Page:Francis Heron Fur Trader Other Herons.pdf/6

34 trap was maintained in good order. The trap was torn out by the whites while Mr. Waters was agent.

"The Spokane Indians, after the Wright Campaign, did very little in the way of agriculture. The first revival of gardening or cropping dates from the time Mr. Sims was agent. He distributed seed and persuaded the Indians to do something in that line. Previous to this there were some little gardens around the trading posts; but they belonged to, or were supervised by, the traders. Trails ran up and down the River, and across the country from the three fords near the mouth of the Little Spokane. There was one ford below the mouth and at least two above it. As many as six good trails converged here, leading to different parts of the country.

"'Squalie' (Fort Nisqually) was a Hudson Bay Trading Post on the Sound near Tacoma. My father was in charge of the entire line of trading posts on this side of the mountains, and I was born at that place stated, while my father was on a trip of inspection.

"As to the foundation on the site of Spokane House, I will say that I describe it very imperfectly. I think that there were some cellar holes; but think the Indians used it as a sort of fort and probably dug the holes.

"I never saw or heard of any trading after the Hudson Bay people abandoned the location until in comparatively recent times. The French mail carrier, Bone, who built a road house there possibly did some trading; but as near as I can make out, that was about fifty years ago.

"I was the official interpreter for the Agency for a great many years. I knew nothing of so-called 'painted rocks.' It was a custom when a boy was sick to send him out to paint certain rock as a charm of 'good medicine' for his recovery. I never heard of an Indian battle in the vicinity of old Spokane House; but the Spokane Indians formerly made many hostile excursions against the Kootenai, Yakima, and Blackfoot tribes."