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Early Western Travels 1748-1846 A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive of the Aborigines and Social and Economic Conditions in the Middle and Far West, during the Period of Early American Settlement
Early Western Travels 1748-1846 A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive of the Aborigines and Social and Economic Conditions in the Middle and Far West, during the Period of Early American Settlement
Edited with Notes, Introductions, Index, etc., by Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL.D. Editor of "The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents," "Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition," "Hennepin's New Discovery," etc. Volume XXVIII Part I of Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, etc., May 21-October 16, 1839 Cleveland, Ohio The Arthur H. Clark Company 1906 Copyright 1906, by THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Lakeside Press R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY CH
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ILLUSTRATION TO VOLUME XXVIII
ILLUSTRATION TO VOLUME XXVIII
With these two volumes our series returns to Oregon, and to the question already shadowed forth upon the horizon, whether this vast territory drained by the Columbia River should belong to the United States or to Great Britain. Since the treaty of joint occupancy (1818) the English fur-traders had been in almost exclusive control. From the upper waters of the great rivers that drain the Arctic plains they had pushed their way across the Rockies down into the fertile southern valleys, and had exp
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PREFACE BY THE FIRST EDITOR
PREFACE BY THE FIRST EDITOR
This authentic account of the Great Western Prairies and Oregon Territory supplies a deficiency which has been felt for a long time. The author, by his own personal observations, has been enabled to furnish a very interesting narrative of travel; and whether he treats of the Prairies, or of the Oregon region, the various incidents related by him cannot fail to give entertainment and instruction. With respect to the Introduction, in which the Author asserts the claims of the United States to the
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PREFACE
PREFACE
It was customary in old times for all Authors to enter the world of letters on their knees, and with uncovered head, and a bow of charming meekness write themselves some brainless dolt's "most humble and obedient servant." In later days, the same feigned subserviency has shown itself in other forms. One desires that some will kindly pardon the weakness and imbecility of his production; for, although these faults may exist in his book, he wrote under "most adverse circumstances," as the crying of
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Early Western Travels 1748-1846
Early Western Travels 1748-1846
Volume XXIX The Lodge Pole (Indian name); Great Chief of the Flat-heads. Victor (in baptism) Early Western Travels 1748-1846 A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive of the Aborigines and Social and Economic Conditions in the Middle and Far West, during the Period of Early American Settlement Edited with Notes, Introductions, Index, etc., by Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL.D. Editor of “The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents,” “Origina
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CHAPTER V[1]
CHAPTER V[1]
Departure from Vancouver—Wappatoo Island—The Willamette River—Its Mouth—The Mountains—Falls—River above the Falls—Arrival at the Lower Settlement—A Kentuckian—Mr. Johnson and his Cabin—Thomas M’Kay and his Mill—Dr. Bailey and Wife and Home—The Neighbouring Farmers—The Methodist Episcopal Mission and Missionaries—Their Modes of Operations—The Wisdom of their Course—Their Improvements, &c.—Return to Vancouver—Mr. Young—Mr. Lee’s Misfortune—Descent of the Willamette—Indians—Arrival at Vanco
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Extracts from the Report of Lieutenant Wilkes to the Secretary of the Navy, of the examination, by the Exploring Expedition, of the Oregon Territory.[88]
Extracts from the Report of Lieutenant Wilkes to the Secretary of the Navy, of the examination, by the Exploring Expedition, of the Oregon Territory.[88]
The Territory embraced under the name of Oregon, extends from latitude 42° north to that of 53° 40′ north, and west of the Rocky Mountains. Its natural boundaries, were they attended to, would confine it within the above geographical boundaries. On the east it has the range of Rocky Mountains along its whole extent; on the south those of the Klamet range, running on the parallel of 42° and dividing it from California; on the west the Pacific Ocean; and on the north the western trend of the Rocky
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De Smet’s Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846
De Smet’s Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846
Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by EDWARD DUNIGAN, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York....
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TO THE RIGHT REVEREND DR. HUGHES, BISHOP OF NEW YORK.
TO THE RIGHT REVEREND DR. HUGHES, BISHOP OF NEW YORK.
