cat. '.rhe art ioles of les~ importance, are a small quantity of dried or pounded salmoat, th biscuit& made of the ellapelell roots, and some of the manu• faotures of tho Beighbourhood. Ill return they receil"e |