Chapter 34

Fort Wallah-Wallah Its commander Indians in its

neighborhood Exertions of Mr. Pambrune for their

improvement Religion Code of laws Range of the Lower Nez

Perces Camash, and other roots Nez Perce horses Preparations for

departure Refusal of supplies Departure A laggard and glutton

FORT WALLAH - WALLAH is a trading post of the Hudson's Bay

Company, situated just above the mouth of the river by the same

name, and on the left bank of the Columbia. It is built of

drift-wood, and calculated merely for defence against any attack

of the natives. At the time of Captain Bonneville's arrival, the

whole garrison mustered but six or eight men; and the post was

under the superintendence of Mr. Pambrune, an agent of the

Hudson's Bay Company.

The great post and fort of the company, forming the emporium of

its trade on the Pacific, is Fort Vancouver; situated on the

right bank of the Columbia, about sixty miles from the sea, and

just above the mouth of the Wallamut. To this point, the company

removed its establishment from Astoria, in 1821, after its

coalition with the Northwest Company.

Captain Bonneville and his comrades experienced a polite

reception from Mr. Pambrune, the superintendent: for, however

hostile the members of the British Company may be to the

enterprises of American traders, they have always manifested

great courtesy and hospitality to the traders themselves.

Fort Wallah-Wallah is surrounded by the tribe of the same name,

as well as by the Skynses and the Nez Perces; who bring to it the

furs and peltries collected in their hunting expeditions. The

Wallah-Wallahs are a degenerate, worn-out tribe. The Nez Perces

are the most numerous and tractable of the three tribes just

mentioned. Mr. Pambrune informed Captain Bonneville that he had

been at some pains to introduce the Christian religion, in the

Roman Catholic form, among them, where it had evidently taken

root; but had become altered and modified, to suit their peculiar

habits of thought, and motives of action; retaining, however, the

principal points of faith, and its entire precepts of morality.

The same gentleman had given them a code of laws, to which they

conformed with scrupulous fidelity. Polygamy, which once

prevailed among them to a great extent, was now rarely indulged.

All the crimes denounced by the Christian faith met with severe

punishment among them. Even theft, so venial a crime among the

Indians, had recently been punished with hanging, by sentence of

a chief.

There certainly appears to be a peculiar susceptibility of moral

and religious improvement among this tribe, and they would seem

to be one of the very, very few that have benefited in morals and

manners by an intercourse with white men. The parties which

visited them about twenty years previously, in the expedition

fitted out by Mr. Astor, complained of their selfishness, their

extortion, and their thievish propensities. The very reverse of

those qualities prevailed among them during the prolonged

sojourns of Captain Bonneville.

The Lower Nez Perces range upon the Way-lee-way, Immahah,

Yenghies, and other of the streams west of the mountains. They

hunt the beaver, elk, deer, white bear, and mountain sheep.

Besides the flesh of these animals, they use a number of roots

for food; some of which would be well worth transplanting and

cultivating in the Atlantic States. Among these is the camash, a

sweet root, about the form and size of an onion, and said to be

really delicious. The cowish, also, or biscuit root, about the

size of a walnut, which they reduce to a very palatable flour;

together with the jackap, aisish, quako, and others; which they

cook by steaming them in the ground.

In August and September, these Indians keep along the rivers,

where they catch and dry great quantities of salmon; which, while

they last, are their principal food. In the winter, they

congregate in villages formed of comfortable huts, or lodges,

covered with mats. They are generally clad in deer skins, or

woollens, and extremely well armed. Above all, they are

celebrated for owning great numbers of horses; which they mark,

and then suffer to range in droves in their most fertile plains.

These horses are principally of the pony breed; but remarkably

stout and long-winded. They are brought in great numbers to the

establishments of the Hudson's Bay Company, and sold for a mere

trifle.

