MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



506 



or carriers between the inhabit- 

 ants above and below the Falls. 

 These tribes prepare pounded lish 

 for the market, and the nations 

 below bring wappatoo I'oots. the 

 fish of the seu-coast, berries, and 

 a variety of trinkets and small 

 articles wh ch they have procured 

 from the whites. 



The trade then begins. The 

 Chopunnish, and Indians of the 

 Rocky mountains, exchange the 

 articles \\hich tliey liave brought 

 for wappatoo, pounded fish, and 

 beads. The Indiaobof the plains 

 being ti eir own fishermen, take 

 only wappatoo, horses, beads, and 

 other articles, piocured from 

 Europeans. Ihe Indians, how- 

 ever, from Lewis's river to the 

 Falls, consume as food or fuel all 

 the fish vvliich they take ; so t!>at 

 the whole stock for exportation 

 is prepared by the iiations between 

 the Towahnaliiooksand the Falls, 

 and amount.*, as nearly as we 

 could estimate, to about thirty 

 thousand weight, chiefly salmon, 

 abo\e the (.piantity which they use 

 themselves, or baittr with the 

 more eastern indiar.s 1 his is 

 now carried down tlie ri\er by 

 the Ir.d ans at the lalls, and is 

 con unied an ong the nations at 

 the moutii of the Columhia, who 

 in return give the fisii of the sea- 

 coa~t, and the ai tides which they 

 olttaiii from the wliitcs. 'Ihe 

 neiglilxiuiing ) eople catcii laige 

 quantities of salmon and dry 

 th-m, but they do not un(ierst<nni 

 or practise the art of drvingar.d 

 pouniling it in the ma ner u^ed at 

 the Falls, and being very fond of 

 it, are foidil to puicliase it at 

 high pi ices. 'J'his article, in leed, 

 and the Wappatoo, form ihe prin- 

 cipal subjects of trade vsith the 



people of our immediate vicinity. 

 The traffic is wholly carried on by 

 water ; there are even no roads 

 or paths through the country, ex- 

 cept across the portages which 

 connect the creeks. 



But the circumstance which 

 forms the soul of this trade, is 

 the visit of the whites. They 

 arrive generally about the month 

 of April, and eithei' remain until 

 October, or return at that time ; 

 duiing which time, having no 

 establishment on shore, they an- 

 chor on the north side of the bay,- 

 at the place alieady described, 

 which is a spacious and commo- 

 dious harbour, perfectly secure 

 from all, except the south and 

 south-east winds ; and as tliey 

 leave it before winter, tkey do 

 not suffer from these winds, 

 which, during that season, are 

 the most usual and the most vio- 

 lent. This situation is recom- 

 mended by its ncighbourl'.ood to 

 fresh water and wooil, as well as 

 to excellent tiuiber for repaiis. 

 Here they are inunediately visited 

 by t'e tiibe.« along the sea-coast, 

 by the Catlilamahs, and lastly by 

 the Skilloots, that numerous and 

 at live people, who skirt the liver 

 between the mat shy i-lands and 

 the Giaiid lapid.-^, as well as tt.e 

 (Joweliskee, =ind who carry (h;wn 

 the fish piepaied by tl eir innue- 

 (liaie neighbours the Ciiilluckitte- 

 (piaws, Kneeshurs, and Ecliee- 

 loots, residing fr(,m thediand la- 

 pids to tlie Falls, as well as all 

 the art icles which they ha^e pro- 

 cured in harter at the maiket in 

 May. The accumulaied tiade of 

 tie Columbia now consists of 

 dressed and undrissed skins of 

 elk, sea otter, the common (,tter, 

 beav(.r, c -mmon fox, spuck, and 



tiger 



