Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Frontier and pioneer life -- Washington (State)
The agent told me that the chief desired to talk with me about the
incoming emigration; I assented, the agent acting as interpreter. This
conversation ending, I went out to take a more accurate survey of the
village. While standing in front of the chieftain's tent, a young Indian
woman, riding astride of a very fine horse, approached the tent. She
reined up her steed a few feet in front of me, showed a little
astonishment at my presence, and lightly dismounted without any
assistance from me. She tarried for a moment to pet her horse, thus
giving me an excellent chance for observation. While I can not say that
her form was sylph-like and elegant, yet her features were not
irregular, nor was her form misshapen. She was of medium height and
stood erect. Her head was covered with a luxuriant growth of dark coarse
hair, flowing over her shoulders and extending down to her waist. Her
hair was neatly combed; around her neck she had several strings of
different-colored beads, large and of bogus pearls; she had on a short
gown closely fitting her neck and body, and extending to her knees; it
was made out of soft buckskin and was tastefully ornamented with beads,
and fringed around the bottom; her lower limbs were wrapped in buckskin
leggings with fringed stripes at the sides; her feet were covered with a
neat pair of moccasins, ornamented with beads. Such was the chieftain's
daughter as I then saw her. She dashed by me and entered the tent. I
soon after followed. I judged from the long and inquiring stare of the
mother, and the quick and abashed look of the daughter, that the agent
and chief were talking about me; and I subsequently learned that such
was the fact. By invitation of the chief we stayed for dinner. I will
not detain you by a description of that repast. After dinner we smoked
the pipe of peace and friendship, then bade adieu to the chieftain and
rode back to our camp. The next day I went up to the agent's camp and
wrote for the "Detroit Free Press" a description of the Umatilla Valley
and the surrounding country, stated the number of Indians residing
there, their mode of life, their habits and customs, together with their
desire for civilization. I stated the generous offer of the Cayuse
chief, and closed with a glowing description of the dusky princess. I
mailed the letter at The Dalles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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