Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/105

Rh We were now at what I knew was the headwaters of the Owyhee River, then supposed to be the eastern boundary of Oregon. We continued down this canyon of burnt granite, mica, slate, etc., for several days, and saw many curious things. In one case there was a stone resting on a column as if just balanced there. We then traveled northwest over a very even plain, with some sagebrush, but saw water only once.

September 1—Some thirty miles from the stream, there was a kind of well in the rocks. Snowy mountains were visible to the north, and country descended in that direction. We encamped on the plain, the Owyhee being a thousand feet below us. The rocks appeared like a burnt brick kiln. We saw some Indian with dried fish, and bought some, then ascended the bluffs on the west. We saw horses tracks down the steep bluffs, which with difficulty we descended, to our joy to quench our thirst and that of our horses.

September 9—We visited a large Indian encampment or village. They were fishing. Their ingenious mode was very interesting. The stream was shallow. They built a fence across it near its mouth (we were now at the mouth of the Owyhee). Then leaving some distance above they made a weir at one side so that the fish coming down or coming up would go in, but were unable to find their way out. Then they speared them. Their spears were made having a bone point with a socket that fitted into a shaft or pole, and a hole was drilled through the bone point by which a string tied it to the shaft. At sunrise a signal was given by their chief; they all rushed from both sides into the stream, struck the salmon with their spears, and in each case the point would come off, but being fastened to the shaft by a string, the fish were easily towed ashore.

The chief of this village accompanied us down the stream six miles. I here lost my hatchet, given me by Doctor Brinsmaide of Troy, New York. We reached the Lewis River September 10, and continued down the river, trapping wherever we saw signs of the beavers.

September 17—We had some fresh fish boiled in baskets, the water being kept boiling by hot stones. For a day we went up a creek from the southwest trapping. Our horses were cut loose at night by the Indians, and my camlet cloak was stolen. As a general rule, the Indians were kind and friendly, and would make us presents of food, but they could not forego the attempt to steal our horses (of which we had two to each man) any more than a negro can leave a hen roost alone. The Indians we met were Shoshones or the Pallotipallos, or Flatheads, so called from the fact that the foreheads of all members of the tribe are flattened during infancy. The operation is performed by tying boards hewn to proper shape for the purpose, which compress the head, one being placed against the forehead and tied to another at