CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | |
Arrival at St. Louis—Preparations for the journey—Sâque Indians—Their appearance, dress, and manners—Squaws—Commencement of a pedestrian tour—Sandhill cranes—Prairie settlers—Their hospitality—Wild pigeons, golden plovers and prairie hens—Mr. P. and his daughters—An abundant repast—Simplicity of the prairie maidens—A deer and turkey hunt—Loutre Lick hotel—A colored charon—Comfortable quarters—Young men of the west—Reflections on leaving home—Loquacity of the inhabitants—Gray squirrels—Boonville—Parroquets—Embarkation in a steamboat—Large catfish—Accident on board the boat—Arrival at Independence—Description of the town—Encampment of the Rocky Mountain company—Character of the men—Preparation for departure—Requisites of a leader—Backwoods familiarity—Milton Sublette and his band—Rev. Jason Lee, the missionary—A letter from home—Mormonites—Military discipline and its consequences, | [121] |
| CHAPTER II | |
Departure of the caravan—A storm on the prairie—Arrangement of the camp—Kanzas Indians—Kanzas river—Indian lodges—Passage of the river—Buffalo canoes—Kanzas chief—Upper Kaw village—their wigwams—Catfish and ravens—Return of Mr. Sublette—Pawnee trace—Desertion of three men—Difficulties occasioned by losing the trail—Intelligence of Mr. Sublette's party—Escape of the band of horses—Visit of three Otto Indians—Anecdote of Richardson, the chief hunter—his appearance and character—White wolves and antelopes—Buffalo bones—Sublette's deserted camps—Lurking wolves, | [141] |
| CHAPTER III | |
Arrival at the Platte river—Wolves and antelopes—Anxiety of the men to see buffalo—Visit of two spies from the Grand Pawnees—Forced march—A herd of buffalo—Elk—Singular conduct of the horses—Killing a buffalo—Indian mode of procuring buffalo—Great herd—Adventure with an Indian in the tent—Indian feat with bow and arrow—Notice of the Pawnee tribes—Disappearance of the buffalo from the plains of the Platte—A hunting adventure—Killing a buffalo—Butchering of a bull—Shameful destruction of the game—Hunters' mode of quenching thirst, | [157] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
Change in the face of the country—Unpleasant visitation—N. fork of the Platte—A day's journey over the hills—Poor pasture—Marmots—Rattlesnake and gopher—Naturalist's success and sacrifices—A sand storm—Wild horses—Killing of a doe antelope—Bluffs—The Chimney—"Zip Koon," the young antelope—Birds—Feelings and cogitations of a naturalist—Laramie's fork—Departure of two "free trappers" on a summer "hunt"—Black hills—Red butes—Sweet-water river, and Rock Independence—Avocets—Wind river mountains—Rocky Mountain sheep—Adventure with a grizzly bear—Rattlesnakes—Toilsome march, and arrival at Sandy river—Suffering of the horses—Anticipated delights of the rendezvous, | [173] |
| CHAPTER V | |
Arrival at the Colorado—The author in difficulty—Loss of a journal, and advice to travelling tyros—The rendezvous—Motley groups infesting it—Rum drinking, swearing, and other accomplishments in vogue—Description of the camp—Trout—Abundance of game—Cock of the plains—{vi} Leave the rendezvous—An accession to the band—A renegado Blackfoot chief—Captain Stewart and Mr. Ashworth—Muddy creek—More carousing—Abundance of trout—Bear river—A hard day's march—Volcanic country—White-clay pits and "Beer spring"—Rare birds and common birds—Mr. Thomas McKay—Captain Bonneville's party—Captains Stewart and Wyeth's visit to the lodge of the "bald chief"—Blackfoot river—Adventure with a grizzly bear—Death of "Zip Koon"—Young grizzly bears and buffalo calves—A Blackfoot Indian—Dangerous experiment of McKay—the three "Tetons"—Large trout—Shoshoné river—Site of "Fort Hall"—Preparations for a buffalo hunt, | [189] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
Departure of the hunting camp—A false alarm—Blackfeet Indians—Requisites of a mountain-man—Good fare, and good appetites—An experiment—Grizzly bears—Nez Percé Indian—Adventure with a grizzly bear—Hunters' anecdotes—Homeward bound—Arrival at "Fort Hall"—A salute—Emaciation from low diet—Mr. McKay's company—Buffalo lodges—Effects of judicious training—Indian worship—A "Camp Meeting"—Mr. Jason Lee, a favorite—A fatal accident and a burial, | [212] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
Departure of McKay's party, Captain Stewart, and the missionaries—Debauch at the fort—Departure of the company—Poor provision—Blackfeet hunting ground—Sufferings from thirst—Goddin's creek—Antoine Goddin, the trapper—Scarcity of game—A buffalo—Rugged mountains—More game—Unusual economy—Habits of the white wolf—"Thornburg's pass"—Difficult travelling—The captain in jeopardy among the snow—A countermarch—Deserted Banneck camp—Toilsome and dangerous passage of the mountain—Mallade river—Beaver dams, and beaver—A party of Snake Indians—Another Banneck camp—"Kamas prairie"—Indian mode of preparing the kamas—Racine blanc, or biscuit root—Loss of horses by fatigue—Boisée or Big-wood river—Salmon—Choke-cherries, &c. | [230] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
