"I, too, like the ground where I was born. I left it because it was for my good. I have come a long way. We ask you to go but a short distance. We do not come to steal your land. We pay you more than it is worth. There is the Umatilla Valley that affords a little good land. Between the two streams and all around it, is a parched up plain. What is it worth to you, and what is it worth to us? Not half what we have offered you for it. Why do we offer you so much? Because our Great Father has told us to take care of his red people. We come to you with his message, to try and do you good," &c., &c.
These extracts will give a specimen of the kind of "talk" which went on day after day. All but the Nez Percés were evidently disinclined to the treaty, and it was melancholy to see their reluctance to abandon the old hunting grounds of their fathers and their impotent struggles against the overpowering influence of the whites. The meeting to-day closed with an effective speech by Governor Stevens, addressed to the Chiefs who had argued against the treaty. I give a part of it:—
"I must say a few words. My brother and I have talked straight. Have all of you talked straight? Lawyer has, and his people have, and their business will be finished to-morrow. Young Chief says, he is blind and does not understand. What is it that he wants? Steckus says, his heart is in one of three places—the Grand Rond, the Toucher, and the Two Cañon. Where is the heart of the Young Chief? Peepe-mox-mox cannot be wafted off like a feather. Does he prefer the Yakima to the Nez Percé Reservation? We have asked him before. We ask him now. Where is his heart? Camiaken, the Great Chief of the Yakimas, has not spoken at all. His people have had no voice here to-day. He is not ashamed to speak? He is not afraid to speak? Then, speak out. Owhi is afraid lest God be angry at his selling his land. Owhi, my brother! I do not think God will be angry if you do your best for yourself and your children. Ask yourself this question to-night. Will not God be angry with me if I neglect this opportunity to do them good? But Owhi says, his people are not here. Why then did he tell us, Come, hear our talk? I do not want to be ashamed of him. Owhi has the heart of his people. We expect him to speak out. We expect to hear from Camiaken and from Schoom. The treaty we will have drawn up to-night. You can see it to-morrow. The Nez Percés must not be put off any longer. This business must be despatched. I hope that all the other hearts and our hearts will agree. They have asked us to speak straight. We have spoken straight. We have asked you to speak straight, but have yet to hear from you."
The Council did not adjourn till six o'clock. In the evening I rode over as usual to the Nez Percé camp and found many of them playing cards in their lodges. They are most inveterate gamblers, and a warrior will sometimes stake on successive games, his arms, and horses, and even his wives, so that in a single night he is reduced to a state of primitive poverty and obliged to trust to charity to be remounted for the hunt.
In the other camps everything seemed to be in a violent commotion. The Cayuses and other tribes are very much incensed against the Nez Percés for agreeing to the terms of the treaty, but fortunately for them, and probably for us also, the Nez Percés are as numerous as the others united.
Friday, June 8th.—As the Council does not open until noon, our mornings pass in the same way. Lieutenant Gracie and I practise pistol shooting, read, and ride about the country, visiting Governor Stevens' party and at the Mission.
To-day it was nearly three o'clock before they met. After a few remarks by Governor Stevens, General Palmer made a long speech addressed to those Chiefs who refused yesterday to accede to the treaty. He told them, as they do not wish to go on the Nez Percés Reservation, (the tribes never having been very friendly to each other,) he would offer them another Reservation, which would embrace parts of the lands on which they were now living. After this offer had been clearly explained to them and considered, all acceded to it, with the exception of one tribe, the Yakimas.
It seemed as if we were getting on charmingly and the end of all difficulties was at hand, when suddenly a new explosive element dropped down into this little political caldron. Just before the Council adjourned, an Indian runner arrived with the news that Looking Glass, the war-chief of the Nez Percés was coming. Half an hour afterwards, he, with another chief and about twenty warriors, came in. They had just returned from an incursion into the Blackfoot country, where there had been some fighting and they had brought back with them, as a trophy, one scalp, which was dangling from a pole. Governor Stevens and General Palmer went out to meet them and mutual introductions were made. Looking Glass then, without dismounting from his horse, made a short and very violent speech, which I afterwards learned was, as I suspected, an expression of his indignation at their selling the country. The Council then adjourned.
At the races this evening in the Nez Percés camp, we found ten of the young braves who came in that afternoon, basking in the enjoyment of their laurels. Dressed in buffalo skins, painted and decorated in the most fantastic style, they stood in a line on one side of the race ground, exhibiting themselves as much as possible and singing songs in honor of their exploits. After the races we rode through the Cayuse camp. They seemed to be in commotion, apparently making preparation to depart.
Saturday, June 9th.—This morning the old Chief Lawyer, came down and took breakfast with us. The Council did not meet till three o'clock and matters seem now to have reached a crisis. The treaty must either be soon accepted or the tribes will separate in hopeless bad feeling. On the strength of the assent yesterday given by all the tribes, except the Yakimas, the papers were drawn up and brought into the Council to be signed by the principal Chiefs. Governor Stevens once more—for Looking Glass' benefit—explained the principal points in the treaty, and among other things told them, there would be three Reservations,—the Cayuses, the Walla-Wallas and Umatillas to be placed upon one—the Nez Percés on another—and the Yakimas on the third, and that they were not to be removed to these Reservations for two or three years.