personal memoirs-1-第16章

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post　was　nearly　completed　and　its　garrison　increased　by　the　arrival

of　Captain　F。　T。　Denta　brother…in…law　of　Captain　Ulysses　S。　Grant

with　his　company　of　the　Fourth　Infantry；　in　April；　1857。　　In　the

summer　of　1856；　and　while　I　was　still　on　duty　there；　the　Coquille

Indians　on　the　Siletz；　and　down　near　the　Yaquina　Bay；　became；　on

account　of　hunger　and　prospective　starvation；　very　much　excited　and

exasperated；　getting　beyond　the　control　of　their　agent；　and　even

threatening　his　life；　so　a　detachment　of　troops　was　sent　out　to　set

things　to　rights；　and　I　took　command　of　it。　　I　took　with　me　most　of

the　company；　and　arrived　at　Yaquina　Bay　in　time　to　succor　the　agent；

who　for　some　days　had　been　besieged　in　a　log　hut　by　the　Indians　and

had　almost　abandoned　hope　of　rescue。



Having　brought　with　me　over　the　mountains　a　few　head　of　beef　cattle

for　the　hungry　Indians；　without　thinking　of　running　any　great

personal　risk　I　had　six　beeves　killed　some　little　distance　from　my

camp；　guarding　the　meat　with　four　Soldiers；　whom　I　was　obliged　to

post　as　sentinels　around　the　small　area　on　which　the　carcasses　lay。

The　Indians　soon　formed　a　circle　about　the　sentinels；　and　impelled　by

starvation；　attempted　to　take　the　beef　before　it　could　be　equally

divided。　　This　was　of　course　resisted；　when　they　drew　their　knives

their　guns　having　been　previously　taken　away　from　themand　some　of

the　inferior　chiefs　gave　the　signal　to　attack。　　The　principal　chief；

Tetootney　John；　and　two　other　Indians　joined　me　in　the　centre　of　the

circle；　and　protesting　that　they　would　die　rather　than　that　the

frenzied　onslaught　should　succeed；　harangued　the　Indians　until　the

rest　of　the　company　hastened　up　from　camp　and　put　an　end　to　the

disturbance。　　I　always　felt　grateful　to　Tetootney　John　for　his

loyalty　on　this　occasion；　and　many　times　afterward　aided　his　family

with　a　little　coffee　and　sugar；　but　necessarily　surreptitiously；　so

as　not　to　heighten　the　prejudices　that　his　friendly　act　had　aroused

among　his　Indian　comrades。



The　situation　at　Yaquina　Bay　did　not　seem　very　safe；　notwithstanding

the　supply　of　beef　we　brought；　and　the　possibility　that　the　starving

Indians　might　break　out　was　ever　present；　so　to　anticipate　any

further　revolt；　I　called　for　more　troops。　　The　request　was　complied

with　by　sending　to　my　assistance　the　greater　part　of　my　own　company

（〃K〃）from　Fort　Yamhill。　　The　men；　inspired　by　the　urgency　of　our

situation；　marched　more　than　forty　miles　a　day；　accomplishing　the

whole　distance　in　so　short　a　period；　that　I　doubt　if　the　record　has

ever　been　beaten。　　When　this　reinforcement　arrived；　the　Indians　saw

the　futility　of　further　demonstrations　against　their　agent；　who　they

seemed　to　think　was　responsible　for　the　insufficiency　of　food；　and

managed　to　exist　with　the　slender　rations　we　could　spare　and　such

indifferent　food　as　they　could　pick　up；　until　the　Indian　Department

succeeded　in　getting　up　its　regular　supplies。　　In　the　past　the　poor

things　had　often　been　pinched　by　hunger　and　neglect；　and　at　times

their　only　food　was　rock　oysters；　clams　and　crabs。　　Great　quantities

of　these　shell…fish　could　be　gathered　in　the　bay　near　at　hand；　but

the　mountain　Indians；　who　had　heretofore　lived　on　the　flesh　of

mammal；　did　not　take　kindly　to　mollusks；　and；　indeed；　ate　the　shell…

fish　only　as　a　last　resort。



Crab　catching　at　night　on　the　Yaquina　Bay　by　the　coast　Indians　was　a

very　picturesque　scene。　　It　was　mostly　done　by　the　squaws　and

children；　each　equipped　with　a　torch　in　one　hand；　and　a　sharp…pointed

stick　in　the　other　to　take　and　lift　the　fish　into　baskets　slung　on

the　back　to　receive　them。　　I　have　seen　at　times　hundreds　of　squaws

and　children　wading　about　in　Yaquina　Bay　taking　crabs　in　this　manner；

and　the　reflection　by　the　water　of　the　light　from　the　many　torches；

with　the　movements　of　the　Indians　while　at　work；　formed　a　weird　and

diverting　picture　of　which　we　were　never　tired。