Monseigneur , From the distant solitudes of the Rocky Mountains, in the midst of my missions among the Children of the Forests, I had the honor of addressing to you most of the letters contained in this Volume. I may, therefore, I feel, take the liberty of inscribing it to you, not only as a token of veneration for the distinguished qualities and eminent abilities which mark your character and add lustre to your dignity, but, likewise, as a tribute of personal friendship and esteem, with which I
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PREFACE
PREFACE
The contents of the present volume, from the pen of the celebrated Missionary of the Rocky Mountains, will be found, by the reader, to be fraught with extraordinary interest. The manners and customs of the North American Indians—their traditions, their superstitions, their docility in admitting the maxims of the gospel, and the edifying lives of thousands who have received the grace of baptism and instruction, are described with a freshness of coloring, and an exactness of detail, that will rend
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ARCHDIOCESS OF OREGON CITY
ARCHDIOCESS OF OREGON CITY
This district is under the jurisdiction of the Rt. Rev. F. N. Blanchet, who has also the administration of Nesqualy....
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DIOCESS OF WALLA WALLA
DIOCESS OF WALLA WALLA
This diocess is under the charge of the Rt. {48} Rev. Magloire Blanchet, who was consecrated in Montreal, on the 27th of September, 1846. He has also the present administration of Fort Hall and Colville. [156] The following clergymen are engaged in the missions of Oregon:— Who are all, with the exception of the last two, members of the Society of Jesus. Archbishop Blanchet lately embarked from Europe, on his way to Oregon, with ten secular priests and two regulars, three lay brothers of the Soci
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No. I LETTER OF MR. BOLDUC, APOSTOLICAL MISSIONARY
No. I LETTER OF MR. BOLDUC, APOSTOLICAL MISSIONARY
To Mr. Cayenne. Cowlitz, 15th Feb., 1844. Sir ,—Nearly a year has elapsed since I had the satisfaction of addressing you. During that period, I have made many new excursions, of which I now intend giving you an account. From the observations made by the first English navigators who visited the coasts of America towards the north of the Columbia River, it appears that the territory bearing the same name, was formerly discovered and peopled by Spaniards. Even at the present day, we find ruins of b
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No. II A. M. D. G.
No. II A. M. D. G.
Sainte Marie du Willamette, 9th October, 1844. My Dear Brother ,—On the 28th July, after a tedious navigation of nearly eight months, we came in sight of the Oregon Territory. Oh! with what transports of delight we hailed these long-desired shores. What heartfelt thanksgivings burst from every tongue. All, with one accord, entoned that magnificent hymn of praise, the “Te Deum.” But these moments of happiness were not of long duration; they were succeeded by others, of deep anxiety, as the rememb
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No. III A. M. D. G.
No. III A. M. D. G.
At the Foot of the Great Glaciere, one of the Upper Sources of the Athabasca River, May 6th, 1846. Monseigneur ,—I am late, but not forgetful of my duty and promises, for I will remember the many obligations I have contracted, and the happy hours I passed, when travelling in your paternity’s company. I now come to redeem them, by troubling you with a dozen Rocky Mountain letters, [180] including a narrative of my last year’s excursions and missions among several Indian tribes; of what I have see
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No. IV A. M. D. G.
No. IV A. M. D. G.
St. Francis Xavier, Willamette, June 20th, 1845. Right Rev. Bishop , [181] Sir ,—In the beginning of February, I set out to visit our different settlements and stations, and to form new ones among the neighboring tribes of our reductions. The entire surface of this region was then covered with snow, five feet deep; and I was compelled to go from the Bay of Pends-d’oreilles to the Horse Plain, in a bark canoe, a distance of 250 miles. [182] I was among my dear Flatheads and Pends-d’oreilles [183]
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No. V A. M. D. G.
No. V A. M. D. G.
Kalispel Bay, Aug. 7th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—A few days after the departure of Father Nobili, who obtained a place in a barge belonging to the Hon. Hudson Bay Co., I started from St. Francis Xavier’s with eleven horses laden with ploughs, spades, pickaxes, scythes, and carpenters’ implements. My companions were the good Brother McGill, [192] and two metis or mongrels. We encountered many obstacles and difficulties among the mountains, owing to the cascades formed by the water, which, at this seas
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No. VI A. M. D. G.
No. VI A. M. D. G.
