WALLAWALLA. 413 



often end in bloodshed. Stealing prevails to an alarming extent : 

 scarcely any thing that can be removed is safe. The missionaries 

 have several times had their houses broken open, and their property 

 more or less damaged. The stealing of horses in particular is very 

 common, but after being broken down they are sometimes returned. 

 There are but few chiefs to whom the appeal for redress can be 

 made, and they can exercise but little control over such a lawless 

 crew. Those who gather here are generally the very worst of the 

 tribes around. 



The number of Indians within the Dalles mission is reckoned at 

 about two thousand ; in but few of these, however, has any symptom 

 of reform shown itself They frequent the three great salmon-fishe- 

 ries of the Columbia, the Dalles, Cascades, and Chutes, and a few 

 were found at a salmon-fishery about twenty-five miles up the Chutes 

 river. 



The season for fishing salmon, which is the chief article of food in 

 this country, lasts during five months, from May to September. The 

 country also furnishes quantities of berries, nuts, roots, and game, 

 consisting of bears, elk, and deer ; but, owing to the improvidence of 

 the native inhabitants, they are, notwithstanding this ample supply of 

 articles of food, oftentimes on the verge of starvation. 



After the fishing and trading season is over, they retire to their 

 villages, and pass the rest of the year in inactivity, consuming the 

 food supplied by the labours of the preceding summer ; and as the 

 season for fishing comes round, they again resort to the fisheries. 

 This is the ordinary course of life among these Indians, whose dissi- 

 pation has been already spoken of, and will claim more attention 

 hereafter. 



Here again some others demanded their annual token from the 

 brigade for past services. 



The country about the Dalles is broken, and the missionaries report 

 that this is the case for some miles around. There are, however, also 

 some plains and table-lands, which are considered as very valuable, 

 being well watered with springs and small streams ; excellent for 

 grazing, and well supplied with timber — oak and pine. The soil 

 varies in quality, and portions of it are very rich. Garden vegeta- 

 bles succeed, but require irrigation. Potatoes also must be watei'ed, 

 by which mode of culture they succeed well. Corn and peas can be 

 raised in sufficient quantities. Wheat produces about twenty-five 

 bushels to the acre : this is not, however, on the best land. They 



VOL. IV. 104 



