[35]. The identification of “Suppa” River is uncertain. The largest affluent of the Columbia between John Day and Umatilla River is that Oregon stream now known as Willow Creek.—Ed.
[36]. For the Umatilla River, see Franchère, note 141. A large isolated cliff, just below the mouth of the Umatilla, is still called Castle Rock.—Ed.
[37]. The rapid here described, is now known as the Umatilla Rapid; Lewis and Clark designated it as “The Musselshell,” from the heaps of those shells spread out upon the banks. The brigade had just passed the present boundary of Oregon, 46° of north latitude.—Ed.
[38]. The Wallawalla Indians are of the Shahaptian stock—one of the great families of the inland Columbians, to which the Nez Percés and Umatilla belong. Usually they were hospitable and well-affected towards the whites. Lewis and Clark especially mention their friendly disposition. Many years later, they became disaffected and joined the Cayuse in acts of hostility. A treaty was made with the Wallawallas in 1855, whereby they surrendered their lands, and retired to the Umatilla reservation, where at the last report (1902) five hundred and sixty-nine were still residing. The “Shaw Haptens” were a kindred race speaking the Shahaptian language.
This appears to be the first mention of the Cayuse tribe, later so prominent in Oregon history. Their language was unlike that of the Wallawalla, so that they are classified as Waülatpuans. Their habitat was the Wallawalla Valley, and south and east of the great bend of the Columbia. Their herds of horses were so numerous that “cayuse” has become a generic term for Indian ponies. These Indians constituted the largest and most powerful tribe of Eastern Oregon. Among them the American Board founded a mission, and it was this tribe that perpetrated the Whitman massacre of 1847. Broken in spirit and numbers by the settlers’ avenging warfare, five chiefs were in 1850 surrendered for trial and executed. Five years later, the Cayuse formally ceded their lands and retired to the Umatilla reservation, where three hundred and ninety-one are now (1902) reported. They have abandoned their language for that of the Wallawalla.—Ed.
[39]. Thompson records (July 9, 1811) “½ a mile to the Junction of the Shawpatin [Snake] River with this the Columbia, here I erected a small Pole, with a half Sheet of Paper well tied about it, with these words on it—Know hereby that this country is claimed by Great Britain as part of its Territories, & that the N W Company of Merchants from Canada, finding the Factory for this People inconvenient for them, do intend to erect a Factory in this Place for the Commerce of the Country around. D. Thompson.”—Henry-Thompson Journals, p. 748.—Ed.
[40]. Ross is here inaccurate. The Snake River was called the Lewis; but to the Columbia above the fork, the explorers never applied the name of Clark—that was given to the large northern branch still called Clark’s Fork of the Columbia, upon whose upper waters the explorers rested when crossing the mountains.—Ed.
[41]. The Yakima (Eyakema) River enters the Columbia from the east, about ten miles above the Snake. It is a large tributary, draining the eastern slope of the Cascade Range. Lewis and Clark called it the Tapteet. The Northern Pacific Railway follows the valley of the Yakima for some distance.—Ed.
[42]. It was on the return journey (May 1, 1806) that three Wallawalla overtook Lewis and Clark, with a steel trap which they had travelled a day’s journey to restore.—Ed.
[43]. This is the Gualquil Rapid, one hundred and ten miles above the mouth of Snake River. The Kewaughtohenemachs are mentioned only by Ross; they were probably a Pisquow tribe. For a description of the Columbia above the entrance of the Snake, see Symons, Upper Columbia River (Washington, 1882.)—Ed.