personal memoirs-1-第12章

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camp；　guarding　the　meat　with　four　Soldiers；　whom　I　was　obliged　to

post　as　sentinels　around　the　small　area　on　which　the　carcasses　lay。

The　Indians　soon　formed　a　circle　about　the　sentinels；　and　impelled　by

starvation；　attempted　to　take　the　beef　before　it　could　be　equally

divided。　　This　was　of　course　resisted；　when　they　drew　their　knives

their　guns　having　been　previously　taken　away　from　themand　some　of

the　inferior　chiefs　gave　the　signal　to　attack。　　The　principal　chief；

Tetootney　John；　and　two　other　Indians　joined　me　in　the　centre　of　the

circle；　and　protesting　that　they　would　die　rather　than　that　the

frenzied　onslaught　should　succeed；　harangued　the　Indians　until　the

rest　of　the　company　hastened　up　from　camp　and　put　an　end　to　the

disturbance。　　I　always　felt　grateful　to　Tetootney　John　for　his

loyalty　on　this　occasion；　and　many　times　afterward　aided　his　family

with　a　little　coffee　and　sugar；　but　necessarily　surreptitiously；　so

as　not　to　heighten　the　prejudices　that　his　friendly　act　had　aroused

among　his　Indian　comrades。



The　situation　at　Yaquina　Bay　did　not　seem　very　safe；　notwithstanding

the　supply　of　beef　we　brought；　and　the　possibility　that　the　starving

Indians　might　break　out　was　ever　present；　so　to　anticipate　any

further　revolt；　I　called　for　more　troops。　　The　request　was　complied

with　by　sending　to　my　assistance　the　greater　part　of　my　own　company

（〃K〃）from　Fort　Yamhill。　　The　men；　inspired　by　the　urgency　of　our

situation；　marched　more　than　forty　miles　a　day；　accomplishing　the

whole　distance　in　so　short　a　period；　that　I　doubt　if　the　record　has

ever　been　beaten。　　When　this　reinforcement　arrived；　the　Indians　saw

the　futility　of　further　demonstrations　against　their　agent；　who　they

seemed　to　think　was　responsible　for　the　insufficiency　of　food；　and

managed　to　exist　with　the　slender　rations　we　could　spare　and　such

indifferent　food　as　they　could　pick　up；　until　the　Indian　Department

succeeded　in　getting　up　its　regular　supplies。　　In　the　past　the　poor

things　had　often　been　pinched　by　hunger　and　neglect；　and　at　times

their　only　food　was　rock　oysters；　clams　and　crabs。　　Great　quantities

of　these　shell…fish　could　be　gathered　in　the　bay　near　at　hand；　but

the　mountain　Indians；　who　had　heretofore　lived　on　the　flesh　of

mammal；　did　not　take　kindly　to　mollusks；　and；　indeed；　ate　the　shell…

fish　only　as　a　last　resort。



Crab　catching　at　night　on　the　Yaquina　Bay　by　the　coast　Indians　was　a

very　picturesque　scene。　　It　was　mostly　done　by　the　squaws　and

children；　each　equipped　with　a　torch　in　one　hand；　and　a　sharp…pointed

stick　in　the　other　to　take　and　lift　the　fish　into　baskets　slung　on

the　back　to　receive　them。　　I　have　seen　at　times　hundreds　of　squaws

and　children　wading　about　in　Yaquina　Bay　taking　crabs　in　this　manner；

and　the　reflection　by　the　water　of　the　light　from　the　many　torches；

with　the　movements　of　the　Indians　while　at　work；　formed　a　weird　and

diverting　picture　of　which　we　were　never　tired。



Not　long　after　the　arrival　of　the　additional　troops　from　Yamhill；　it

became　apparent　that　the　number　of　men　at　Yaquina　Bay　would　have　to

be　reduced；　so　in　view　of　this　necessity；　it　was　deemed　advisable　to

build　a　block…house　for　the　better　protection　of　the　agents　and　I

looked　about　for　suitable　ground　on　which　to　erect　it。　　Nearly　all

around　the　bay　the　land　rose　up　from　the　beach　very　abruptly；　and　the

only　good　site　that　could　be　found　was　some　level　ground　used　as　the

burial…place　of　the　Yaquina　Bay　Indiansa　small　band　of　fish…eating

people　who　had　lived　near　this　point　on　the　coast　for　ages。　　They

were　a　robust　lot；　of　tall　and　well…shaped　figures；　and　were　called

in　the　Chinook　tongue　〃salt　chuck；〃　which　means　fish…eaters；　or

