Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/263



DIARY 255

1834. Friday, August 29. Made a severe march on Wed- nesday. Twelve hours with the cows, 36 miles over some mountains difficult for the animals being covered with small stones. Saw some of the Kioos squaws digging cammas. Camped near the Kioos Village. Thursday did not move camp. Walked a mile to the village to look for salmon and cammas, as our provisions were nearly spent, but they had no salmon and were lean with their cammas. I suppose some of the Kioos who had been with us informed the chief that we were there and our object in coming to this country. We were invited the chief's lodge. Dried salmon, choak cherries and water were set before us, of which we partook and con- versed as well as we could by signs and the few words of Nez Perce that we had learned, but we were sadly puzzled to understand each other. The chief of the Walla Walla tribe was there and he showed me some old papers with scraps of writing on them and a calendar showing the day of the month with Sunday distinctly marked written I presume by some gentleman of the H. B. Company. I then, in red ink, wrote my name and Daniel's, stating what we were, dated it and gave it to him and he seemed pleased with it. He soon made a sign for me to follow him, and he took me out and presented me an elegant horse and one of the Kioos presented Daniel a fine horse and one of the fattest I ever saw. We invited them to come to our lodge and in the afternoon two chiefs and others, more than could get into our tent came, and the Kioos chief and a brave, I think, gave me each a horse. I gave them knives, fish hooks, awls, etc., not of great value, but of con- siderable importance to them, in return. We smoked with them, sang a hymn, and commended them to God in prayer, and then dispersed, and prepared to go, some of us, and sup with Capt. Bonneville and wandering traders, in company with Capt. Stewart, and were treated in a very friendly man- ner. Started early this morning in pursuit of the horse gave me by the Wallah Wallah chief, he having broke his halter and gone. Met the chief coming to see us start, and told what I