Station of the Assumption, Arcs-a-plats, August 17th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—The 9th of August I continued my route towards the country of the Arcs-a-plats . The roads were still inundated by the great freshet. I preferred ascending the Clark or Flathead River, in my bark canoe, and sent my horses across the forests bordering the river, to await me at the great lake of the Kalispels . [201] I had here a very agreeable and unexpected interview; as we approached the forests, several horsemen issued f
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No. VII A. M. D. G.
No. VII A. M. D. G.
Ford of Flat-Bow River, [210] Sept. 2d, 1845. Monseigneur ,—The Flat-bows and Koetenays now form one tribe, divided into two branches. They are known throughout the country by the appellation of the Skalzi .—Advancing towards the territory of the Koetenays we were enchanted by the beautiful and diversified scenery. We sometimes traversed undulatory woods of pine and cedar, from which the light of day is partially excluded. We next entered sombre forests, where, axe in hand, we were forced to cut
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No. VIII A. M. D. G.
No. VIII A. M. D. G.
Head of the Columbia, September 9th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—The 4th September, towards noon, I found myself at the source of the Columbia. I contemplated with admiration those rugged and gigantic mountains where the Great River escapes—majestic, but impetuous even at its source; and in its vagrant course it is undoubtedly the most dangerous river on the western side of the American hemisphere. Two small lakes from four to six miles in length, formed by a number of springs and streams, are the reser
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No. IX A. M. D. G.
No. IX A. M. D. G.
Foot of the Cross of Peace, September 15th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—We bade adieu to the Morigeau family on the 9th, and to their companions of the chase, the Sioushwaps . [223] We quitted the upper valley of the Columbia by a small footpath, which soon conducted us to a narrow mountain defile, where the light of day vanished from view, amidst the huge, bold barriers of colossal rocks. The grand, the sublime, the beautiful, here form the most singular and fantastic {138} combinations. Though gray is
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No. X A. M. D. G.
No. X A. M. D. G.
Camp of the Assiniboins, Sept. 26th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—By a steep declivity we entered a rich valley, agreeably diversified by enamelled meads, magnificent forests, and lakes—in which the salmon-trout so abound, that in a few minutes we procured sufficient for an excellent repast. The valley is bounded on either side by a succession of picturesque rocks, whose lofty summits, rising in the form of pyramids, lose themselves in the clouds. The far-famed Egyptian monuments of Cheops and Cephren dw
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No. XI A. M. D. G.
No. XI A. M. D. G.
Fort of the Mountains, October 5, 1845. Monseigneur ,—The last few days we journeyed with the little Assiniboin camp, the aspect of the country offered nothing very interesting. We passed from valley to valley between two high chains of adamantine mountains, whose slopes are, here and there, ornamented with mounds of perpetual snow. A beautiful crystalline fountain issues from the centre of a perpendicular rock about five hundred feet high, and then pours its waters over the plain in foam and mi
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No. XII A. M. D. G.
No. XII A. M. D. G.
Fort of the Mountains, October 30th, 1845. Monseigneur ,—A band of about twenty Crees, encamped near the Fort, came to shake hands cordially with me on my arrival. The joy my presence seemed to occasion them, proved that I was not the first priest they had seen. Moreover, the greater number wore medals and crosses. They informed me that they too had been so fortunate as to have a Black-Gown , (Rev. Mr. Thibault,) who taught them to know and serve the Great Spirit—and baptized all their little ch
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No. XIII A. M. D. G.
No. XIII A. M. D. G.
Fort of the Mountains, October 30th, 1845. The year 1845 will be a memorable epoch in the sad annals of the Black-Feet nation. It has been a year of disasters. In two skirmishes with the Flat-heads and Kalispels, they lost twenty-one warriors. The Crees have carried off a great number of their horses, and twenty-seven scalps. The Crows have struck them a mortal blow—fifty families, the entire band of the petite Robe , were lately massacred, and one hundred and sixty women and children have been
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No. XIV A. M. D. G.
No. XIV A. M. D. G.
Fort Jasper, April 16th, 1846. Monseigneur ,—Fort Edmondton or Auguste is the great emporium of the Hudson Bay Company in the districts of Upper Sascatshawin and Athabasca: [247] Forts Jasper, Assiniboine, Little Slave Lake, on the river Athabasca, [248] Forts des Montagnes, Pitt, Carrollton, Cumberland, on the Sascatshawin, depend on it. [249] The respectable and worthy Mr. Rowan, Governor of this immense district, unites, to all the amiable and polite qualities of a perfect gentleman, those of
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No. XV A. M. D. G.
