504 



ANNUAL KE(ilbTEK, im6 



the last article of clothing, or 

 even the last blue bead is won 

 from the desperate advemurer. 



In traffic they are keen, "acute, 

 nmi intelligent, and they employ 

 in all tl t'ii bargains a dexterity 

 and finesse, which if it be not 

 learnt from their foreign visitors, 

 may sho« how nearly the cun- 

 ning of savages is allied To tlie 

 little arts of more civilized trade. 

 'Jhey begin by asking douiile or 

 tiebie the value of their nieicliaii- 

 dise, and lower the demand m 

 proportion to the ardor or expe- 

 rience in trade of the purchaser; 

 and if he expresses any anxiety, 

 the smallest article, peihaps a 

 handfu! of loot^, will furnish a 

 wlu.le moniing's negociation 

 Beii g natnrall) suspiciius, they 

 of (ourse conceive that you are 

 pursuit g the same >-\stcm. 'J'hey, 

 theutoie, invariably refuic the 

 fiist offer, ho\ve\ei high, fearful 

 tliat they ov wr have mistaken tlie 

 ^allle (f tlie meuiiaiidise, and 

 tlieief(.re cautiniusty wait to draw 

 us on to laiger oll'cts. In this 

 way, afte)' lejectii g tiic most ex- 

 tra\agant | i ices, whicii we ha\c 

 ot'cred nierely foi' experiment, 

 they ha\e aftciwaids impoi tuned 

 us ior a tenth part of what they 

 hud befoie refused. In thi.s le- 

 spfct. tiiey differ frrni aln^ost all 

 Ir.d ans, who will geieially ex- 

 cliaiif;e in a tlioughtless m. ment 

 ihe UK St \aluablf a) tide tiiey 

 jiossess, for any iiaul.le wh.cli 

 iiajyens to ple.ise tlnii faiuy. 



'J iuse habits of ci.nnii g, or 

 pruden< e, have been fi ni ed or 

 incrt-ased b\ thiir being e gaged 

 in alaite pait of the con iiieu-e 

 of tie ttlumbia; of that trade, 

 however, the great emj.orium is 

 the Falls, wheie all the neigh- 



bouring nations assemble. The 

 inhabiiarits of the Columbian 

 plains, after having passed the 

 winter near the mountains, cmue 

 down as soon as the snow has left 

 the \ alleys, and are occupied in 

 collecting ar.d drying ro(/ts, till 

 about the month of May. They 

 then crowd to the rixer, and fix- 

 ing themsehes on its north side, 

 to avoid the incursions of the 

 SnaUe Indians, continue fishii g, 

 till .bout the liist of i?epteuibei , 

 when the salmon are no longer 

 fit for use. '] hey then bui\ their 

 fish and return to the plains, 

 where tlie\ remain gathei-ii'g qua- 

 mash, till the snow obliges them 

 to desist. They come back to the 

 Columbia, and takng their sioie 

 of fish, retire to the foot of the 

 moun'ains, ami aloigthe creeks, 

 which supply tind)er for houses, 

 and pa.-s the \Mi.tei' in hunting 

 (let r or elk, which v\i(h the aid of 

 ti'cir fish, enables them to subsist 

 till, in the sjiring. thev lesume 

 the cirde of iheir enijihiyments. 

 During their residence on the 

 ri\er, fumi May to .September, or 

 ratler i.ifoie thty begin the le- 

 fiular fishery, 'hey go d(iwn to 

 the Falls, carrying with tliem 

 skins, mat^, sili\ ivrass, rushes 

 and cha] pelell biead. 'i he> are 

 ht'ie ovei taken by the C hopun- 

 nish, and (itlu r ti ibescf theKucKy 

 niountains, wlio descend the 

 Kooskno.-kee and Le\vi-'s rivei, 

 for the purpose of selling be.ii- 

 grass. li(/'ses ijuamash, ;ind a 

 few skins which the\ have (dnair - 

 ed by liuiit ng, or in exchange 

 fi.r hnrse-= with the Tusliepavv.s. 

 At the Falls, ihey find the 

 Chid i< kittequaws, Ei.ee^hois, 

 Echeloots, and Skilloots, which 

 last serve as intermediate traders 



oi 