A substitute for game, and a luxurious breakfast—Expectations of a repast, and a disappointment—Visit of a Snake chief—his abhorrence of horse meat—A band of Snake Indians—Their chief—Trade with Indians for salmon—Mr. Ashworth's adventure—An Indian horse-thief—Visit to the Snake camp—A Banneck camp—Supercilious conduct of the Indians—Snake river—Equipment of a trapping party—Indian mode of catching salmon—Loss of a favorite horse—Powder river—Cut rocks—Grand Ronde—Captain Bonneville—Kayouse and Nez Percé Indians—An Indian beauty—Blue mountains—A feline visit, | [250] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
Passage of the Blue mountains—Sufferings from thirst—Utalla river—A transformation—A novel meal—Columbia river and Fort Walla-walla—A dinner with the missionaries—Anecdote of Mr. Lee—Brief notice of the Fort—Departure of the missionaries—Notice of the Walla-walla Indians—Departure for Fort Vancouver—Wild ducks—Indian graves—Visits from Indians—Ophthalmia, a prevalent disease—A company of Chinook Indians—The Dalles—The party joined by Captain Wyeth—Embarkation in canoes—A heavy gale—Dangerous navigation—Pusillanimous conduct of an Indian helmsman—A zealous botanist—Departure of Captain Wyeth with five men—Cascades—A portage—Meeting with the missionaries—Loss of a canoe—A toilsome duty—Arrival at Fort Vancouver—Dr. John McLoughlin, the chief factor—Domiciliation of the travellers at Fort Vancouver, | [275] |
| CHAPTER X | |
Fort Vancouver—Agricultural and other improvements—Vancouver "camp"—Expedition to the Wallammet—The falls—A village of {vii} Klikatat Indians—Manner of flattening the head—A Flathead infant—Brig "May Dacre"—Preparations for a settlement—Success of the naturalists—Chinook Indians—their appearance and costume—Ague and fever—Desertion of the Sandwich Islanders—Embarkation for a trip to the Islands—George, the Indian pilot—Mount Coffin—A visit to the tombs—Superstition—Visit to an Indian house—Fort George—Site of Astoria—A blind Indian boy—Cruel and unfeeling conduct of the savages—Their moral character—Baker's Bay—Cape Disappointment—Dangerous bar at the entrance of the river—The sea beach—Visit of Mr. Ogden—Passage across the bar, | [297] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
... Arrival at the Columbia, | [317] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
Passage up the Columbia—Birds—A trip to the Wallammet—Methodist missionaries—their prospects—Fort William—Band-tail pigeons—Wretched condition of the Indians at the falls—A Kallapooyah village—Indian cemetery—Superstitions—Treatment of diseases—Method of steaming—"Making medicine"—Indian sorcerers—Death of Thornburg—An inquest—Verdict of the jury—Inordinate appetite for ardent spirits—Eight men drowned—Murder of two trappers by the Banneck Indians—Arrival of Captain Thing—His meeting and skirmish with the Blackfeet Indians—Massacre—A narrow escape, | [318] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
Indians of the Columbia—Departure of Mr. Nuttall and Dr. Gairdner—Arrival of the Rev. Samuel Parker—his object—Departure of the American brig—Swans—Indian mode of taking them—A large wolf—A night adventure—A discovery, and restoration of stolen property—Fraternal tenderness of an Indian—Indian vengeance—Death of Waskéma, the Indian girl—"Busy-body," the little chief—A village of Kowalitsk Indians—Ceremony of "making medicine"—Exposure of an impostor—Success of legitimate medicines—Departure from Fort Vancouver for a visit to the interior—Arrival of a stranger—"Cape Horn"—Tilki, the Indian chief—Indian villages {viii}—Arrival at Fort Walla-walla—Sharp-tailed grouse—Commencement of a journey to the Blue mountains, | [332] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
A village of Kayouse Indians—Appearance and dresses of the women—family worship—Visit to the Blue mountains—Dusky grouse—Return to Walla-walla—Arrival of Mr. McLeod, and the missionaries—Letters from home—Death of Antoine Goddin—A renegado white man—Assault by the Walla-walla Indians—Passage down the Columbia—Rapids—A dog for supper—Prairies on fire—Fishing Indians—Their romantic appearance—Salmon huts—The shoots—Dangerous navigation—Death of Tilki—Seals—Indian stoicism and contempt of pain—Skookoom, the strong chief—his death—Maiming, an evidence of grief—Arrival at Fort Vancouver—A visit to Fort George—Indian cemeteries—Lewis and Clarke's house—A medal—Visit to Chinook—Hospitality of the Indians—Chinamus' home—The idol—Canine inmates, | [349] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
Northern excursion—Salmon—Indian mode of catching them—Flathead children—A storm on the bay—Pintail ducks—Simple mode of killing salmon—Return to Chinook—Indian garrulity—Return to Fort George—Preparations for a second trip to the Sandwich Islands—Detention within the cape, | [365] |