But both of these things have come
to pass.
In describing the dress of the Chopunnish, or Nez Perces, the
journal says that tippets, or collars, were worn by the men. "That
of Hohastillpilp," says the journal, "was formed of human scalps and
adorned with the thumbs and fingers of several men slain by him in
battle." And yet the journal immediately adds: "The Chopunnish are among
the most amiable men we have seen. Their character is placid and gentle,
rarely moved to passion, yet not often enlivened by gayety." In short,
the Indians were amiable savages; and it is a savage trait to love to
destroy one's enemies.
Here is an entry in the journal of May 19 which will give the reader
some notion of the privations and the pursuits of the party while shut
up in camp for weary weeks in the early summer of 1806:--
"After a cold, rainy night, during a greater part of which we lay in the
water, the weather became fair; we then sent some men to a village above
us, on the opposite side, to purchase some roots. They carried with
them for this purpose a small collection of awls, knitting-pins, and
armbands, with which they obtained several bushels of the root of cows,
and some bread of the same material. They were followed, too, by a train
of invalids from the village, who came to ask for our assistance. The
men were generally afflicted with sore eyes; but the women had besides
this a variety of other disorders, chiefly rheumatic, a violent pain and
weakness in the loins, which is a common complaint among them; one of
them seemed much dejected, and as we thought, from the account of her
disease, hysterical.
Pages:
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328