eaters　of　food　from　the　salt　water。　　Many　of　the　young　men　and　women

were　handsome　in　feature　below　the　forehead；　having　fine　eyes；

aquiline　noses　and　good　mouths；　but；　in　conformity　with　a　long…

standing　custom；　all　had　flat　heads；　which　gave　them　a　distorted　and

hideous　appearance；　particularly　some　of　the　women；　who　went　to　the

extreme　of　fashion　and　flattened　the　head　to　the　rear　in　a　sharp

horizontal　ridge　by　confining　it　between　two　boards；　one　running　back

from　the　forehead　at　an　angle　of　about　forty　degrees；　and　the　other

up　perpendicularly　from　the　back　of　the　neck。　　When　a　head　had　been

shaped　artistically　the　dusky　maiden　owner　was　marked　as　a　belle；　and

one　could　become　reconciled　to　it　after　a　time；　but　when　carelessness

and　neglect　had　governed　in　the　adjustment　of　the　boards；　there

probably　was　nothing　in　the　form　of　a　human　being　on　the　face　of　the

earth　that　appeared　so　ugly。



It　was　the　mortuary　ground　of　these　Indians　that　occupied　the　only

level　spot　we　could　get　for　the　block…house。　　Their　dead　were　buried

in　canoes；　which　rested　in　the　crotches　of　forked　sticks　a　few　feet

above…ground。　　The　graveyard　was　not　large；　containing　probably　from

forty　to　fifty　canoes　in　a　fair　state　of　preservation。　　According　to

the　custom　of　all　Indian　tribes　on　the　Pacific　coast；　when　one　of

their　number　died　all　his　worldly　effects　were　buried　with　him；　so

that　the　canoes　were　filled　with　old　clothes；　blankets；　pieces　of

calico　and　the　like；　intended　for　the　use　of　the　departed　in　the

happy　hunting　grounds。



I　made　known　to　the　Indians　that　we　would　have　to　take　this　piece　of

ground　for　the　blockhouse。　　They　demurred　at　first；　for　there　is

nothing　more　painful　to　an　Indian　than　disturbing　his　dead；　but　they

finally　consented　to　hold　a　council　next　day　on　the　beach；　and　thus

come　to　some　definite　conclusion。　　Next　morning　they　all　assembled；

and　we　talked　in　the　Chinook　language　all　day　long；　until　at　last

they　gave　in；　consenting；　probably；　as　much　because　they　could　not

help　themselves；　as　for　any　other　reason。　　It　was　agreed　that　on　the

following　day　at　12　o'clock；　when　the　tide　was　going　out；　I　should

take　my　men　and　place　the　canoes　in　the　bay；　and　let　them　float　out

on　the　tide　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy　hunting…grounds：



At　that　day　there　existed　in　Oregon　in　vast　numbers　a　species　of

wood…rat；　and　our　inspection　of　the　graveyard　showed　that　the　canoes

were　thickly　infested　with　them。　　They　were　a　light　gray　animal；

larger　than　the　common　gray　squirrel；　with　beautiful　bushy　tails；

which　made　them　strikingly　resemble　the　squirrel；　but　in　cunning　and

deviltry　they　were　much　ahead　of　that　quick…witted　rodent。　　I　have

known　them　to　empty　in　one　night　a　keg　of　spikes　in　the　storehouse　in

Yamhill；　distributing　them　along　the　stringers　of　the　building；　with

apparently　no　other　purpose　than　amusement。　　We　anticipated　great　fun

watching　the　efforts　of　these　rats　to　escape　the　next　day　when　the

canoes　should　be　launched　on　the　ocean；　and　I　therefore　forbade　any

of　the　command　to　visit　the　graveyard　in　the　interim；　lest　the　rats

should　be　alarmed。　　I　well　knew　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　by

the　Indians；　who　held　the　sacred　spot　in　awe。　　When　the　work　of

taking　down　the　canoes　and　carrying　them　to　the　water　began；

expectation　was　on　tiptoe；　but；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　not　a　rat　was

to　be　seen。　　This　unexpected　development　was　mystifying。　　They　had

all　disappeared；　there　was　not　one　in　any　of　the　canoes；　as

investigation　proved；　for　disappointment　instigated　a　most　thorough

search。　　The　Indians　said　the　rats　understood　Chinook；　and　that　as

they　had　no　wish　to　accompany　the　dead　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy

hunting…grounds；　they　took　to　the　woods　for　safety。　　However　that　may

be；　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　preceding　visits　to　the　burial…ground；

and　our　long　talk　of　the　day　before；　with　the　unusual　stir　and

bustle；　had　so　alarmed　the　rats　that；　impelled；　by　their　suspicious

instincts；　they　fled　a　danger；　the　nature　of　which　they　could　not

anticipate；　but　which　they　felt　to　be　none　the　less　real　and

impending。









CHAPTER　VII。



LEARNING　THE　CHINOOK　LANGUAGESTRANGE　INDIAN　CUSTOMSTHEIR　DOCTORS…

…SAM　PATCHTHE　MURDER　OF　A　WOMANIN　A　TIGHT　PLACESURPRISING　THE

INDIANSCONFLICTING　REPORTS　OF　THE　BATTLE　OF　BULL　RUNSECESSION

QUESTION　IN　CALIFORNIAAPPOINTED　A　CAPTAINTRANSFERRED　TO　THE　EAST。



The　troubles　at　the　Siletz　and　Yaquina　Bay　were　settled　without

further　excitement　by　the　arrival　in　due　time　of　plenty　of　food；　and

as　the　buildings；　at　Fort　Haskins　were　so　near　completion　that　my

services　as　quartermaster　were　no　longer　needed；　I　was　ordered　to

join　my　own　company　at　Fort　Yamhill；　where　Captain　Russell　was　still

in　command。　　I　returned　to　that　place　in　May；　1857；　and　at　a　period　a

little　later；　in　consequence　of　the　close　of　hostilities　in　southern

Oregon；　the　Klamaths　and　Modocs　were　sent　back　to　their　own　country；

to　that　section　in　which　occurred；　in　1873；　the　disastrous　war　with

the　latter　tribe。　　This　reduced　considerably　the　number　of　Indians　at

the　Grande　Ronde；　but　as　those　remaining　were　still　somewhat　unruly；

from　the　fact　that　many　questions　requiring　adjustment　were

constantly　arising　between　the　different　bands；　the　agent　and　the

officers　at　the　post　were　kept　pretty　well　occupied。　　Captain　Russell

assigned　to　me　the　special　work　of　keeping　up　the　police　control；　and

as　I　had　learned　at　an　early　day　to　speak　Chinook　（the　〃court

language〃　among　the　coast　tribes）　almost　as　well　as　the　Indians

themselves；　I　was　thereby　enabled　to　steer　my　way　successfully　on

many　critical　occasions。



For　some　time　the　most　disturbing　and　most　troublesome　element　we　had

was　the　Rogue　River　band。　　For　three　or　four　years　they　had　fought

our　troops　obstinately；　and　surrendered　at　the　bitter　end　in　the

belief　that　they　were　merely　overpowered；　not　conquered。　　They　openly

boasted　to　the　other　Indians　that　they　could　whip　the　soldiers；　and

that　they　did　not　wish　to　follow　the　white　man's　ways；　continuing

consistently　their　wild　habits；　unmindful　of　all　admonitions。

Indeed；　they　often　destroyed　their　household　utensils；　tepees　and

clothing；　and　killed　their　horses　on　the　graves　of　the　dead；　in　the

fulfillment　of　a　superstitious　custom；　which　demanded　that　they

should　undergo；　while　mourning　for　their　kindred；　the　deepest

privation　in　a　property　sense。　　Everything　the　loss　of　which　would

make　them　poor　was　sacrificed　on　the　graves　of　their　relatives　or

distinguished　warriors；　and　as　melancholy　because　of　removal　from

their　old　homes　caused　frequent　deaths；　there　was　no　lack　of　occasion

for　the　sacrifices。　　The　widows　and　orphans　of　the　dead　warriors　were

of　course　the　chief　mourners；　and　exhibited　their　grief　in　many

peculiar　ways。　　I　remember　one　in　particular　which　was　universally

practiced　by　the　near　kinsfolk。　　They　would　crop　their　hair　very

close；　and　then　cover　the　head　with　a　sort　of　hood　or　plaster　of

black　pitch；　the　composition　being　clay；　pulverized　charcoal；　and　the

resinous　gum　which　exudes　from　the　pine…tree。　　The　hood；　nearly　an

inch　in　thickness；　was　worn　during　a　period　of　mourning　that　lasted

through　the　time　it　would　ta