Page:Wishram by Henry J. Biddle.djvu/8

118 sons for believing that he was on the right bank, at the village of the Echelutes. He probably changed his opinion of "bad Indians" after his return trip.

A great deal has been written about the troubles the travelers had with the Indians at these portages. To include this would greatly increase the length of this article, and be foreign to its purpose. Suffice it to say that they took advantage of their position to exact tribute from travelers, just as white men in similar positions do today. They soon found, as white men have found, that to exact an extortionate price for their services paid better than threats and robbery. Their descendants today are "good citizens," and own many automobiles. But the writer has never tried to rent an automobile from one of them. Perhaps in that case, they would still show themselves equal to whites.

The next white traveler to pass this point was Alexander Ross. In "Adventures of the first settlers on the Columbia River," is found:

(Aug. 4, 1811.)

"The main camp of the Indians is situated at the head of the narrows, and may contain, during the salmon season, 3000 souls, or more; but the constant inhabitants of the place do not exceed 100 persons, and are called Wy-am-pams; the rest are all foreigners from different tribes....... The long narrows, therefore, is the great emporium or mart of the Columbia,...."

It might be possible to assume that Wy-am-pams was simply a mis-spelling of Wishram, and the writer is almost inclined to this belief.

The next white visitor was Mr. Hunt, of the Astor expedition. It is necessary here to quote from Washington Irving's Astoria, published 1836. "On the 31st of January (1812), Mr. Hunt arrived at the falls of the Columbia, and encamped at the village of the Wish-ram, situated at the head of that dangerous pass in the river called 'the Long Narrows'.....Their habitations.....were superior