They therefore made a
fire, and after talking with them to a late hour, laid down with their
rifles under their heads. As they awoke that morning they found that
the Indians had stolen and concealed their guns. Having demanded them
in vain, Shannon seized a club, and was about assaulting one of the
Indians, whom he suspected as a thief, when another Indian began to
load a fowling-piece with the intention of shooting him. He therefore
stopped, and explained by signs that if they did not give up the guns
a large party would come down the river before the sun rose to such a
height, and put every one of them to death. Fortunately, Captain Lewis
and his party appeared at this time. The terrified Indians immediately
brought the guns, and five of them came on with Shannon. To these men we
declared that if ever any one of their nation stole anything from us,
he should be instantly shot. They reside to the north of this place, and
speak a language different from that of the people higher up the river.
"It was now apparent that the sea was at all times too rough for us to
proceed further down the bay by water. We therefore landed, and having
chosen the best spot we could select, made our camp of boards from
the old (Chinook) village. We were now situated comfortably, and being
visited by four Wahkiacums with wappatoo-roots, were enabled to make an
agreeable addition to our food."
On the seventeenth Captain Lewis with a small party of his men coasted
the bay as far out as Cape Disappointment and some distance to the north
along the seacoast.
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