Such is the account given by Captain Bonneville of the Nez

Perces; who, if not viewed by him with too partial an eye, are

certainly among the gentlest, and least barbarous people of these

remote wildernesses. They invariably signified to him their

earnest wish that an American post might be established among

them; and repeatedly declared that they would trade with

Americans, in preference to any other people.

Captain Bonneville had intended to remain some time in this

neighborhood, to form an acquaintance with the natives, and to

collect information, and establish connections that might be

advantageous in the way of trade. The delays, however, which he

had experienced on his journey, obliged him to shorten his

sojourn, and to set off as soon as possible, so as to reach the

rendezvous at the Portneuf at the appointed time. He had seen

enough to convince him that an American trade might be carried on

with advantage in this quarter; and he determined soon to return

with a stronger party, more completely fitted for the purpose.

As he stood in need of some supplies for his journey, he applied

to purchase them of Mr. Pambrune; but soon found the difference

between being treated as a guest, or as a rival trader. The

worthy superintendent, who had extended to him all the genial

rites of hospitality, now suddenly assumed a withered-up aspect

and demeanor, and observed that, however he might feel disposed

to serve him, personally, he felt bound by his duty to the

Hudson's Bay Company, to do nothing which should facilitate or

encourage the visits of other traders among the Indians in that

part of the country. He endeavored to dissuade Captain Bonneville

from returning through the Blue Mountains; assuring him it would

be extremely difficult and dangerous, if not impracticable, at

this season of the year; and advised him to accompany Mr.

Payette, a leader of the Hudson's Bay Company, who was about to

depart with a number of men, by a more circuitous, but safe

route, to carry supplies to the company's agent, resident among

the Upper Nez Perces. Captain Bonneville, however, piqued at his

having refused to furnish him with supplies, and doubting the

sincerity of his advice, determined to return by the more direct

route through the mountains; though varying his course, in some

respects, from that by which he had come, in consequence of

information gathered among the neighboring Indians.

Accordingly, on the 6th of March, he and his three companions,

accompanied by their Nez Perce guides, set out on their return.

In the early part of their course, they touched again at several

of the Nez Perce villages, where they had experienced such kind

treatment on their way down. They were always welcomed with

cordiality; and everything was done to cheer them on their

journey.

On leaving the Way-lee-way village, they were joined by a Nez

Perce, whose society was welcomed on account of the general

gratitude and good will they felt for his tribe. He soon proved a

heavy clog upon the little party, being doltish and taciturn,

lazy in the extreme, and a huge feeder. His only proof of

intellect was in shrewdly avoiding all labor, and availing

himself of the toil of others. When on the march, he always

lagged behind the rest, leaving to them the task of breaking a

way through all difficulties and impediments, and leisurely and

lazily jogging along the track, which they had beaten through the

snow. At the evening encampment, when others were busy gathering

fuel, providing for the horses, and cooking the evening repast,

this worthy Sancho of the wilderness would take his seat quietly

and cosily by the fire, puffing away at his pipe, and eyeing in

silence, but with wistful intensity of gaze, the savory morsels

roasting for supper.

When meal-time arrived, however, then came his season of

activity. He no longer hung back, and waited for others to take

the lead, but distinguished himself by a brilliancy of onset, and

a sustained vigor and duration of attack, that completely shamed

the efforts of his competitors--albeit, experienced trenchermen

of no mean prowess. Never had they witnessed such power of

mastication, and such marvellous capacity of stomach, as in this

native and uncultivated gastronome. Having, by repeated and

prolonged assaults, at length completely gorged himself, he would

wrap himself up and lie with the torpor of an anaconda; slowly

digesting his way on to the next repast.

The gormandizing powers of this worthy were, at first, matters of

surprise and merriment to the travellers; but they soon became

too serious for a joke, threatening devastation to the fleshpots;

and he was regarded askance, at his meals, as a regular

kill-crop, destined to waste the substance of the party. Nothing

but a sense of the obligations they were under to his nation

induced them to bear with such a guest; but he proceeded,

speedily, to relieve them from the weight of these obligations,

by eating a receipt in full.