Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/146

 Indians visited us; some armed, and on horseback, others unarmed, and on foot. In language, dress, and manners, they appeared to belong to distinct nations. The horsemen were clean, wore handsome leathern shirts and leggings, and had a bold daring manner, which we did not observe with any of the tribes from the sea upwards. The more humble pedestrians were the natives of the place: they were nearly naked, and rather dirty in their persons, and professed to be friendly: but from several attempts they made at pilfering, we entertained strong doubts of their sincerity; and were obliged to order them to remove some distance from the camp. They seemed to regard the mounted Indians with a suspicious degree of apprehension, for which we were for some time at a loss to account; but which we subsequently learned was caused by their having been lately at war, in which they were vanquished, and several of their tribe killed by the equestrians. The latter remained on horseback most part of the time, making observations on our party, by which they apparently intended to regulate their future proceedings: they made no show of friendship, were rather cold and distant in their manners, and appeared to be a reconnoitring party sent