, 1862-05-31

The celebrated missionary Father De Smet,
gives the following account of a trip from Fort
Vancouver to the Dalles, in the year 1916:
In order to return to the upper Missions,
started in the beginning of July, from Fort Van
couver, two days after the brigade of the Hudson
Bay Company had leftit. An accident by the way,
fortunately attended without more serious conse-
quences, here occurred to me. powder-horn
exploded near me accidentally scorching me Sc
verely, and completely stripping the skin from my
nose, cheeks and lips-leaving me to all appear
ance after all my travels, raw-faced mountaineer
1 procured an Indian canoe, well armed, and soon
found myself during thunderstorm, in the great
gap of the Cascade mountains, through which the
mighty Columbia winds its way. The sublime and
the romantic appear to have made grand effort
for magnificent display on this spot. On both
sides of the stream perpendicular walls of rock
rise in majestic boldness-small rlls and rvulets,
innumerabe crystalline streams pursue their way /;
murmuring down on the steep declivities, they
rush and leap from cascade to cascade, after a
thousand gambols, adding their foamng tribute to
the turbulent and powerful stream. The impos-
ing mass of waters has here forced its way be-
tween a chain of volcanic, towering mountains,
advancing headlong with an irresistible mpetuos-
ity, rocky reef and PROSTATE ruins, for dis
tance of about four miles forming the dangerous
and indeed the last remarkable obstruction-the
great cascades of the Columbia. There is an in
teresting, and very plausible Indian account of
these far-famed cascades, on which so much has
been said and written, so many conjectures re-
garding earth-sides sinks, or SWELL caused by sub
terraneous volcanic agents. "Our grandfathers," 3"
said an Indian to me, remember the time when
the waters passed here quietly, and without OBJ
struction, under long range of towering and pro-
jecting rocks, which, unable to bear their weight
any longer. crumbled down, thus stopping up and
raising the bed of the river; here it overhowed
the great forests Of cedar and pine, which are still
to be seen above the cascades" Indeed, the trav-
eer beholds with astonishment great number of
huge trunks of trees, still standing upright in wa
ter about twenty feet deep. No person, in my
opinion, can form just idea of the cause that
produced these remarkable changes, without ad-
hitting the Indian narrative.
My baggage was soon conveyed to the upper
end of the portage. The distance from the Dalles
is about forty-fve miles, and is without any obsta-
Gle. The mountain scenery on both sides of the
river with its clusters of shrubs cedars, and pines,
truly delightful, heightened occasionally by the
sight Of the srow-capped Mounts Hood and St.
Heens A favorable breeze made us unfurl two
blankets for the want of sails, and as we were gil
ding rapidly up the stream, we observed several
islands of volcanic formation, where the Indians
deposit their dead on scaffods, or in little huts
made of pieces of split cedar, frequently covered
with mats and boards great care is taken to hin
der birds of prey, or the rapacious wolves, with
hyena stomacha and plundering propensities, from
breaking in upon the abode of the dead.
THE DALLEs IN 1916.
The third day we arrived at the great Dalles
Indians flock thither from different quarters of the
interior, to attend at this seacon of the year, to
the salmon fisheries This is their glorious time
for rejoicing, gambling, and feasting the long
lent is passed they have at last assembled in the
midst of abundance-al that the eye can see, or
the nose smell, is fish, and nothing but fish, Piles
of them are lying everywhere on the rocks, the
Indian huts abound with them, and the dogs are
dragging and fighting over the ofall in all direc-
tions Not less than eight hundred Indians were
present on this occasion. One who has seen them
five years ago, poor and almost naked, and who
beholds them now, discovers with peculiar feel
ing of humor and delight, the entire change in
their external appearance, complete metamor-
phoss, as Ovid would say. Their dresses are of
the most grotesque character, regardless alike of
their appropriateness to sex or condition of life-
A masquerade character, as we understand it, will
at least exhibit unity of design but this Indian
masquerade sets all unities at defiance. A stout
swarthy Indian steps proudly by you, apparently
conscious Of the dignity conferred on him by his
new acquisitions roundabout much too small
for him, pair of tights with straps, with inter-
vening space showing the absence of linen, form
bis body dress, while an old fashioned ladys night
cap with large frills, and if he be rich enough a
sailors glazed cap carefully balanced above it,
constitute his head dress pair, and sometimes