Route across the Rocky Mountains, with a description of Oregon and California: their geographical features, their resources, soil, climate, productions, &c.

Page 66

12~ JOURNEY :FROl'ri OREGON , they believed it to be the white people's big village, and the last of the raee. U uder this belief, they entertained serious r.otions, of go­ing back. and taking possessio11 of the connt.ry which they had aban­doned. But un Emigration of twelve hundred the following year, and one of three thousur1d the present yeut·~ had un effect to open their eyes; and they Legan to respect theit· power. Col. Carney's visit this year, with two or three hunureu dragoons, had even made tbP-m to fear a little, and would, we believed, have a tendency to promote our safety. He had not only passed through the whole extent of their country, as far as the South Pass, but had called to­gethet ·, at Fort Luurimie, as great u numbc>r of those tribes as he could; among these were many of the it· Chiefs and braves, with whom he held a council; not only warning them of the punish­ment which they would receive, if they continued to molest and kill the Americans, but operating on their supet·stition, by a display of such things, as to them, were mysterious and supernat· ural. After he had had a long talk with the Chiefs, and told them what he wished them to ~o, and what not to do, in respect to the white. people passing through their country, he obtained from them a promise, that they would hencefot·th, in these respects, act aecor­ding to his wi~hes and requests. Having obtained this promise, which without the addition of rear would have been violated as free­ly as it hnd been given, he determined to work a little, if possible, upon their superstitions. The dragoons, with all military show, were paraded, .~nd a field piece rolleJ out upon the prairie. The Colonel then proclaimed to the Chiefs and bt·uves and to all the ' ' Indians assembled, that he was about to inform the Great Spirit of their promise, and call him to witness the covenant which they had made. He bade them look up and listen. A sky-rocket rose in the air, and darting away on its mission, had almost buried itself in the bosom of !he slcy, when it burst, flushed in the heavens, re· portP.d to the Great Mysterious, resolved itself again into its airy form, and the errand was accomplished. Anothet·, and another; three of the fit·y messenget·s arose in succession into the presence of the Great Spirit, and announced to him th.at the Sioux and Shians had entered into a solemn covenant' with a Chief of the white people, to be their friends, and to reRpect forever their lives and pr?perty. W.h.ile they stood, with all the awe which ignorance and bh?d superstttton could inspire, gazing into the heavens, where, JU,st now they had been luminous with the mysterious display, WITH SOME OF ITS INCIDENTS. a <'annon was discharged; and while its deafning thunder shodk the field~ the ball flying, ful' away along the plain, bounding nnd reboundmg, tore the earth, nnd marked .its dusty track with clouds. "That," said the Colo11el, "was to open your ears, that you mig~ 1 t not be deaf to whnt I urn about to say. Can vou head" "Yes" replied the Chiefs, "we can hear." The se~ond was discharaed roaring still louder than the first; anu the ball again proved 0 th; power of the mighty engine that sent it. "Can you hear, I say1" demanded the Colonel. "Yes," they replied, u little submissively, "we can hear well." Agnin the cnnnon told, still louder. TIHee times it thundered in their ent·s. "Can you hear?" reiterated the Colonel. "1 say, can you heur?" We ure not deaf; we cnn hear well; our ears ure open. Speuk. Let the great Chief of the white people speak whatever he wishes." Cui. Carney addressed them. "l am," said pe, "very little. "The Great Chief of the white people is afar: he is in the bosom "of a mighty niltion; and his warriors ~Hound him. are like the "grass upon the prairie, or the sands which cover the .plains. He "told me to go and talk to the Sioux and Shians, and I obeyed him. "I am here. A thousand Chiefs who are mightier than I, wait to "do his commands. He loves his friends, and is kind to them, but '"to his enemies, to those wllo destroy the lives of his people, he is "dr~adful. As the storm when it walks upon the mountains, and "treads down the pines, so terrible are the warriors of the Cheat "Chief, wlwn they come upon their foes. Beware then, lest ye '"make him ungry. Think before you break the pipP, which we "have smoked together in friendship. Think well Lefore you vio­" late the cuvenant you have made with me and with my people, and "to which we have called the Great Spirit to witness. Talk to your "young men ; counsel them that are foolish; tell them that "we are mighty, and terrible in WUJ', B1d them pause, ~nd think, "and tremble, before they spill· again the blood of a w hire mnn. "rhe past we will forget; it is buried. We will soon return to our "homes, with the tidings of peace: but when we hear that your "hands have spilt one drop more of the blood of our countrymen, "w~ w.ill come again. \V e will come with war. \Ve will re­" venge all the wrongs that we have ever received. Then your "eyes shall not be dry from weeping over your f:lllen wnrl'iors, · "and the blood of' your nations shall not cease to flow, until we "are weary from destroying. You say that you can hear. We "will see. Be careftil that your ears do not forget." They all answered, "It i~ good."