No. XV A. M. D. G.
Foot of the Great Glaciere, at the Source of the Athabasca, May 6th, 1846. Monseigneur —Provisions becoming scarce at the Fort, at the moment when we had with us a considerable number of Iroquois from the surrounding country, who were resolved to remain until my departure, in order to assist at the instructions, we should have found ourselves in an embarrassing situation had not Mr. Frazer come to our relief, by proposing that we should leave the Fort and accompany himself and family to the Lake
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No. XVI A. M. D. G.
No. XVI A. M. D. G.
Boat Encampment on the Columbia, May 10th, 1846. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial :—By my last letter to the distinguished Prelate of New-York, in which I gave my different missionary excursions during 1845-46 among several tribes of the Rocky Mountains, you have learned that I had arrived at the base of the Great Glacier, the source of the river du Trou , which is a tributary of the Athabaska, or Elk river. I will now give to your reverence the continuation of my arduous and difficult journ
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No. XVII A. M. D. G.
No. XVII A. M. D. G.
St. Paul’s Station, near Colville, May 29th, 1846. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial —The Columbia at the Boat Encampment is 3,600 feet above the level of the sea. Having finished our meal, we launched the barge and rapidly descended the river, which was now swollen many feet above its usual level. Did not more serious avocations call him away, an admirer of Nature would willingly linger in a region like this. The volcanic and basaltic islands—the range of picturesque mountains, whose bases c
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No. XVIII A. M. D. G. Extract from Father Nobili’s Letter
No. XVIII A. M. D. G. Extract from Father Nobili’s Letter
Fort Colville, June 1st, 1846. Rev. Father ,—While I remained at Fort Vancouver, I baptized upwards of sixty persons, during a dangerous sickness which raged in the country. The majority of those who received baptism, died with all the marks of sincere conversion. On the 27th of July, I baptized nine children at Fort Okinagane [277] —the children of the chief of the Sioushwaps were of the number. He appeared full of joy at seeing a Black-gown direct his course towards their country. On the 29th
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No. XIX A. M. D. G.
No. XIX A. M. D. G.
Fort Walla-Walla, July 18th, 1846. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—I accepted the kind offer of Mr. Lewes, and took my seat in one of the barges of the Hudson Bay Company, on its way to Fort Vancouver. We stopped at Fort Okinagane, where I administered baptism to forty-three persons, chiefly children. Our passage was very pleasant and agreeable. I have little to add to what I have already stated in my preceding letters of last year, respecting our residence at Saint Francis Xavier’s, and
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No. XX A. M. D. G.
No. XX A. M. D. G.
St. Ignatius, near the Kalispel Bay, July 26th, 1846. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—The eighth day after my departure from Fort Vancouver, I landed safely at Walla Walla, with the goods destined for the different missions. In a few days all was ready, and having thanked the good and kind-hearted Mr. McBride, [289] the Superintendent of the Fort, who had rendered me every assistance in his power, we soon found ourselves on the way to the mountains leading a band of pack mules and horses
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No. XXI A. M. D. G.
No. XXI A. M. D. G.
Valley of St. Mary’s, Aug. 10, 1846. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—On the 27th July, I bade farewell to Father Hoecken and his interesting little flock, consisting of about five hundred Indians. I was accompanied by two Kalispels, and some of the Cœur d’Alenes, who came to meet me. We had beautiful weather, and a path remarkably free from those obstructions so annoying to travellers in the mountains. Towards the middle of our day’s journey, we reached a beautiful lake surrounded by hill
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No. XXII Letter of the Rev. Father Point, S. J., Missionary in Oregon
No. XXII Letter of the Rev. Father Point, S. J., Missionary in Oregon
Village of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, ⸺, 1845. I learn by letters from Europe, that you take a lively interest in our dear missions. From this, I conclude that you will be very glad to learn some of those things which are passing amongst us. I take the more pleasure, because I can detail what my own eyes have witnessed, and because I can give a new proof of a truth, which you love to extend, viz., that it is to their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that the pastors of souls are indebted f
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No. XXIII A. M. D. G.
No. XXIII A. M. D. G.
