Explorations in the Upper Columbia Country [pp. 255-266]

Explorations in the Upper Columbia Country.
one of the women prepared a very fair meal,
of which we did not hesitate to eat heartily
-salmon fried, and bread baked with yeast
powder. Bidding them a good-night, we
again crossed the river, mounted our horses,
and rode back to camp.
The nature of the country on the north
side of the Columbia, through which we were
to continue our journey, rendered it impracticable to proceed with wagons, so these were
left behind, and a mule train provided instead. The crossing of the Columbia in such
places-where there are no ferries, and where
the current runs so swiftly-is a somewhat
difficult operation. The boat used must be
pointed at an angle of 45~ up-stream, and
then the point of landing is fully a mile below that of starting. Our mules had preceded us, about fifteen in number, with the
packers. Men traveling in mountainous
countries may well appreciate the valuable
services rendered by a pack mule, who, with
his burden of nearly three hundred pounds,
trudges slowly and patiently along day after
day. It is quite amusing to see one of these
mules just after his pack has been lashed on,
and the blinder taken off; he gives a series
of kicks, then gallops off and repeats the
performance, until finally he seems convinced
that his pack will not come off, so he tamely
submits. The habit of following the bell
mare makes it very easy to manipulate a
pack train. Our boat, a large flat-bottomed
scow, contained all our traps, and after it
had been packed up ready to start, was pulled
by some soldiers, and steered by our Indian
guide. Our horses swam after the boat and
were safely landed on the opposite shore, although they did not quite know what to make
of this unusual method of procedure. Unloading the boat, we collected together our
baggage, and pitched camp for the night,
thankful for a rest after a hard day's work.
This first camp was about eight miles above
the mouth of the Okenagan river.
On this same evening, the Indians about
twelve or fifteen miles up the Okenagan, at
its junction with Loop-a-loop Creek, were
having a grand time. Chief Moses, who,
with two sub-chiefs, Sus-sopkin and Ten-as
ket, had been to Washington to confer with
the hyas tyee, or "Great Chief," as they call
the President, about quitting his reservation,
was making known the result to his people.
The next day we were furnished with an account of this meeting, where fire water
flowed too freely, and bad Indian blood was
consequently stirred up. Pistols and knives
were used promiscuously, but fortunately a
few bad cuts and slashes were the only injuries received. It was thought that the Indians had procured their whiskey from a
man in the vicinity, and as they were very
fond of it and particularly susceptible to its
influences, they became drunk and furious.
Their desire for it is strikingly apparent,
when it is known that they paid from three
to four dollars for a bottle of the worst concoction ever mnade, said to be a mixture of
alcohol, cayenne pepper, and molasses.
Fortunately, we did not arrive among these
hilarious red men until the day after their
grand spree, when they felt very penitent and
sore-headed.
Breaking our first camp at early dawn, we
turned our faces towards the Okenagan, following the Indian trail in a general northwest
direction. Near the Columbia the country
was open, sandy, and uninteresting; but a
few miles beyond it grew wilder and more attractive. The Okenagan is a somewhat sluggish stream, with rather warm waters. Its
banks are bordered for the most part with
cottonwood trees. Afew mountain streams
flow into it. The valley extending in a general southerly direction is quite wide and
fertile, covered with good bunch-grass, while
here and there an occasional ranch, tilled by
its Indian owner, yields fine crops of oats,
corn, potatoes, watermelons, etc. Most of
the Indians own large herds of ponies, American horses, and a cross between the two;
also fine beef cattle; but no good milch
cows were seen, owing to the fact that a certain kind of weed, which grows on the
prairie, renders the milk very bitter.
It was our object to reach the Methow
River, which lies to the west of Okenagan, and
flows into the Columbia about eight miles
below it, after pursuing a general southerly
258
[March,