Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/189

 n as follows:

WALLAMET, February 3, 1848. Nez Percé Chiefs:

My friends, Ellis, Kansoot, James, Yusinmalakin, Jacob, Poca- tash, Yarnomocknin, Yumtamilkin, Timothy, Solomon, Ishtoop- toopuin, Tselsootalelmekum, Joseph, Kohsh, Apashavakaikt, Rich ard, Heminelpelp, Jason, Anatashin, Totamaluin, Hohoselpelp, Metawaptosh, Noah : Quick, meet them ; with these flags meet them ; with good hearts meet them. From us, from the Americans, five go to meet you Mr. Palmer, Dr. Newell, Mr. McKay, Mr. Lee, Mr. Gilliam. These meet you ; with good hearts they meet you. They bear a message (proposals, law, or a talk); from the great chief they bear it. Therefore they call you to meet them.

Keep quiet, ye young men ! do not go over to the Cay uses. Wait till the commissioners speak clearly with you. The good are not to be punished. Only the bad are to be punished. The Nez Percés and the Americans are one; therefore do you not depart from us. Very many Americans are going to seek the bad Cayuses, and the bad only. There will soon be large ships from California, therefore they otter to you a message ( proposals of peace).

They send you tobacco, therefore meet them without delay. My youngest child is sick, therefore I cannot meet you. When my child is well, I will see you, by the blessing of God. Ever make to yourselves good hearts. By the blessing of God we may see each other.

H. H. SPALDING.

The messenger fell in with the hostile Indians and was taken prisoner, the flags and tobacco being appropriated to the enemy s use; but the packet being addressed to Mr. McBean, the written part of it was forwarded to him, and arrived while Timothy and Richard, two of the chiefs ad dressed by Spalding, were at the fort, who hastened to carry it to their people, with other news of the intentions of the Americans learned from the letter sent to McBean. To this fortunate circumstance was to be attributed the sub sequent neutrality of the Nez Percés.

On coining to camp on the night of the twentieth of February, Major Lee reported having on that day followed the trail of a party of Indians going towards the Blue mountains, but without overtaking them. The following day, after a hard march of twenty miles, the army en camped at Willow creek, the wagons getting in l