personal memoirs-1- 第6部分

go　no　farther。　　As　stipulated　when　I　consented　to　take　him　along；　I

had　the　right　to　abandon　him；　but　when　it　came　to　the　test　I　could

not　make　up　my　mind　to　do　it。　　Finding　a　good　place　not　far　off　the

trail；　one　of　my　men　volunteered　to　remain　with　him　until　he　died；

and　we　left　them　there；　with　a　liberal　supply　of　hard　bread　and

coffee；　believing　that　we　would　never　again　see　the　invalid。　　My

reinforcement　was　already　gone；　and　another　man　with　it。



With　my　diminished　party　I　resumed　the　trail　and　followed　it　until

about　4　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　heard　the　sound　of　voices；

and　the　corporal；　thinking　we　were　approaching　Lieutenant

Williamson's　party；　was　so　overjoyed　in　anticipation　of　the　junction；

that　he　wanted　to　fire　his　musket　as　an　expression　of　his　delight。

This　I　prevented　his　doing；　however；　and　we　continued　cautiously　and

slowly　on　to　develop　the　source　of　the　sounds　in　front。　　We　had　not

gone　far　before　I　discovered　that　the　noise　came　from　a　band　of　Pit

River　Indians；　who　had　struck　the　trail　of　the　surveying　expedition；

and　were　following　it　up；　doubtless　with　evil　intent。　　Dismounting

from　my　horse　I　counted　the　moccasin　tracks　to　ascertain　the　number

of　Indians；　discovered　it　to　be　about　thirty；　and　then　followed　on

behind　them　cautiously；　but　with　little　difficulty；　as　appearances　of

speed　on　their　part　indicated　that　they　wished　to　overtake　Lieutenant

Williamson's　party；　which　made　them　less　on　the　lookout　than　usual

for　any　possible　pursuers。　　After　following　the　trail　until　nearly

sundown；　I　considered　it　prudent　to　stop　for　the　night；　and　drew　off

some　little　distance；　where；　concealed　in　a　dense　growth　of　timber；

we　made　our　camp。



As　I　had　with　me　now　only　two　men；　I　felt　somewhat　nervous；　so　I

allowed　no　fires　to　be　built；　and　in　consequence　our　supper　consisted

of　hard　bread　only。　　I　passed　an　anxious　night；　but　beyond　our　own

solicitude　there　was　nothing　to　disturb　us；　the　Indians　being　too

much　interested　in　overtaking　the　party　in　front　to　seek　for　victims

in　the　rear；　After　a　hard…bread　breakfast　we　started　again　on　the

trail；　and　had　proceeded　but　a　short　distance　when；　hearing　the

voices　of　the　Indians；　we　at　once　slackened　our　speed　so　as　not　to

overtake　them。



Most　of　the　trail　on　which　we　traveled　during　the　morning　ran　over　an

exceedingly　rough　lava　formationa　spur　of　the　lava　beds　often

described　during　the　Modoc　war　of　1873　so　hard　and　flinty　that

Williamson's　large　command　made　little　impression　on　its　surface；

leaving　in　fact；　only　indistinct　traces　of　its　line　of　march。　　By

care　and　frequent　examinations　we　managed　to　follow　his　route　through

without　much　delay；　or　discovery　by　the　Indians；　and　about　noon；

owing　to　the　termination　of　the　lava　formation；　we　descended　into　the

valley　of　Hat　Greek；　a　little　below　where　it　emerges　from　the　second

canon　and　above　its　confluence　with　Pit　River。　　As　soon　as　we　reached

the　fertile　soil　of　the　valley；　we　found　Williamson's　trail　well

defined；　deeply　impressed　in　the　soft　loam；　and　coursing　through

wild…flowers　and　luxuriant　grass　which　carpeted　the　ground　on　every

hand。



When　we　struck　this　delightful　locality　we　traveled　with　considerable

speed；　and　after　passing　over　hill　and　vale　for　some　distance；　the