Not　long　after　the　arrival　of　the　additional　troops　from　Yamhill；　it

became　apparent　that　the　number　of　men　at　Yaquina　Bay　would　have　to

be　reduced；　so　in　view　of　this　necessity；　it　was　deemed　advisable　to

build　a　block…house　for　the　better　protection　of　the　agents　and　I

looked　about　for　suitable　ground　on　which　to　erect　it。　　Nearly　all

around　the　bay　the　land　rose　up　from　the　beach　very　abruptly；　and　the

only　good　site　that　could　be　found　was　some　level　ground　used　as　the

burial…place　of　the　Yaquina　Bay　Indiansa　small　band　of　fish…eating

people　who　had　lived　near　this　point　on　the　coast　for　ages。　　They

were　a　robust　lot；　of　tall　and　well…shaped　figures；　and　were　called

in　the　Chinook　tongue　〃salt　chuck；〃　which　means　fish…eaters；　or

eaters　of　food　from　the　salt　water。　　Many　of　the　young　men　and　women

were　handsome　in　feature　below　the　forehead；　having　fine　eyes；

aquiline　noses　and　good　mouths；　but；　in　conformity　with　a　long…

standing　custom；　all　had　flat　heads；　which　gave　them　a　distorted　and

hideous　appearance；　particularly　some　of　the　women；　who　went　to　the

extreme　of　fashion　and　flattened　the　head　to　the　rear　in　a　sharp

horizontal　ridge　by　confining　it　between　two　boards；　one　running　back

from　the　forehead　at　an　angle　of　about　forty　degrees；　and　the　other

up　perpendicularly　from　the　back　of　the　neck。　　When　a　head　had　been

shaped　artistically　the　dusky　maiden　owner　was　marked　as　a　belle；　and

one　could　become　reconciled　to　it　after　a　time；　but　when　carelessness

and　neglect　had　governed　in　the　adjustment　of　the　boards；　there

probably　was　nothing　in　the　form　of　a　human　being　on　the　face　of　the

earth　that　appeared　so　ugly。



It　was　the　mortuary　ground　of　these　Indians　that　occupied　the　only

level　spot　we　could　get　for　the　block…house。　　Their　dead　were　buried

in　canoes；　which　rested　in　the　crotches　of　forked　sticks　a　few　feet

above…ground。　　The　graveyard　was　not　large；　containing　probably　from

forty　to　fifty　canoes　in　a　fair　state　of　preservation。　　According　to

the　custom　of　all　Indian　tribes　on　the　Pacific　coast；　when　one　of

their　number　died　all　his　worldly　effects　were　buried　with　him；　so

that　the　canoes　were　filled　with　old　clothes；　blankets；　pieces　of

calico　and　the　like；　intended　for　the　use　of　the　departed　in　the

happy　hunting　grounds。



I　made　known　to　the　Indians　that　we　would　have　to　take　this　piece　of

ground　for　the　blockhouse。　　They　demurred　at　first；　for　there　is

nothing　more　painful　to　an　Indian　than　disturbing　his　dead；　but　they

finally　consented　to　hold　a　council　next　day　on　the　beach；　and　thus

come　to　some　definite　conclusion。　　Next　morning　they　all　assembled；

and　we　talked　in　the　Chinook　language　all　day　long；　until　at　last

they　gave　in；　consenting；　probably；　as　much　because　they　could　not

help　themselves；　as　for　any　other　reason。　　It　was　agreed　that　on　the

following　day　at　12　o'clock；　when　the　tide　was　going　out；　I　should

take　my　men　and　place　the　canoes　in　the　bay；　and　let　them　float　out

on　the　tide　across　the　ocean　to　the　happy　hunting…grounds：



At　that　day　there　existed　in　Oregon　in　vast　numbers　a　species　of

wood…rat；　and　our　inspection　of　the　graveyard　showed　that　the　canoes

were　thickly　infested　with　them。　　They　were　a　light　gray　animal；

larger　than　the　common　gray　squirrel；　with　beautiful　bushy　tails；

which　made　them　strikingly　resemble　the　squirrel；　but　in　cunning　and

deviltry　they　were　much　ahead　of　that　quick…witted　rodent。　　I　have

known　them　to　empty　in　one　night　a　keg　of　spikes　in　the　storehouse　in

Yamhill；　distributing　them　along　the　stringers　of　the　building；　with

apparently　no　other　purpose　than　amusement。　　We　anticipated　great　fun

watching　the　efforts　of　these　rats　to　escape　the　next　day　when　the

canoes　should　be　launched　on　the　ocean；　and　I　therefore　forbade　any

of　the　command　to　visit　the　graveyard　in　the　interim；　lest　the　rats

should　be　alarmed。　　I　well　knew　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　by

the　Indians；　who　held　the　sacred　spot　in　awe。　　When　the　work　of

taking　down　the　canoes　and　carrying　them　to　the　wat