Flat-Head Camp, Yellowstone River, September 6th, 1846. Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—After an absence of about eighteen months, employed in visiting the various distant tribes, and extending among them the kingdom of Christ, I returned to the nursery, so to speak, of our Apostolic labors in the Rocky Mountains. Judge of the delight I experienced, when I found the little log church, we built five years ago, about to be replaced by another which will bear comparison with those in civilized co
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No. XXIV A. M. D. G.
No. XXIV A. M. D. G.
St. Louis University, January 1st, 1847. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—You are already acquainted with our determination to accompany the Black-Feet in returning to their country. In the sequel of this letter you will learn, with pleasure, how far Almighty God has blessed our humble efforts in carrying this resolution into effect. After the battle, described in my letter from the Yellow-Stone camp, the Crows, it appears, fled to the Wind River Mountains, determined, however, to avenge t
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No. XXV A. M. D. G. Legend of the Potawotomie Indians
No. XXV A. M. D. G. Legend of the Potawotomie Indians
St. Louis University, January 10, 1847. Very Rev. and Dear Father Provincial ,—Agreeably to my promise, I send you the account given by the Potawotomies, residing at Council Bluffs, respecting their own origin, and the causes which gave rise to their “great medicine,” and juggling, considered by them as of the highest antiquity. Such superstitions, indeed, are found to exist among all the tribes of the American continent, differing only in the form and the accompanying ceremonies. The Nanaboojoo
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No. XXVI A. M. D. G.
No. XXVI A. M. D. G.
Philadelphia, April 6th, 1847. Mr. J. D. Bryant , Dear Sir ,—The nation of the Pawnees is divided into four great tribes, which act in concert as one people. They have their villages upon the river Platte, or Nebrasca, and its tributaries, about 150 miles west of the Missouri river. They are the same true children of the desert as they have been these many ages.—They dress in the skins of animals killed in the chase. They cultivate maize and squashes, using the shoulder-blade of the buffalo as a
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No. XXVII A. M. D. G. Extract from the Missionary’s Journal
No. XXVII A. M. D. G. Extract from the Missionary’s Journal
To-day, 17th August, we pitched our tents upon the borders of a winding stream, in the heart of a wild, mountainous country, whose deep ravines and gloomy caverns are well suited for the dens of wild animals. Great as our expectations were of finding here abundance of game, they were not deceived. In less than an hour our hunters killed as many as twelve bears. During the night, an event of a far more serious nature occurred. The sudden firing of a gun roused us from slumber. Every warrior was o
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No. XXVIII “Henceforward the Prayer of the Flat-Heads shall be Ours”
No. XXVIII “Henceforward the Prayer of the Flat-Heads shall be Ours”
BY REV. P. N. POINT We shall see what gave occasion to these remarkable words uttered by thirty-seven Black-Feet, who had fallen into the hands of the Flat-Heads. It is rare, at present, to find any Black-Feet, even among the most vicious tribes, who are not convinced that the Black-gowns desire their happiness. The following observations clearly prove my proposition: 1, the kind reception they gave the Black Robe who was taken by sixty of their warriors: 2, the attention with which they listene
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OUR FATHER, IN THE POTAWOTOMIE LANGUAGE
OUR FATHER, IN THE POTAWOTOMIE LANGUAGE
+ Tchibiatikonikewin —sign of the Cross. Nosinan —our Father. Nosinan Wakwik ebiyin ape kitchitwa kitchilwa wenitamag kitinosowin, enakosiyin ape piyak kitewetako tipu wakwig, ape tepwetakon chote kig. Ngom ekijikiwog michinag mamitchiyak ponigetedwichinag kego kachi kichiinakineyi ponigeledwoiket woye kego kachi kichiimidgin, kinamochinag wapatadiyak. Chitchiikwan nenimochinag meyanek waotichkakoyakin. Ape iw nomikug....
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PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS IN FLOWER IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, Of which the botanical names follow:
PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS IN FLOWER IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, Of which the botanical names follow:
[1] Chapter v of volume ii of the original edition.— Ed. [2] For this island, now called Sauvie’s, see our volume xxi, p. 300, notes 85, 86. The root is described in our volume vi, p. 278, note 87.— Ed. [3] The Clackamas River, for which see our volume xxi, p. 320, note 105.— Ed. [4] The land at the Falls of the Willamette was a private possession of Dr. John McLoughlin, who took up the claim in 1829, making some improvements. His rights were first contested by members of the Methodist mission.
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