trail　becoming　more　and　more　distinct　all　the　time；　I　suddenly　saw　in

front　of　me　the　Pit　River　Indians。



This　caused　a　halt；　and　having　hurriedly　re…capped　our　guns　and

six…shooters；　thus　preparing　for　the　worst；　I　took　a　look　at　the　band

through　my　field…glass。　　They　were　a　half…mile　or　more　in　our　front

and　numbered　about　thirty　individuals；　armed　with　bows　and　arrows

only。　　Observing　us　they　made　friendly　demonstrations；　but　I　had　not

implicit　faith　in　a　Pit　River　Indian　at　that　period　of　the　settlement

of　our　country；　and　especially　in　that　wild　locality；　so　after　a

〃council　of　war〃　with　the　corporal　and　man；　I　concluded　to　advance　to

a　point　about　two　hundred　yards　distant　from　the　party；　when；　relying

on　the　speed　of　our　horses　rather　than　on　the　peaceable　intentions　of

the　savages；　I　hoped　to　succeed　in　cutting　around　them　and　take　the

trail　beyond。　　Being　on　foot　they　could　not　readily　catch　us；　and

inasmuch　as　their　arrows　were　good　for　a　range　of　only　about　sixty

yards；　I　had　no　fear　of　any　material　damage　on　that　score。



On　reaching　the　place　selected　for　our　flank　movement　we　made　a　dash

to　the　left　of　the　trail；　through　the　widest　part　of　the　valley；　and

ran　our　horses　swiftly　by；　but　I　noticed　that　the　Indians　did　not

seem　to　be　disturbed　by　the　manoeuvre　and　soon　realized　that　this

indifference　was　occasioned　by　the　knowledge　that　we　could　not　cross

Hat　Creek；　a　deep　stream　with　vertical　banks；　too　broad　to　be　leaped

by　our　horses。　　We　were　obliged；　therefore；　to　halt；　and　the　Indians

again　made　demonstrations　of　friendship；　some　of　them　even　getting

into　the　stream　to　show　that　they　were　at　the　ford。　　Thus　reassured；

we　regained　our　confidence　and　boldly　crossed　the　river　in　the　midst

of　them。　　After　we　had　gained　the　bluff　on　the　other　side　of　the

creek；　I　looked　down　into　the　valley　of　Pit　River；　and　could　plainly

see　the　camp　of　the　surveying　party。　　Its　proximity　was　the　influence

which　had　doubtless　caused　the　peaceable　conduct　of　the　Indians。

Probably　the　only　thing　that　saved　us　was　their　ignorance　of　our

being　in　their　rear；　until　we　stumbled　on　them　almost　within　sight　of

the　large　party　under　Williamson。



The　Pit　River　Indians　were　very　hostile　at　that　time；　and　for　many

succeeding　years　their　treachery　and　cruelty　brought　misfortune　and

misery　to　the　white　settlers　who　ventured　their　lives　in　search　of

home　and　fortune　in　the　wild　and　isolated　section　over　which　these

savages　roamed。　　Not　long　after　Williamson's　party　passed　through

their　country；　the　Government　was　compelled　to　send　into　it　a

considerable　force　for　the　purpose　of　keeping　them　under　control。

The　outcome　of　this　was　a　severe　fightresulting　in　the　loss　of　a

good　many　livesbetween　the　hostiles　and　a　party　of　our　troops　under

Lieutenant　George　Crook。　　It　finally　ended　in　the　establishment　of　a

military　post　in　the　vicinity　of　the　battle…ground；　for　the　permanent

occupation　of　the　country。



A　great　load　was　lifted　from　my　heart　when　I　found　myself　so　near

Williamson's　camp；　which　I　joined　August　4；　1855；　receiving　a　warm

welcome　from　the　officers。　　During　the　afternoon　I　relieved

Lieutenant　Hood　of　the　command　of　the　personal　escort；　and　he　was

ordered　to　return；　with　twelve　of　the　mounted　men；　over　the　trail　I

