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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 91 no heart in one place get along well enough, perhaps, now while they can get fish and berries, but their game is almost all gone. The steamboats will be more abundant; there will be white people all along the river, and soon you w. ill have no salmon. The white people coming in all around will settle on the Camas prairies, and the roots and berries will be destroyed. What are the wild people to do then? Holdout their hands and beg ? Or will they go about like Cayotes and pick the bones about the camps f There, is nothing else for them, and unless they begin now to do as some of the chiefs do, begin to live like white men. That is what all the friends of the Indians want them to do, and to teach their children ; instead of being beggars, after a while they will be chiefs. I did not mean to say much to- day, but I want to hear what you have to say, and some other time I will talk again, and will talk about the business you are here for. But I won't say anything about that until you are all present, and Mr. White and Mr. Meaeham and Mr. Conoyer have talked ; then I will have something to say. Novr anything you have to say, I want you to speak it. HOWUSH- WAMPO, ( chief of the Cayuses.) I understand what is said, but will not talk until all are here. The agents then announced that arrangements had been made for their subsistence during the continuance of the council. Arrangements were then made for getting all the chief men present ; after which council adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock a. m. to-morrow. SECOND DAY, AUGUST 8. The council met at 12 m. There were present Commissioner Brunot and T. K. Cree, his secretary ; the three special commissioners, and their secretaries ; the chiefs Wenap- Snoot, Howlish- Wampo, and Honi- li, and, the most prominent of all, the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla- Walla tribes ; the interpreter and a large number of whites and Indians. Donald McKay was substituted for N. H. Neville as interpreter, and Mr. Pamburn was added, and both were sworn in as United States interpreters. Mr. W. R. Looland was appointed sergeant- at- arms. Mr. MEACHAM said : All men acknowledge the Great Spirit as Father, and He made us all brothers. When we have any great business on hand we ask His guidance, and we will ask Mr. Brunot to pray. We want all to rise up, and what he says to the Great Spirit will be interpreted to you. Mr. BKUNOT. The Great Spirit made us all. He sees us now, and knows what we are going to do. We want to ask him to make all our hearts right. We know that He can and does hear us, and all who pray to Him with a right heart. I know the Great Spirit will hear me if I talk to Him with a good heart. He will hear any of the red or white men if they talk with a good heart. This time I am going to ask my friend Mr. Cree, who is with me, to talk to the Great Spirit. Mr. Cree then led in prayer, which was interpreted. Mr. MEACHAM. WT e are here to do right ; we are willing to work to make every-thing right ; and we will go very slow. We have added Mr. Pamburn as interpreter, as we have tried him and found him with a straight heart ; we are satisfied with him. If any are unwilling to have him interpret, we want them to say so. If there is any other man you want, name him. There has been some talk about other men coming here to interpret. Those who have a right to talk we will listen to ; those who have no right to talk need not be heard. We will wait to see if you have any other man whom you wish to interpret for you. WKNAP- SNOOT. We are satisfied. HOWLISII. We are, for we don't know of anybody outside. HOM LI. We do not know of anybody else. Mr. MKACHAM, ( to the interpreters.) We want you to watch each other, and if any one don't talk straight, stop him ; and if any one of the headmen don't understand at any time, we will stop until they do understand. The minutes of the preceding day's meeting were then read, and the offer made that if the Indians wanted any one else to keep the record for them they could have him. Mr. Brunot came from the President to know what is said, and hears what is written. If there is any reason why we should not now proceed, you can make it known. The chiefs expressed their willingness to go ahead. HOM- LI, ( chief of the Walla- Wallas.) What you said is right, and we want both sides to understand. ( A proposition the chiefs all assented to.) Mr. MEACHAM. Sixteen years ago these people met Governor Stevens and General Palmer at Camp Stevens, ( Walla- Walla.) You made a treaty then. I read your names, and find some of the same men are here now. Some have gone to their fathers. When yon began that treaty you owned all the country up the Columbia River to Priest's Rapids, across by the side of the Nez Perces, over to the Snake Country, and down to the Wascoes, and over to Sinicoe. That is the country you owned when you began the treaty. Closed, yon had the little country here, beginning at Weihorn reek up to its head, then to Lee's eneampment, then to the divide in Buck Creek and Houtrimy, down tliat divide to McKay's land claim, and back to Medhouse. That is your country yet. |