Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/173

167 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 167 . Since we have been in the Columbia River the rain has been incessent, & we have not had six [days] of uninterrupted dry weather since we anchored in Bakers bay. The rain detained us on board yesterday, & although it was very little better to-day we made an excursion to the shore. On arriving at the Fort we were informed that a battle had taken place among the Indians & one man had been killed & two severely wounded. To-day we had the opportunity of seeing the War Dance of the Indians. About 50 men paraded from the vicinity of the fort to the beach, they moved at a most grotesque pace, keeping their feet in the same position with respect to another as nearly as possible. On their progress to the beach they fired their fowling pieces & set up the most disagre[ejable howling I ever heard ; they then formed a circle round theirs, & continued their dance, making a general yell every two or three minutes. Many of them were armed with fowling pieces others had bows & arrows & all of them had knives. They each of them [wore] a war dress consisting of dressed elk skin, which went over them like a shirt without sleeves. This war dress, although a poor defence against fire arms, is said to be arrow proof. The warriors were painted of every sort of colour, but princi- pally black, red & yellow. Their music consisted of a number of shells of Pecten marina tied to a stick, which they rattled during the whole of their manoeuvres. In the afternoon I had an interview with the old chief Com- comli or Madsu, as he is now called. He is an old man of about 60 & blind of an eye. He is at present in deap mourning for his sons ; his mourning consists in putting on the worst clothing he can possibly procure, & abstain- ing from washing ; in that condition he continues for eighteen or twenty months. The change of names among the Cheenooks depends upon a curious feeling & is well illustrated in the case of