had　followed。　　I　pointed　out　to　him　on　the　map　the　spot　where　he

would　find　the　two　men　left　on　the　roadside；　and　he　was　directed　to

take　them　into　Fort　Reading。　　They　were　found　without　difficulty；　and

carried　in　to　the　post。　　The　sick　manDuryeawhom　I　had　expected

never　to　see　again；　afterward　became　the　hospital　steward　at　Fort

Yamhill；　Oregon；　when　I　was　stationed　there。



The　Indians　that　I　had　passed　at　the　ford　came　to　the　bluff　above　the

camp；　and　arranging　themselves　in　a　squatting　posture；　looked　down

upon　Williamson's　party　with　longing　eyes；　in　expectation　of　a　feast。

They　were　a　pitiable　lot；　almost　naked；　hungry　and　cadaverous。

Indians　are　always　hungry；　but　these　poor　creatures　were　particularly

so；　as　their　usual　supply　of　food　had　grown　very　scarce　from　one

cause　and　another。



In　prosperity　they　mainly　subsisted　on　fish；　or　game　killed　with　the

bow　and　arrow。　　When　these　sources　failed　they　lived　on　grasshoppers；

and　at　this　season　the　grasshopper　was　their　principal　food。　　In

former　years　salmon　were　very　abundant　in　the　streams　of　the

Sacramento　Valley；　and　every　fall　they　took　great　quantities　of　these

fish　and　dried　them　for　winter　use；　but　alluvial　mining　had　of　late

years　defiled　the　water　of　the　different　streams　and　driven　the　fish

out。　　On　this　account　the　usual　supply　of　salmon　was　very　limited。

They　got　some　trout　high　up　on　the　rivers；　above　the　sluices　and

rockers　of　the　miners；　but　this　was　a　precarious　source　from　which　to

derive　food；　as　their　means　of　taking　the　trout　were　very　primitive。

They　had　neither　hooks　nor　lines；　but　depended　entirely　on　a

contrivance　made　from　long；　slender　branches　of　willow；　which　grew　on

the　banks　of　most　of　the　streams。　　One　of　these　branches　would　be

cut；　and　after　sharpening　the　butt…end　to　a　point；　split　a　certain

distance；　and　by　a　wedge　the　prongs　divided　sufficiently　to　admit　a

fish　between。　　The　Indian　fisherman　would　then　slyly　put　the　forked

end　in　the　water　over　his　intended　victim；　and　with　a　quick　dart

firmly　wedge　him　between　the　prongs。　　When　secured　there；　the　work　of

landing　him　took　but　a　moment。　　When　trout　were　plentiful　this

primitive　mode　of　taking　them　was　quite　successful；　and　I　have　often

known　hundreds　of　pounds　to　be　caught　in　this　way；　but　when　they　were

scarce　and　suspicious　the　rude　method　was　not　rewarded　with　good

results。



The　band　looking　down　on　us　evidently　had　not　had　much　fish　or　game

to　eat　for　some　time；　so　when　they　had　made　Williamson　understand

that　they　were　suffering　for　food　he　permitted　them　to　come　into

camp；　and　furnished　them　with　a　supply；　which　they　greedily　swallowed

as　fast　as　it　was　placed　at　their　service；　regardless　of　possible

indigestion。　　When　they　had　eaten　all　they　could　hold；　their

enjoyment　was　made　complete　by　the　soldiers；　who　gave　them　a　quantity

of　strong　plug　tobacco。　　This　they　smoked　incessantly；　inhaling　all

the　smoke；　so　that　none　of　the　effect　should　be　lost。　　When　we

abandoned　this　camp　the　next　day；　the　miserable　wretches　remained　in

it　and　collected　the　offal　about　the　cooks'　fires　to　feast　still

more；　piecing　out　the　meal；　no　doubt；　with　their　staple　article　of

foodgrasshoppers。



On　the　morning　of　August　5　Lieutenant　Hood　started　back　to　Fort

Reading；　and　Lieutenant　Williamson　resumed　his　march　for　the　Columbia

River。　　Our　cours